Haryana aligns school admission age with NEP, enforces six year minimum age for Class 1

Haryana will require children to be at least six years old for admission to Class 1 from the 2026–27 academic year, bringing the state’s school entry rules in line with National Education Policy 2020 guidelines and a recent order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The decision removes the earlier provision that allowed a six-month age relaxation and is expected to affect school admissions, particularly in urban centers such as Gurgaon.

The revised rule, according to state officials, aims to standardize entry age norms and ensure uniformity across all schools.

The change follows directions issued by the High Court in the Divisha Yadav vs State of Haryana case, where the court criticized the state for failing to align its education manual with NEP norms and instructed the government to update its admission framework.

Under the revised approach, children who do not meet the age requirement will be admitted to pre-primary classes and moved to Class 1 only after completing six years, allowing them to continue schooling with their peer group.

Most states and union territories have already amended their entry age rules. About 30 states and union territories have adopted the six year minimum age for Class 1, while six, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Kerala, are yet to implement the requirement.

Several states have formally notified the change. The Delhi Directorate of Education has announced that from 2026, the minimum age for Class 1 entry across all schools will be six years.

Goa is set to raise the entry age through the Goa School Education Bill, 2026. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have also enforced the six year norm, while Karnataka is rolling it out in phases with a June 1 cutoff date.

Gujarat and Maharashtra have fully implemented the 6+ rule, and Punjab has restructured its pre-primary stages accordingly.

Central schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, have followed the six year entry age since the 2022–23 academic session.