The Maharashtra School Education Department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) dated October 15, 2026, fixing minimum age limits for school admissions from Nursery to Class 1.

The new criteria will be introduced in phases over four academic years, starting in 2027-28. The age will be calculated as on June 30 of the relevant year.

New age limits for admission and the enforcement year:

Nursery/Balwadi-1: 3 Years (applicable from 2027-28)
Junior KG/Balwadi-2: 4 Years (applicable from 2028-29)
Senior KG/Balwadi-3: 5 Years (applicable from 2029-30)
Class 1: 6 Years (applicable from 2030-31)

Different types of schools, including Maharashtra State Board, CBSE, ICSE and IB schools, have been following different age criteria and cut-off dates for Class 1 admissions. There was no uniform age requirement for admission to pre-primary classes.

According to a Central Government notification, admission to 1st standard cannot be granted to a child below 6 years of age.

The phased implementation is meant to align pre-primary age requirements with the Class 1 admission age, to sync with the National Education Policy 2020.

The new age criteria will not apply to students already enrolled in any class from Nursery till Class 1 during the 2026-27 academic year.

The GR allows a relaxation of up to 15 days in the minimum and maximum age criteria at the school head’s level for Nursery through Class 1.

The Director of Education (Primary), Directorate of Primary Education, Pune, will issue detailed instructions and guidelines for admissions under the new criteria.