Shraddha Bhat

No. The GR says the new age criteria will not apply to children already studying in Nursery to Std 1 in the 2026-27 session. Your child stays in their class and moves up normally next year.

No. A regular student who passes a class at a recognised school is exempt from the age check when moving to the next class. The phase-in protects this batch too: Junior KG keeps the old 31 December rule up to 2027-28, Senior KG up to 2028-29 and Std 1 up to 2029-30.

Nothing changes. Promotion to the next class is exempt from the age check, and these children reach Std 1 before the new Std 1 rule begins in 2030-31.

If your child passed the previous class as a regular student of a recognised school, the age criteria do not apply for admission to the next class. Keep the leaving certificate or progress report ready, since the new school will ask for proof.

Nursery needs 3 years completed on 30 June 2027, so born on or before 30 June 2024. Junior KG, Senior KG and Std 1 still use the old 31 December rule in 2027-28: born on or before 31 December 2023, 2022 and 2021 respectively.

Check your child's date in the checker →

The GR applies to every admission for 2027-28, whatever the booking date. A child born after 15 July 2024 does not meet the Nursery age on 30 June 2027, even with the relaxation. Ask the school to carry your seat to 2028-29 and to confirm in writing how fees already paid will be adjusted.

Born between 1 and 15 July 2024? The school head can still consider your child for 2027-28 under the 15-day relaxation. Detailed state guidelines are awaited, so keep your paperwork.

No. The GR covers only Nursery, Junior KG, Senior KG and Std 1. Playgroup and toddler programmes have no state age rule, so each preschool sets its own.

Under the GR as written, Nursery in 2027-28 needs 3 years on 30 June 2027, or within 15 days of it at the school head's discretion. For most July to December 2024 birthdays that means Nursery in June 2028, with one more play-based year in 2027-28.

The promotion exemption covers children who passed one of the four GR classes. Playgroup is not one of them, so it may not help here. Watch for the Directorate's guidelines.

From the 2030-31 academic year. Std 1 admissions in 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30 still follow the old rule: 6 years completed by 31 December of the admission year.

The GR allows a 15-day relaxation on the minimum and maximum age, granted at the school head's level. A child born on or before 15 July 2024 can be considered for Nursery in 2027-28. It is the school's decision and not automatic, so ask early.

A child born 18 July 2024 is 18 days short on 30 June 2027, which is 3 days beyond the 15-day relaxation. Under the GR as written, Nursery starts in June 2028, and a Playgroup year in 2027-28 keeps learning going.

The Directorate's detailed guidelines are still awaited. Follow @shraddhabhatofficial for updates if they add anything for this group.

Completed age on 30 June of the admission year, which the GR calls the deemed date (मानीव दिनांक). A child born on 30 June 2024 completes 3 years on 30 June 2027 and qualifies for Nursery that year. A child born on 1 July 2024 is one day short. For borderline dates, confirm the school's method.

The GR follows NEP 2020, which places Std 1 at 6+ after three years of play-based pre-primary. Children who start a little older usually come to Std 1 more ready for reading, writing and a full school day. Spend the extra year on play, language, stories and friendships rather than early worksheets.

Yes. The GR sets one minimum age for school admissions across Maharashtra. It was issued because State Board, CBSE, ICSE and IB schools in the state were each using different cut-off dates for Std 1.

Kendriya Vidyalayas admit children under the national KVS admission guidelines, which already ask for 6+ in Class 1. Read the KV admission notice for your year alongside this GR.

Under the GR of 18 September 2020, age was counted on 31 December of the admission year: 3 years for Nursery, up to 6 years for Std 1. Since the school year starts in June, children were joining Nursery at about two and a half and Std 1 at about five and a half.

The Centre asked states to admit children to Std 1 at 6+, in line with NEP 2020. Fixing the pre-primary ages first, one class a year from 2027-28, lets the change climb gradually so that no child already in the system meets an age barrier.

This GR sets minimum ages. It also mentions the 15-day relaxation on maximum age, so schools will keep applying upper limits. If your child is older than most of the class, ask the school which limit it follows.

The GR is on maharashtra.gov.in under code 202610151714471049, issued by the School Education Department on 15 October 2026. Open the copy here →

The Director of Education (Primary), Pune will issue detailed admission instructions. Until then, the GR text is the reference.