Nursery Admission 2026-27: Criteria for academic session out; application dates, eligibility

The nursery admission process for young children in Delhi schools, or nursery admissions, is about to begin. The Education Department has released the rules for admission to nursery, KG, and Class 1 for the 2026-27 academic session. This news is crucial for parents who want to educate their children aged 3 to 6 in a good school. The department has issued a circular detailing the entire process.

Nursery admissions begin on this day

The nursery admission process begins on March 2nd, 2026. Only children residing in Delhi can apply. Children living near the school will receive greater priority. If a child lives within a 1-kilometer radius of the school, they will receive the first opportunity. Children living within a 3-kilometer radius will then be prioritized. If the child lives further away, parents will need to provide an affidavit stating that they will arrange for safe transportation for the child.

When will application forms be available?

Application forms for nursery admission will be available at schools from March 2nd to March 16th, 2026. The collection and submission times are from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (for morning and general shift schools). In evening shift schools, the timings will be from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. The completed form must be placed in the school drop box. There is no fee for collecting or submitting the form.

List will be released on March 18th

On March 18th, 2026, schools will publish a list of all applications. Any errors or omissions will be displayed. Parents can review and correct their errors. Following this, a lottery (draw of lots) will be held on March 20, 2026, which will be conducted in a transparent manner to avoid any complaints. The list of selected children will be posted on school notice boards on March 23, 2026. Selected children will have to enroll in school between March 24 and April 2, 2026. If any seats remain vacant, a waiting list will be created. Admissions from the waiting list will be accepted from April 4 to April 7, 2026.

How will the child's age be determined?

The child's age will be determined by March 31, 2026. For nursery, the child must be over 3 years old and under 4 years old. For KG, the child must be over 4 years old and under 5 years old, and for Class 1, the child must be over 5 years old and under 6 years old. Age will be calculated based on the birth certificate. Certain required documents will be required with the application. These include the child's birth certificate, proof of residence in Delhi (such as an Aadhaar card, ration card, or electricity bill), the child's photograph, and proof of any reservation. If a child is disabled or belongs to a disadvantaged group, temporary admission can be granted for 30 days even without these documents. After this, documents will need to be submitted.

Which children will receive reservation?

The rules for reservation in nursery admissions are also clear. 15 percent of seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), 7.5 percent for Scheduled Tribes (ST), 3 percent for children with disabilities, and 2 percent for children of education department employees. This reservation applies to private schools to ensure equal opportunities for all children. The child's vaccination certificate must be submitted to the school within six months of admission.