Karnataka relaxes rule of 'minimum 6 years of age' for admission to class 1 for current academic year only

Bengaluru : The Karnataka government has decided to give exemption from the rule of 'minimum 6 years of age' for admission to class 1 in state schools only for this academic year.

Considering the petitions from parents, and following the recommendation by the State Education Policy Commission, the state government has announced that for the 2025-26 academic year, minimum age for admission to class 1 is 5.5 years.

Announcing this in a news conference today, minister for school education Madhu Bangarappa said the children must complete UKG or an equivalent standard to enroll for class 1 this year in the state.

"This relaxation is only for this year. From next academic year (2026-27), a child has to be 6 years by June for admission to class 1," said the minister. 

The previous BJP government had first changed the minimum age required to enroll in class 1 from 5.5 to 6 years in July 2022 citing that the move was to fall in line with Right to Education and National Education Policy. The then government had also pointed out that the age limit for admission to class 1 was made 6 years in around 21 states.

However, following protests from stakeholders as that order had come in middle of the academic year and lakhs of students were already in the system, the department of school education issued a circular again in November 2022 where it stated that the new rule will be applicable only from 2025-26.