The Government of Karnataka has announced a 60-day relaxation in the age eligibility criteria for Class 1 admissions for the 2026–27 academic session. The decision comes in response to repeated requests from parents whose children narrowly missed the prescribed age requirement.
The announcement was made by Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education and Literacy, during a session of the state Legislative Assembly. He stated that several parents had submitted representations seeking flexibility in the rule that mandates children to be six years old by June 1 for admission to Class 1.
The relaxation aims to provide relief to such families by allowing children who fall slightly short of the age cutoff to become eligible for admission. Officials confirmed that necessary modifications will be made to the admission software to accommodate this change for the upcoming academic cycle.
In addition to Class 1, the 60-day age relaxation will also apply to admissions in Lower Kindergarten (LKG) and Upper Kindergarten (UKG). The minister acknowledged that there are ongoing concerns regarding admission norms for these pre-primary levels as well.
He further indicated that the government is working towards introducing a comprehensive legislative framework to address such issues permanently. Since LKG and UKG currently do not fall under a strict regulatory system, the education department plans to bring in a regulatory Act or formal rules in the next legislative session.
The move is expected to streamline the admission process while ensuring that students are not disadvantaged due to rigid age criteria, especially in cases where they miss the cutoff by a narrow margin.