Delhi nursery admissions 2025-26 begin tomorrow, schools list selection criteria

NEW DELHI: The admission process for nursery in around 1,741 private schools in Delhi is set to begin from Thursday, with the commencement of the registration process. The Delhi government’s Department of Education (DoE) issued a circular on November 12, announcing that the admission process for nursery, KG and Class 1 in the city’s private schools for the 2025-26 session will begin on November 28.

The last date to submit registration forms is December 20, and the first general admission lists will be published on January 17, 2025, the circular stated. The key criteria listed by many schools are neighbourhood, distance, and proximity to schools whereas girl child, single girl child, siblings and single parents are the other criteria on the list.

Some schools have also listed criteria for Sikh and Christian minorities, economically disadvantaged groups, and parents with physical disabilities. Some schools have also specified areas and sectors in the list for example, Sachdeva Public School in Rohini has specified sectors such as 1, 2, 20, and 40, while Oxford Senior Secondary School in Vikas Puri has mentioned areas like Vikas Puri, Keshopur, Shankar Garden, and New Krishna Park.

Also read Delhi Nursery Admission 2025: Registration from November 28; DoE issues schedule, guidelines

The private unaided recognised schools have used a point system for the selection process in which specific points are marked for meeting various criteria ranging from 30 to 100. Most of the schools have marked neighbourhoods and distant with maximum points ranging from 30-90, it stated. According to DoE data, out of 1,741 schools, only 778 have uploaded their criteria, while 963 are yet to comply.

The DoE had instructed all schools to upload the criteria on their official websites by November 25, as stated in a circular. Private unaided recognised schools have been directed to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Disadvantaged Groups (DG), and children with disabilities. Separate admission lists will be issued for these categories, it stated.

The circular specifies the minimum age for admission as three years for nursery, four years for KG, and five years for Class 1 as of March 31, 2025. The upper age limit is less than four years for nursery, less than five years for KG, and less than six years for Class 1, it added. Purchasing a prospectus is not mandatory and only a registration fee of Rs 25 can be charged, the circular added.