Overview
- State rules require children to be six years old by June 1 for Class 1 under a 2022 notification, leaving many UKG graduates ineligible despite completing pre-primary.
- Parent groups say more than 2.3 lakh pandemic-born children narrowly miss the cutoff and risk repeating a year despite being prepared to advance.
- The State Education Policy recommended a 90-day relaxation, but parents report it has not been applied to the current cohort and may start only from 2026–27.
- Demonstrations in Bengaluru and across Karnataka pressed for immediate relief, with parents saying schools are ready to promote students if the government approves.
- Parents cite a one-time exemption granted last year and an earlier deferral of the 2022 order to 2025–26, as online reactions range from support to concerns about early academic pressure.