Policies and Reports
National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage
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At a glance
India’s first integrated curriculum framework for children aged 3 to 8, developed by NCERT following the National Education Policy 2020. It treats pre-school (Anganwadi, Balvatika, and pre-school) and Grades 1 and 2 as one continuous foundational stage.
It does not prescribe a syllabus. It sets goals, competencies, and a play-based approach from which States, boards, and schools build their own curricula, textbooks, and teaching materials. NCERT’s Jaadui Pitara learning kit and its new Grade 1 and 2 textbooks follow it.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) adopted the framework from the 2023–24 session, and NCERT has since released Jaadui Pitara and new Grade 1 and 2 textbooks in line with it (as of August 2026).
Goals
Key Principles of the Foundational Stage framework
The framework sets 13 curricular goals or guiding principles, grouped by domain of development, from which its competencies and learning outcomes are drawn.
Healthy and safe habits
Children develop habits that keep them healthy and safe.
Sharper senses
Children develop sharpness in their sensorial perceptions.
A fit and flexible body
Children develop a fit and flexible body.
Emotional intelligence
Children learn to understand and manage their own emotions, and to respond positively to social norms.
Productive work and service
Children develop a positive attitude towards productive work and service, or “Seva”.
Care for the natural environment
Children develop a positive regard for the natural environment around them.
Making sense of the world
Children make sense of the world around them through observation and logical thinking.
Mathematical understanding
Children develop mathematical understanding and the ability to recognise the world through quantities, shapes, and measures.
Communicating in two languages
Children develop effective communication skills for day-to-day interactions in two languages.
Reading and writing in the first language
Children develop fluency in reading and writing in their first language (Language 1).
Beginning a second language
Children begin to read and write in a second language (Language 2).
Arts and expression
Children develop abilities and sensibilities in the visual and performing arts, and express their emotions through art in meaningful and joyful ways.
Positive learning habits
Children develop habits of learning that allow them to engage actively in formal learning environments, such as a school classroom.
Source: National Council of Educational Research and Training (20 October 2022).
