Navodaya Admission 2025-26: How to Apply, Eligibility, Fees

Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, that manages a network of co-educational, residential schools known as Navodaya Vidyalayas. In this blog, we will delve deeper into Navodaya Admission 2025-26: How to Apply, Eligibility, Fees, etc.

These schools aim to provide quality education to talented children from rural areas, regardless of their family’s socio-economic background. The admission process for the academic year 2025-26 Navodaya Vidyalayas has started, and here is everything you need to know about the same.

How to Apply for Navodaya Admission 2025-26?

The application process for Navodaya Vidyalaya admission 2025-26 is entirely online, and candidates can apply by following the steps given below:

1. Visit the official website of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
2. Click on the ‘Admission Notifications’ tab on the homepage.
3. Click on the ‘Online Application Form’ link.
4. Fill in the required details in the online application form.
5. Upload a scanned copy of the candidate’s photograph and signature.
6. Submit the application form.
7. Take a printout of the confirmation page for future reference.

Eligibility Criteria for Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission 2025-26

To apply for Navodaya Vidyalaya admission 2025-26, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• A candidate seeking admission must have been born between 01-05-2013 and 31-07-2015, inclusive.
• To be eligible for the selection test, a candidate must be studying in Class V for the entire academic session of 2024-25 at a Government or Government-aided school, or at another recognized institution, including the ‘B’ Certificate competency course of the National Institute of Open Schooling, within the same district where they are seeking admission.
• Candidates who have not been promoted and admitted to Class V by July 31, 2024, are not eligible to apply.
• Additionally, candidates who have already passed or completed Class V in previous academic sessions are also not eligible to apply or take the selection test.
• The candidate who has already passed/studied class V in previous academic sessions is not eligible to apply & appear in the selection test.
• A candidate for admission under the rural quota must have completed all of their classes in Grades III, IV, and V in Government-run, Government-aided, or Government-recognized schools in rural areas. 
• The candidate should, however, complete the entire Class-V academic year in a rural setting in the same district where admission is desired.
• A candidate is not permitted to take the selection test a second time in any case.
• The candidate must belong to the district where the Navodaya Vidyalaya is located.
• Candidates who attended a school in an urban region for even one day of class in Grades III, IV, or V will be regarded as urban candidates.

Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission Reservation

• Candidates from rural areas will fill at least 75% of the seats in a district.
• There is a reservation for SC, ST, OBC, and Divyang candidates as per norms regulated by the Government.
• A minimum of one-third of the seats are reserved for girl students.
• There is no specific quota for transgender candidates; instead, they would be counted as part of the Boy’s category for purposes of reservation, which includes the sub-categories of Rural, Urban, OBC, SC, ST, and Divyang.

Fees for Navodaya Admission 2025-26

Navodaya Vidyalaya admission is entirely free of cost. However, a nominal fee of Rs. 600/- per month is charged from students of Classes IX to XII, except for those belonging to the SC/ST categories, Girl students, and candidates whose family income is below the poverty line.

Selection Process for Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission 2025-26

The selection process for Navodaya Vidyalaya admission 2025-26 is based on the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST), which is conducted in all the districts of the country. The JNVST is an objective-type test, and it consists of three sections – Mental Ability Test, Arithmetic Test, and Language Test. 

The test is conducted in 21 languages, and the duration of the test is two and a half hours. The JNVST for admission to Class VI in Navodaya Vidyalayas for the academic session 2025-26 is scheduled to be held in 2 phases. Check the details below.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test is conducted in English, Hindi, and 18 more languages state-wise. A candidate will receive a test booklet in the language they specified on their application.

Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission Important Dates

The JNV Selection Test for admission to Class VI in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) for the academic session 2025-26 will be conducted in two phases, as outlined below:

Phase 1:  

On Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 11:30 A.M. in the following regions:

• Jammu and Kashmir (excluding Jammu-I, Jammu-II, and Samba)
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Sikkim
• Dibang Valley and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh
• Chamba, Kinnaur, Mandi, Sirmaur, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti, and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh
• Darjeeling district of West Bengal
• Leh and Kargil districts of the Union Territory of Ladakh

Phase 2:  

On Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 11:30 A.M. in the following states and Union Territories:

• Andhra Pradesh
• Assam
• Arunachal Pradesh (excluding Dibang Valley and Tawang districts)
• Bihar
• Chhattisgarh
• Goa
• Gujarat
• Haryana
• Himachal Pradesh (excluding Chamba, Kinnaur, Mandi, Sirmaur, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti, and Shimla districts)
• Jammu and Kashmir (only for Jammu-I, Jammu-II, and Samba)
• Jharkhand
• Kerala
• Karnataka
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Manipur
• Odisha
• Punjab
• Rajasthan
• Tripura
• Telangana
• Uttar Pradesh
• Uttarakhand
• West Bengal (excluding Darjeeling)
• Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

Conclusion

Navodaya Vidyalaya admission provides a unique opportunity for talented children from rural areas to receive quality education and fulfill their dreams. The admission process for the academic year 2025-26 has started, and eligible candidates can apply by following the online application process. 

The JNVST will be conducted on the given dates and candidates must prepare well for the test to secure admission to Navodaya Vidyalayas.