The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 includes a Balvatika, or Preparatory Class,as a one-year program for children before they start grade 1:

• Purpose: The Balvatika prepares children for learning to read, write, and develop number sense through play-based learning. It also focuses on the overall development of children, including their physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and linguistic skills.
• Age: The Balvatika is for children before they turn 5 years
• Teacher: The Balvatik a has an ECCE -qualified
• Guidelines:The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed guidelines and processes for the Balvatika, including a three-month play-based school preparation module called Vidya Pravesh.
• Learning:The Balvatika focuses on play, discovery, activity-based learning, and interactive classroom learning.