Page 52 - EW December 2025

Cover Story

EW INDIA PRESCHOOL RANKINGS 2025-26

INDIA’S BEST

EARLY YEARS SCHOOLS

The inaugural EW India Preschool Rankings 2010 evaluated
best pre-primaries in six major cities. Since then the pioneer
EWIPR has evolved into the country’s largest and most
comprehensive annual pre-primaries rankings survey rating
and ranking 959 preschools/kindergartens in 76 cities
countrywide under ten parameters of early childhood education
excellence, and rating them inter se

Summiya Yasmeen

A PART FROM LEADING post-in- INDIA TOP 10

dependence India to a decisive
victory in the India-Pakistan
1971 war which culminated in
the birth of the new nation of
Bangladesh, the most enduring
legacy of former prime minister
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) is the 1 Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School — Early Years Campus,
Integrated Child Development Mumbai
Services (ICDS) programme, which crossed the milestone 2 Healthy Planet TGA Early Years, Wish Town, Noida
of 50 years last month. Under the ICDS programme, the 2 Kai Early Years, Whitefield, Bengaluru
Central government undertook to establish a nationwide 3 Besant Montessori School, Juhu, Mumbai
network of anganwadi centres (AWCs) — essentially nu- 4 The Gaudium School (Pre-Primary), Nanakramguda,
trition centres for infants and lactating mothers that also Hyderabad
provide basic early years education. 5 Swarnim International Preschool, NSC Bose Road, Kolkata
India’s very first AWC was inaugurated by Mrs. Gandhi
in Mysore, Karnataka on November 28, 1975. Since then 6 Amiown -- Amity’s Caring Preschool, Sector 27, Gurugram
over the past half century, ICDS supported by state gov- 7 The Magic Years, Vasant Vihar, Delhi
ernments, has evolved into the world’s largest public early 8 DPS Kidszone, Neelbad, Bhopal
childhood care and development programme. Currently, 8 Teeny Boppers Playschool, Visakhapatnam
84 million children below six years of age are enrolled in 9 Siate Felici, Jubilee Hillls
1.39 million AWCs. While ex facie, this is an impressive 10 Vaels International School — Nursery & Primary, Neelankarai,
number, it’s pertinent to note that AWCs have room for Chennai
only 50 percent of India’s 165 million children under six

52 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2025