IGNOU DECE Admission 2026 | Eligibility, Admission Process, Scholarship Policy

IGNOU DECE admission process will start soon for the January 2026 academic session. DECE is a Diploma programme of 1 year approved by UGC. Its total fees are INR 3,500. Candidates who have passed their 10+2 can apply for admission through the official website. The starting date to apply for admission is 15 December 2025* (tentative). This diploma programme is a great fit for those who work in the Early Childhood & Care sector and always thrives for continuous learning and skills upgradation. For more detailed information students are advised to read complete article. 

IGNOU DECE Admission 2026: Highlights

About IGNOU

IGNOU is a Central Public Open University, established in 1985 through an act of the Parliament. It has become world’s largest open university widely recognised for good quality education delivery. University is approved by AIU, UGC and NAAC-accredited. IGNOU aims at providing higher education that can be accessible to every corner of the country. Some of its programmes are even offered internationally too. 

About IGNOU DECE Programme

DECE is a Diploma Programme of maximum 1 year duration. In this course, students learn to foster the holistic development of young children (1 to 6 years) in diverse settings such as creches, anganwadis, pre-school, pre primary school, nursery schools, etc. At IGNOU, this programme is instructed in four languages that is Hindi, English, Tamil and Odia. Total number of credits assigned to the course is 32. 

Completing a Diploma in DECE can offers various high salaried job roles such as Pre-primary Section Educator, Nursery School Support Staff, Head of Childcare facility, Educational Content Developer, Daycare Centre Overseer, and many more.

IGNOU DECE Admission 2026

IGNOU opens its admission window twice a year, in January and July, for various UG, PG, Diploma and Certificate courses. IGNOU DECE admission process will start soon for the January 2026 academic session. Students having interest in DECE programme have the opportunity now. The admission procedure is completely online. An application fee is required to pay by every candidate. All students should apply for admission only from official website if they are fulfilling eligibility criteria. Programme will be delivered through Open and Distance learning mode. The expected date of the start of the admission window is 15 December 2025*, which can be further extended as per University norms.

Eligibility Criteria For IGNOU DECE Admission 2026

Those who are interested in pursuing Diploma in Childhood Care and Education through ODL mode can apply in IGNOU, but they must fulfill its eligibility criteria. Any students who has passed their 10th and 12th or its equivalent from a recognised board of education can apply before last date. They need to have DEB ID as well, which is another mandatory requirement for applying into OL and ODL programmes. Students who are eligible can apply though official website. 

IGNOU DECE Admission Fee Structure 2026

IGNOU is known for its reasonable and cost-efficient fee structure for all programmes. DECE Programme also has a minimal fee for a year. Its fees also include development fees and application fees, mandatory for all. Application fee is Rs. 300 for general students and Rs. 150 for Reserved students. The application fee is obligatory to pay and will not be refunded later. Detailed Fee Structure for DECE Programme

IGNOU DECE Admission Process 2026

IGNOU DECE admission process has not started yet for the January 2026 academic session. Students can apply for admission through their official portal.

• Step 1:  Go to official website of IGNOU or its admission portal, www.ignou.samarth.edu.in/. Make a new account under’New Registration’
• Step 2: Check for login credentials received on mail after successful registration. Use it to re-login at admission portal as existing user.
• Step 3: Select the course you want to register for and start filling application form with the required personal and academic details.
• Step 4: Now upload all relevant documents from your originals only. Documents should be clearly visible and scanned. 
• Step 5: Check for any mistakes. Pay applicable fees through online payment mode (UPI/Netbanking/Credit/Debit Card)
• Step 6: Download the filled-in application form and check for confirmation of application submission.
• Step 7: Now wait for the admission confirmation mail. IGNOU will verify everything, then send you email which will confirm your admission in the given programme. 

Required Documents For IGNOU DECE Admission

• 12th marksheet/certificate
• Bachelor’s degree or Provisional certificate
• Scanned signature of Applicant
• Latest photograph of Applicant
• Government-issued ID Proof
• Caste certificate (if applicable)

IGNOU DECE Admission Status

Those who have already submitted their application form can check admission status after 10 to 30 working days on admission portal. All they need to do is follow a few easy steps:

• Step 1: Go to the IGNOU official website
• Step 2: Click on the Students Service Section and then scroll down to ‘Know your Status’ option
• Step 3: Now click on check registration status
• Step 4: Fill in your correct enrollment number and programme code
• Step 5: Fill in Captcha Verification and submit
• Step 6: Your admission status will be shown there

For any query regarding admission or status, you can directly contact the University.

DECE Programme Evaluations and Credit System

Evaluations for DECE Programme is divided into two parts. One is assignment that consists 30% of the final results. Another is Term End Examination that consists 70% of final results. Assignments are an important part of evaluation as it not only contributes 30% of final marks but also mandatory to submit to appear for TEE examinations. Assignments are submitted at allotted study centres.

Credit system helps students to know how much total academic effort they have to put in to pass their exams. Each credit is equivalent to 30 hours of study which means if a subject has 4 credits, it simply means student need to study 120 hours, comprising all learning activities to gain good marks in it. 

IGNOU Scholarship Policy

Students can apply for National Government of India Scholarship Policy that can be applied through National Scholarship Portal (NSP). At NSP Portal, scholarship is provided on the basis of merit, financial condition, and reserved category students.