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2026-27 academic calendar: UP Board schools to hold prayer assembly in English once a week
The registration process for Class 9 students will commence from April 1, coinciding with the start of the new session.
The UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) has announced the academic calendar for the 2026-27 session, introducing several new initiatives for students across over 29,000 government-run, government-aided and unaided schools functioning across the state.
As per the circular issued by UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh on Monday, schools will now hold a prayer assembly in English once a week. If a school also teaches another language, the prayer assembly will be conducted in that language once a week, wherever possible. During the assemblies, students will also be taught the pronunciation, meaning and usage of some difficult words appearing in the news read during the session.
The registration process for Class 9 students will commence from April 1, coinciding with the start of the new session.
Schools are required to verify student details — such as name, parents’ names and date of birth —against official school records during registration. For high school and intermediate students, the verification will be done before exam applications, along with obtaining an NoC from parents. Principals will be required to upload students’ attendance records online from the start of the session, ensuring at least 75% attendance for annual examinations.
The new guidelines also strictly prohibit students from bringing mobile phones to school. Awareness will be raised about the adverse effects of excessive mobile use on children’s physical, mental and moral development, including impacts on eyesight, concentration and addiction to online games.
All exam answer sheets and summer homework will be securely stored in schools and uploaded to the UP Board’s website as per board directives. Additionally, schools will establish Cyber Clubs to educate students, teachers and staff about safe internet use and cybercrime awareness. Half-yearly exams will cover approximately 60% of the syllabus taught up to September, based on the monthly academic calendar.
After the annual examinations, Class 9 and 11 students will undertake a creative project before the new session begins. The projects will cover subjects such as language, mathematics, science, arts, music and social sciences, based entirely on students’ interests.
Class 10 and 12 board exams will be conducted in February 2027, with practical exams scheduled from January 27 to February 10. Annual exams for Classes 9 and 11 will be held from February 1 to 10, and student marks must be uploaded on the board’s website by the third week of March. Pre-board practical exams for Class 12 will begin on January 11, with written exams starting on January 18. The last date to complete the syllabus is January 10 for Classes 10-12 and January 25 for Classes 9 and 11.
