IGNOU DECE Admission 2026 presents a one-year diploma in early childhood care and education Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE) by IGNOU is a short-term program ideal for aspiring preschool teachers, Anganwadi workers, or parents interested in child development. The course covers core topics like childhood care, health, nutrition, and preschool education techniques. Anyone with a 10+2 pass certificate and 45% marks can apply. The duration is 1 year, with an option to finish within 3 years, making it perfect for working individuals. The fee structure is ₹2,000 total, and SC/ST/OBC applicants get a tuition concession of 20%–40%, with 1%–4% seat reservation. Admissions for January 2026 session are open from December 27 to December 31, 2025, and applications must be submitted online only, with a ₹300 registration fee. This program boosts teaching skills and opens doors in early education centers, NGOs, or home-based learning setups.
IGNOU DECE Admission 2026: Highlights
| Features | Course Details |
| Course Name | Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE) |
| Offered By | Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) |
| Course Duration | 1 Year |
| Type of Course | Diploma |
| Mode of Education | Distance |
| Medium | Hindi, English, Tamil, Odia |
| Eligibility Criteria | 10+2 or its equivalent |
IGNOU DECE Course Details
Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE) offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) diploma course that takes a minimum of 1 year to complete. This programme provides theoretical and practical training in work with young children and develops skilled early childhood educators. IGNOU DECE course covers core topics like child development, curriculum planning, nutrition, health and safety etc.
IGNOU was established in September 1985 and it offers 200 certificate, diploma, degree and doctoral programmes. This university is recognized by the University Grants of Commission and it has accreditation from NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) with A++ grade.
Eligibility Criteria For IGNOU DECE Admission
Applicants who want to take admission at IGNOU in DECE (Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education) programme, need to meet the following qualification requirements.
Eligibility Criteria: Students need to successfully complete their higher secondary education (10+2) or its equivalent from a certified board of education.
Marks Required: IGNOU does not set any minimum or maximum percentage of marks but it is advisable to obtain at least 45% to 50% aggregate marks at 10+2 level.
Selection Process: The selection process for DECE course is truly based on the merit score, it doesn’t require or conduct any entrance exam.
Other Requirements: If any students have work experience then it is profitable. The age limit is also not set by the IGNOU.
IGNOU DECE Admission Fee Structure
Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE) fee at IGNOU is very affordable. The entire programme fee is INR 3,500. Applicants also need to pay some of the additional fees like development fee, examination fee and registration fee.
Below is the breakdown of DECE fee structure.
| Total Programme Fee | INR 3,500 |
| Development Fee | INR 200 |
| Examination Fee | INR 200 |
| Registration Fee (non-refundable) | INR 300 |
IGNOU DECE Admission Procedure 2026- 27
IGNOU DECE admission process will start soon for the January 2026 academic year. To fill the registration form, candidates need to visit the official portal of IGNOU, where they can find the application form. The selection of students for the DECE course is totally based on merit score without any entrance test.
Below mentioned the step-by-step procedure of filing the application form.
- Step 1: Visit Site: Visit to the official website of Indira Gandhi National Open University (www.ignounursing.samarth.edu.in/)
- Step 2: Create Account: Create an account by entering your name, phone number, mailing address. Also you have to create a user name and set a password.
- Step 3: Log in: Sign in to the admission portal with your newly created user name and password
- Step 4: Choose the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education course from the mentioned list.
- Step 5: Application Form: Fill out the online application form with entering all required information like personal and educational information.
- Step 6: Documentation: Submit all documents in JPEG/ JPG format including scanned signature, photographs, marsheets etc.
- Step 7: Review: Before submitting the application form must check all details and submit the form for payment processing.
- Step 8: Pay Fee: Pay the registration fees online via Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking or UPI.
- Step 9: Confirmation: After verification of documents and details you will receive a confirmation email from the university.
Documents Required For IGNOU DECE Admission
Before submitting your documents, make sure all your documents are scanned and it is in JPG/JPEG format under 100 KB.
- Scanned Copy of 10th Mark Sheet & Certificate
- Scanned Copy of 12th Mark Sheet & Certificate
- Scanned Copy of Migration Certificate
- Scanned Copy of Transfer Certificate
- Scanned Signature
- Scanned Photographs
- Category Certificate (if applicable)
- Work Experience Certificate (if any)
IGNOU DECE Course Syllabus
Syllabus of IGNOU’s Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE) programme cover subjects like DECE- 01 Organizing Child Care Services, DECE- 02 Child Health and Nutrition, DECE- 03 Services and Programmes for Children, DECE- 04 Project Work-Working WithYoung Children in a Child Care Setting and MCDP-002: Project Work -1/ Internship 2. Each course consists of 8 credits. Students need to complete all 32 credits to successfully complete the programme.
IGNOU DECE Result
To get the INOU DECE result, you have to visit their official result portal (www.termendresult.ignou.ac.in/login.aspx), where you can download your result. Here is the detailed process of how to download the DECE result.
- Visit the official result portal of the IGNOU.
- Enter your enrollment number.
- Select your programme.
- Click on the submit tab.
- You will be able to see the result. Print the result or download it in a PDF format.
