Which age group of children was suggested for the Foundational Stage in school education, in the National Education Policy?

Explanation:
According to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Foundational Stage includes children in the age group of 3 to 8 years.
This stage covers:

3 years of pre-school/Anganwadi education

2 years of Grades 1 and 2
The focus during this stage is on play-based, activity-based, and discovery-based learning, aligned with the developmental needs of young children.

(1) 2 to 7 years – Begins too early and ends before Grade 2, not aligned with NEP 2020.

(3) 4 to 9 years – Starts too late and includes some of the Preparatory Stage.

(4) 5 to 10 years – Includes ages beyond the Foundational Stage, overlapping with later stages of education.

Information Booster:
The 5+3+3+4 curricular structure of NEP 2020 is age-aligned:

Foundational Stage: 3–8 years (pre-school + Grades 1–2)

Preparatory Stage: 8–11 years (Grades 3–5)

Middle Stage: 11–14 years (Grades 6–8)

Secondary Stage: 14–18 years (Grades 9–12)

This structure is rooted in early childhood care and education (ECCE) principles, emphasizing strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development.