• Started as a project on “Open Schooling” under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 1978.
• Established in 1989 as the National Open School (NOS) by the Govt. of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). In 1990, the Govt. of India through a Gazette notification vested NOS with the authority to examine and certify learners registered with it up to Pre-Degree level Courses.
• Re-christened as the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in July 2002.

Regional Centres

Hyderabad , Pune, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Kochi, Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, Allahabad, Bhopal, Dehradun, Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru

Darbhanga and Vishakapatnam (Sub Centre)

Number of Study Centres

1. Academic (AIs) : 2244

2. Vocational (AVIs) : 1341
   

3. U.A.E & Nepal
   (AIs & AVIs) : 20+3=23
   

4. Open Basic Education
   (OBE) (AAs) : 389

The Study Centres are known as Accredited Institutions (AIs) for Academic Courses, Accredited Vocational Institutions (AVIs) for Vocational Education
Courses and Accredited Agencies (AAs) for Open Basic Education (OBE) courses.

Enrolment

• NIOS is the largest Open Schooling System in the world.
• Admission in NIOS is 100% Online for Sec. (10th), Sr.Sec. (12th), Round the year with cut off

Courses Offered

• Open Basic Education (OBE) (A level, B level, C level equivalent to Class III, V, VIII respectively of formal Education) courses are offered through Accredited Agencies (AAs).
• Secondary – leading to Secondary School Certificate.
• Sr. Secondary – leading to Senior Secondary School Certificate.
• Open Vocational Education.
• Life Enrichment Programmes.

Highlights and flexibilities

• Freedom to choose subjects; continuous assessment through Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA).
• Facility of On Line Registration for Admission and Examination Credit accumulation facility;
• 9 chances in 5 Years to complete a course;
• Provision of Re-admission after 5 years.
• Learning support through Personal Contact Programme (PCP);
• Transfer of credits (up to 2 subject) from some other Boards.
• Media Programmes are telecast and broadcast.

Study Materials

• Printed Self Instructional study materials supported by Audio- Video programmes. A half yearly Magazine “Open Learning” is also provided to the learners.

Mediums of Instruction

• Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati and Malayalam mediums at Secondary stage.
• Hindi, English, Urdu mediums at Sr. Secondary stage.

Sanctioned Staff strength : 251

Budget (2010-2011)

• Plan Rs. 8.19 Crore
• Non-Plan Rs. 99.07 Crore

Certification

Total No. of learners certified since 1991(Sec.+ Sr.Sec. +Voc)= 2.38 million

Total No. of learners certified under OBE = 435013

• Conducts examination twice a year in Apr-May and Oct-Nov.
• On-Demand Examination at Secondary & Sr. Secondary level at the NIOS, Headquarter and at all the Regional Centre

National Consoritum for Open Schooling

• NIOS provides Professional support to States to set up and develop State Open Schools particularly with Regional Mediums. The secretariat of NCOS in located in NIOS.
• State Open Schools (SOSs) have been set up in 17 states viz., Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala,Jammu &Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar.

Click here to know more about NCOS

Commonwealth Open Schooling Association (COMOSA)

Contact us

Web-site www.nios.ac.in

Learner Support Centre :

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