The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), formerly National Open School is a national level board of education in India, controlled and managed by the Government of India. It was established by the Ministry of Education (erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development) of the Government of India in 1989.[1]
NIOS had a cumulative enrollment of about 15 lakh (1.5 million) students from 2004 to 2009 at secondary and senior secondary levels and enrolls about 3.5 lakh (350k) students annually which makes it the largest open schooling system in the world.[2]
The NIOS collaborates with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and UNESCO.[3] It also has study centres for Indian expatriates in the Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Nepal, Canada, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States of America.[4]
NIOS offer the following courses:[5]
The public examinations are held twice a year in April–May and October–November on dates fixed by the NIOS. However, one is also eligible (If he/she is registered under Stream 1,3 and 4) to appear through the On-Demand Examinations at Secondary (10th) and Senior Secondary (12th). On Demand Exams are held thought the year except for apri-may and oct-nov i .e. when public exams are going on ODE isn't held
Results of the public examinations and on demand are usually announced seven weeks after the last date of examinations.