The Central Board of Secondary Education has appealed to all its affiliated schools to offer their support for the conducting of the National Institute of Open Schooling examinations slated for April-May 2025. The board has requested schools to provide their consent through the NIOS portal for the smooth organization of these public exams, scheduled to be held in April-May 2025. Schools have been given a deadline of January 2, 2025, for submitting their consent forms.

NIOS, functioning under the Ministry of Education, conducts public examinations twice a year for students of classes X and XII, besides those enrolled in vocational programs. These exams are usually conducted in April-May and October-November. It is heavily dependent on the infrastructure and support of CBSE-affiliated schools. This collaboration is essential because NIOS serves a wide range of learners, most of whom belong to underprivileged sections of society.

The official notification emphasizes the importance of this partnership, stating, “Your assistance will help NIOS in holding Public Examinations of its learners who belong to the most disadvantageous section of the society.” By consenting to host these exams, CBSE-affiliated schools play a significant role in ensuring equitable access to education for learners pursuing an alternative academic pathway.

NIOS was first introduced in 1979 as a project under CBSE, with the objective of offering flexible learning opportunities to a heterogeneous group of learners up to the pre-degree level. In 1986, the National Policy on Education recommended strengthening the open school system to extend open learning opportunities all over the country. This gave birth to NIOS as an independent system with its own curriculum and certification process to promote inclusiveness in education.

Besides conducting secondary and senior secondary examinations, NIOS has also been instrumental in the Open Basic Education (OBE) program. This is the program of foundational education that was launched and conducted along with approximately 853 agencies such as voluntary organizations and Zila Saksharta Samities (ZSSs). These collaborations are based on an academic input relationship, wherein NIOS provides key resources like curriculum adaptation, study materials, joint certification, and training for the resource persons.

NIOS plays a significant role in the educational landscape as it provides academic flexibility and resource support to learners who face barriers in accessing formal schooling. The efforts are supplemented by CBSE-affiliated schools, which allow NIOS to use their facilities to conduct exams smoothly. Now, as the next set of exams is scheduled for April 2025, NIOS is once again reaching out to CBSE schools for their cooperation.

This collaboration highlights the collective responsibility of educational institutions in fostering an inclusive system that accommodates diverse learning needs. Schools partnering with NIOS significantly contribute to empowering disadvantaged learners to pursue their academic and vocational aspirations. As the deadline for consent submission approaches, participation by CBSE schools will be crucial in ensuring success in the NIOS public examinations.