AICTE has Declared NIOS Qualifications are Officially Valid and Cannot be Denied For Admissions

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has released an advisory for the higher education institutions across India to consider the scores of students who studied under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) board. Candidates will not be denied admissions on the basis of NIOS certificates, the candidates who cleared the NIOS board must be treated on par with students under other boards, including CBSE, ICSE, and state boards. The warning has been generated due to complaints filed by students who were rejected admission due to their affiliation with the board, despite reaching the eligibility criteria.

The council stated, "It has been brought to the notice of the Council that some AICTE-approved higher education institutions have denied admission to students who have passed their examination through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), despite these students fulfilling the prescribed eligibility criteria."

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) stated such actions violate the rules set in the National Education Policy (NEP). It also undermines the rights of students to pursue higher and professional education. They also explained the status of NIOS as ‘an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and is recognised on par with other national and state boards such as CBSE, CISCE, and State Boards of School Education.’ This approach ensures fair admissions and adherence to the directives of National Education Policy (2020).

NIOS, short for National Institute of Open Schooling, offers students flexible learning options, including open and distance education, without the compulsion for students to attend regular school, ensuring students from diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities to pursue higher education. The certificates issued by the board are recognized for admission to undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses across the country.

Additionally, NIOS has also issued a notice regarding fake websites. The official notice reads, "It has come to the notice of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) that some fake websites and apps have been providing misleading information about NIOS. The home pages and other content were copied from the original website for fraudulent intentions. The NIOS clarifies that all the information regarding NIOS has been published on the NIOS official website https://nios.ac.in only." Students are advised to prefer the official website at nios.ac.in and in case they come any fake website, they must report it at sap@nios.ac.in.