India 2018

Education 171
of Education (RIEs) at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysore and Umiam
(Meghalaya).
National Bal Bhavan
National Bal Bhavan (NBB), established in 1956, is an autonomous institution
funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Bal Bhavan as a
movement is spread across the length and breadth of the country with 134
affiliated Bal Bhavans and Bal Kendras. In addition there are 48 Bal Bhavan
Kendras and a Bal Bhavan at Mandi village in Delhi. National Bal Bhavan aims
at enhancing the creative potential of children by providing them various
activities, opportunities and common platform to interact, experiment, create
and perform according to their age, aptitude and ability. It offers a barrier-free
environment with immense possibilities of innovation without any stress or
strain. Various creative activities are conducted for children specially from the
deprived sections of society on a regular basis at NBB and its affiliated institutes.
Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education is a Board of Education for public
and private schools, under the Union Government. Central Board of Secondary
Education has asked all schools affiliated to follow only NCERT curriculum.
National Institute of Open Schooling
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is "Open School" to cater to the
needs of a heterogeneous group of learners up to pre-degree level. It was started
as a project with in-built flexibilities by the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) in 1979. In 1986, the National Policy on Education suggested
strengthening of Open School System for extending open learning facilities in a
phased manner at secondary level all over the country as an independent system
with its own curriculum and examination leading to certification. Consequently,
the Ministry of Human Resource Development set up the National Open School
(NOS) in 1989. In July 2002, the Ministry of Human Resource Development
amended the nomenclature of the organisation from the National Open School
to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with a mission to provide
relevant continuing education at school stage, up to pre-degree level through
Open Learning system to prioritized client groups as an alternative to formal
system, in pursuance of the normative national policy documents and in response
to the need assessments of the people, and through it to make its share of
contribution: to universalisation of education; to greater equity and justice in
society, and to the evolution of a learning society.
The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) provides opportunities
to interested learners by making available the following courses/programmes
of study through open and distance learning (ODL) mode. Open Basic Education
(OBE) Programme for 14+ years age group, adolescents and adults at A, B and
C levels that are equivalent to classes III, V and VIII of the formal school system
consists of: secondary education course, senior secondary education course,
vocational education courses/programmes, life enrichment programmes.