The 3.40 lakh Intermediate failed students now have one more gateway to clear the exam without losing an academic year in addition to the advanced supplementary examination to be conducted by the State Board of Intermediate Education, thanks to the intervention of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
As an exception exclusively for Telangana in view of the prevailing crisis, the NIOS will conduct a “special on demand” exam across the State for failed candidates from May 20 to 31 and declare results within 30 days. This is for the first time that the NIOS will conduct a State-specific exam since it started holding public exams and `on demand’ exams for secondary and senior secondary students of classes 10 and 12 respectively.
The NIOS is an autonomous institution under the Department of School Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which was established in 1989. Its certificates are recognised by the Medical and Pharmacy Councils of India, IITs, Association of Indian Universities and all boards of higher education.
A unique facility available to students who register for the exam is transfer of credit of two passed papers from the Board of Intermediate Education and the opportunity to write only three papers for certification by NIOS. Only if they take three papers and pass, the certificate will appear complete and unblemished without mention of words “compartmental pass” or asterisk which is applied in such cases. Standalone certificates of pass in one or two subjects will be issued if they take as many exams.
Regional Director of NIOS Anil Kumar Rote said the institute had been conducting public exams in April-May and October-November and ‘on demand’ exams for the remaining eight months for students of classes 10 and 12. On demand exams referred to students wanting to write exams on dates of their choice in June, July, August, September, December, January, February and March. They can select any day from Tuesday to Thursday every week. But, this option was not available in ‘special on demand’ exam to be held now because the NIOS itself has released the schedule.
Mr. Rote admitted that the NIOS schedule would clash with the advanced supplementary of BIE as the latter had fixed its dates from May 25 to June 1. Some arrangement to let candidates take both exams without hassle would be worked out.
Registration for the exam opened on Wednesday and would continue till May 10.