NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING (NIOS) AND INDIVIDUALS WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS: PART 3

Triveni Goswami Vernal
(Registered Special Educator: A64010)

In the previous blogs, I touched upon Open Basic Education (https://specialsaathi.com/2025/04/17/nios-and-individuals-with-learning-challenges-1/)  and the Secondary and Senior Secondary Education programmes (https://specialsaathi.com/2025/04/24/nios-and-individuals-with-aditional-needs-part-2/) under NIOS. This blog will provide an overview of the Vocational subjects that can be opted for in Secondary and Senior Secondary levels.

In addition to the academic subjects that the individual needs to opt for during Secondary (10TH equivalent) and Senior Secondary (12th equivalent) examinations, the student can also avail of vocational subjects. To pass the examination, 4 subjects need to be under the academic list and 1 can be vocational.

In early 2025, NIOS re-classified two subjects in the Secondary level (Data Entry Operations and Entrepreneurship) from academic to vocational, thus creating confusion amongst students, who had given the exams the year before in October and realized that they had been marked fail, because they had not passed 4 academic subjects (with the re-classification of the said subjects under vocational). Later, corrective steps were taken and revised results were declared for the affected students.

List of Vocational subjects for the Secondary Level (Class 10): Choose any 1
1. (217) Typewriting (Hindi)
2. (218) Typewriting (English)
3. (221) Typewriting (Urdu)
4. (251) Jute Production
5. (252) Carpentry
6. (253) Solar Energy Technician
7. (254) Bio Gas Technician
8. (255) Laundry Services
9. (256) Bakery & Confectionery
10. (257) Welding Technology

List of Vocational subjects for the Senior Secondary Level (Class 12): Choose any 1
1. (322) Typewriting (Hindi)
2. (323) Typewriting (English)
3. (324) Stenography (Hindi)
4. (325) Stenography (English)
5. (326) Secretarial Practice
6. (329) Stenography (Urdu)
7. (364) Typewriting (Urdu)
8. (351) Plant Protection
9. (352) Water Management for Crop Production
10. (353) Oyster Mushroom Production
11. (354) Furniture and Cabinet Making
12. (355) Electroplating
13. (356) House Keeping
14. (357) Catering Management
15. (358) Food Processing
16. (359) Play Centre Management
17. (360) Hotel Front Office Operation
18. (361) Poultry Farming
19. (362) Soil and Fertilizer Management
20. (363) Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables

Thus, we see the various options available for the students in availing vocational training, as part of their 10th and 12th examinations under NIOS.  But it must be kept in mind that not all of these options are available in all registered centres under NIOS. Therefore, the choice of subjects will also be dependent on the availability of the courses in a given centre.

In my next blog, I will provide an overview of the standalone Vocational courses offered by NIOS.

RESOURCES:
https://sdmis.nios.ac.in/static/dist/images/pdf/subjects-available/subjects-available.pdf
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/before-nios-exam-students-await-clarity-on-two-vocational-subjects/articleshow/119988719.cms
https://www.nios.ac.in/online-course-material/secondary-courses.aspx
**********

Author Dr.Triveni Goswami Vernal

Dr.Triveni Goswami Vernal is a Registered Special Educator (CRR: A64010), a Psychologist and an Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner (UNESCO-CID). She is an Avaz Certified Educator and Certified in Dyslexia Teacher Training. She is also an art educator for children with additional needs.

“Roses in Bloom”
Acrylic Painting on Watercolour paper