Chennai: The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), functioning under the Union Education Ministry, is set to expand its offerings by introducing Tamil medium education for Plus-2 courses and launching new subjects focused on vocational skills and sports.

NIOS Chairman Akhilesh Mishra announced that Tamil medium instruction will be introduced in Plus-2 by the end of this year. Currently, NIOS offers classes for standards 3, 5, 8, 10, and Plus-2, with 39 subjects at Class 10 level in 19 languages, including Tamil, and 44 subjects at Plus-2 level in seven languages such as English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, and Odia.

To enhance vocational education, NIOS has signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University to offer certificate programmes in poultry farming and vermicompost production, as well as diploma courses in food and beverage, bakery, and confectionery production. Admissions for these courses will begin soon.

Additionally, to support athletes and students balancing academics with sports training, NIOS will introduce sports-oriented subjects from the next academic year. For Class 10, new subjects such as Yoga, Food Technology, and Sports Management will be added, while Class 12 students can opt for Yoga Science and Sports Management.

Textbooks for these courses are in the final stages of preparation.