List of Education Boards in India (2026): Complete Official Master Directory of 76 Recognized Boards & Legal Verification | India Code
Official Central & State Recognized School Boards (Class 10th & 12th) Approved by Ministry of Education & State Legislatures — Complete Truth on COBSE & Statutory Validity by Govt of India Ministry of Education
- Overview: The School Education Board Framework in India
When searching for 'List of Education Boards in India', students, parents, and educators often face confusion regarding which boards are legally recognized, how state and open boards operate, and whether certificates are valid for national competitive exams like JEE, NEET, CUET, NDA, and UPSC.
In India, school education governance is divided between Central (National) bodies and State Governments under the Constitutional framework. A school board is legally valid in India ONLY IF it has been created through an Act of Parliament, an Act of a State Legislative Assembly, or an official Government Gazette Notification issued under statutory authority.
This official master guide by India Code (IndianCode.online) provides the complete verified directory of 76 recognized boards, uncovers the legal reality of private societies like COBSE, and provides direct verification steps.
- Major National-Level Education Boards in India
National boards have an all-India jurisdiction and are universally accepted across every Indian state, union territory, and globally.
|
Board Name |
Type & Authority |
Key Exams |
Curriculum & Strategic Advantage |
|
CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) |
National Apex Body (Ministry of Education, GoI) |
AISSE (10th) & AISSCE (12th) |
NCERT based syllabus; primary foundation for JEE, NEET, CUET, NDA, and civil services. |
|
CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) |
National Statutory Council |
ICSE (10th) & ISC (12th) |
Strong focus on literature, language proficiency, practical science, and global research skills. |
|
NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) |
Apex Autonomous Body (Ministry of Education) |
Secondary & Sr. Secondary |
World's largest open schooling network offering flexible on-demand exams for non-formal learners. |
|
CBSE International (CBSE-I) |
CBSE Global Stream |
International Curriculum |
Targeted at international schools and NRI students with global benchmarking. |
|
CBOSE (Central Board of Open Schooling and Examination) |
National Open Schooling Education Board |
Secondary & Sr. Secondary |
World's largest open schooling network offering flexible on-demand exams for non-formal learners. |
- Complete Master List of 76 Recognized Boards & Councils in India
Here is the definitive, official directory of all 76 recognized boards, state open schools, traditional sanskrit institutions, and statutory university schooling wings recognized across India for Class 10th and 12th examinations:
|
Sl No |
Recognized Board / Council Name |
State / Jurisdiction |
Statutory Legal Status |
|
1 |
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) |
International / Cambridge |
Recognized International Board |
|
2 |
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh |
Uttar Pradesh (Central) |
Statutory Central University Board |
|
3 |
Andhra Pradesh Open School Society (APOSS) |
Andhra Pradesh |
State Govt Established Open School |
|
4 |
Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) |
Assam |
State Statutory Board (10+2) |
|
5 |
Assam Sanskrit Board (Guwahati) |
Assam |
State Recognized Traditional/Sanskrit Board |
|
6 |
Banasthali Vidyapith |
Rajasthan |
Recognized Deemed University Schooling |
|
7 |
Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) |
Bhutan / Bilateral |
Recognized Bilateral Certificate |
|
8 |
Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination (BBOSE), Patna |
Bihar |
State Govt Established Open Board |
|
9 |
Bihar Intermediate Education Council (BIEC), Patna |
Bihar |
State Statutory Council (Merged with BSEB) |
|
10 |
Bihar Sanskrit Shiksha Board, Patna |
Bihar |
State Statutory Sanskrit Board |
|
11 |
Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), Patna |
Bihar |
State Statutory Secondary & Inter Board |
|
12 |
Bihar State Madrasa Education Board, Patna |
Bihar |
State Statutory Madrasa Board |
|
13 |
Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Uttar Pradesh (UPMSP) |
Uttar Pradesh |
Largest State Statutory Board in India |
|
14 |
Tamil Nadu Board of Higher Secondary Education |
Tamil Nadu |
State Directorate of Govt Examinations |
|
15 |
Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (BIEAP) |
Andhra Pradesh |
State Statutory Intermediate Board |
|
16 |
Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE) |
Uttarakhand |
State Statutory School Board |
|
17 |
Haryana Board of School Education (BSEH) |
Haryana |
State Statutory School Board |
|
18 |
Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha |
Odisha |
State Statutory Matriculation Board |
|
19 |
Board of Secondary Education (BSEAP), Andhra Pradesh |
Andhra Pradesh |
State Statutory Secondary (SSC) Board |
|
20 |
Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan (RBSE), Ajmer |
Rajasthan |
State Statutory School Board |
|
21 |
Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), Guwahati |
Assam |
State Statutory Secondary Board |
|
22 |
Board of Secondary Education, Manipur, Imphal |
Manipur |
State Statutory Secondary Board |
|
23 |
CBSE I (CBSE International) |
National / Global |
CBSE International Curriculum |
|
24 |
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi |
National |
Apex Central Government Board |
|
25 |
Central Board of Open Schooling and Examination (CBOSE) |
National |
Recognized Open Schooling |
|
26 |
Chhattisgarh Sanskrit Board, Raipur |
Chhattisgarh |
State Statutory Sanskrit Board |
|
27 |
Chhattisgarh Board of Open School, Raipur (CGSOS) |
Chhattisgarh |
State Govt Established Open School |
|
28 |
Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE), Raipur |
Chhattisgarh |
State Statutory School Board |
|
29 |
Chhattisgarh Madrasa Board, Raipur |
Chhattisgarh |
State Statutory Madrasa Board |
|
30 |
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) |
National |
Statutory ICSE & ISC National Council |
|
31 |
Council of Higher Secondary Education (COHSEM), Manipur |
Manipur |
State Statutory Higher Secondary Council |
|
32 |
Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha |
Odisha |
State Statutory Higher Secondary Council |
|
33 |
Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Agra |
Uttar Pradesh |
Deemed University Schooling Wing |
|
34 |
Edexcel, London (UK) |
International (UK) |
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE / A Levels |
|
35 |
Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) |
Goa |
State Statutory Board |
|
36 |
Gujarat Secondary & Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) |
Gujarat |
State Statutory School Board |
|
37 |
Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) |
Himachal Pradesh |
State Statutory School Board |
|
38 |
International Baccalaureate (IB) |
International (Geneva) |
Global IB Diploma Programme (DP / MYP) |
|
39 |
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi |
Delhi (Central) |
Statutory Central University Schooling |
|
40 |
Jammu & Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) |
Jammu & Kashmir |
State/UT Statutory Board |
|
41 |
Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC), Ranchi |
Jharkhand |
State Statutory Academic Council |
|
42 |
Karnataka Board of Pre-University Education (PUE / KSEAB) |
Karnataka |
State Statutory Pre-University (10+2) Board |
|
43 |
JSS Karnataka Open School |
Karnataka |
State Recognized Open Schooling |
|
44 |
Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) |
Karnataka |
State Statutory Secondary Board |
|
45 |
Higher Secondary Education Govt of Kerala (DHSE), Thiruvananthapuram |
Kerala |
State Directorate of Higher Secondary |
|
46 |
Kerala Board of Public Examinations (KBPE) |
Kerala |
State Statutory Examination Board |
|
47 |
Kerala State Open School (SCOLE Kerala), Thiruvananthapuram |
Kerala |
State Govt Established Open School |
|
48 |
Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) |
Madhya Pradesh |
State Statutory School Board |
|
49 |
Madhya Pradesh State Open School (MPSOS), Bhopal |
Madhya Pradesh |
State Govt Established Open Board |
|
50 |
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) |
Maharashtra |
State Statutory Board |
|
51 |
Maharishi Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan, Bhopal |
Madhya Pradesh |
State Statutory Sanskrit Board |
|
52 |
Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) |
Meghalaya |
State Statutory School Board |
|
53 |
Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) |
Mizoram |
State Statutory School Board |
|
54 |
Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) |
Nagaland |
State Statutory School Board |
|
55 |
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Noida |
National |
Ministry of Education Apex Open Board |
|
56 |
Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) |
Punjab |
State Statutory School Board |
|
57 |
Rajasthan State Open School (RSOS), Jaipur |
Rajasthan |
State Govt Established Open Board |
|
58 |
Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Hyderabad |
Telangana / AP |
State Statutory Technical Council |
|
59 |
Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Central Sanskrit University) |
National / Delhi |
Central Sanskrit University |
|
60 |
School Education Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu (TNDGE) |
Tamil Nadu |
State Directorate of School Education |
|
61 |
Telangana Open School Society (TOSS) |
Telangana |
State Govt Established Open School |
|
62 |
Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) |
Telangana |
State Statutory Intermediate Board |
|
63 |
The Haryana Open School (HOS) |
Haryana |
State Board Open Wing |
|
64 |
The Jammu & Kashmir State Open School (JKSOS) |
Jammu & Kashmir |
UT Open Schooling Authority |
|
65 |
The Kerala State Higher Education Council |
Kerala |
State Statutory Higher Education Council |
|
66 |
The West Bengal Council of Rabindra Open Schooling (WBCROS) |
West Bengal |
State Statutory Open Schooling Council |
|
67 |
Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) |
Tripura |
State Statutory Secondary Board |
|
68 |
U.P. Board of Secondary Sanskrit Education Council, Lucknow |
Uttar Pradesh |
State Statutory Sanskrit Council |
|
69 |
Uttar Pradesh State Open School Board (UPSOS) |
Uttar Pradesh |
State Recognized Open Board |
|
70 |
Uttaranchal Shiksha Evam Pariksha Parishad (Ramnagar) |
Uttarakhand |
State Statutory Examination Council |
|
71 |
Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan |
West Bengal (Central) |
Statutory Central University Schooling |
|
72 |
Vocational Higher Secondary Education Dept (VHSE), Govt of Kerala |
Kerala |
State Directorate of Vocational Education |
|
73 |
West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education (WBBME) |
West Bengal |
State Statutory Madrasah Board |
|
74 |
West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) |
West Bengal |
State Statutory Higher Secondary Council |
|
75 |
West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education & Training (WBSCTVESD) |
West Bengal |
State Statutory Vocational Council |
|
76 |
The Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education (BOSSE), Sikkim |
Sikkim |
State Legislated Open Schooling & Skill Board |
- The Truth on COBSE: Ministry of Education Clarification
Many private and unapproved boards falsely claim recognition by citing 'COBSE Membership'. Here is the official legal position that students, parents, and schools must know:
OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION: WHY COBSE MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT EQUAL LEGAL RECOGNITION
- Private Society Status: The Ministry of Education (formerly MHRD), Government of India, has repeatedly clarified that COBSE (Council of Boards of School Education in India) is merely a private registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- No Regulatory Authority: COBSE has NO statutory authority, executive power, or legislative sanction to grant, regulate, or approve education boards in India.
- Bogus Claims: Unrecognized private boards often obtain COBSE society membership and mislead the public by portraying it as 'Government Recognition'. The Central Government has repeatedly cautioned against this practice.
- The Only Legal Benchmark: A board is valid ONLY if established under an Act of Parliament, an Act of State Legislature, or an executive notification by Central/State Governments.
- How to Verify If an Education Board is Genuine (4-Step Test)
Q1. How many education boards are legally recognized in India?
There are 76 recognized boards and statutory councils in India, including 3 primary national boards (CBSE, CISCE, NIOS), over 50 state boards and open schooling councils, and select international curricula.
Q2. Is COBSE membership compulsory for a school board to be valid?
No. COBSE is a private society and has no legal authority to recognize school boards. Legal validity is solely granted by Acts of Parliament or State Legislative Assemblies.
Q3. Are State Open School certificates valid for NEET, JEE, and Govt Jobs?
Yes. State Open Schools established by State Governments (such as RSOS, MPSOS, BBOSE, APOSS, and CBOSE) and NIOS are fully recognized for competitive exams and government jobs.
Q4. Where can I verify the official legal Acts of education boards in India?
You can verify all Central and State Legislative Acts, Gazette notifications, and statutory education rules directly on India Code (https://www.indiancode.online).
