NIOS or the mainstream board
A government board legally equal to CBSE and built for this collision, which most families have never heard of.
When it arrives
Surfaces once a mainstream board's attendance or exam-timing requirements start colliding with training or competition. This is most common between 14 and 18, though the window opens earlier for athletes already travelling for competition.
The options
Continue on the current board and manage the collision case by case; or move to NIOS, a Government of India board legally equivalent to CBSE, accepted for JEE, NEET and Delhi University admissions, built for irregular schedules.
What the evidence says
NIOS's legal equivalence and university acceptance are documented facts. Mary Kom completed her own schooling through NIOS in Imphal while winning six World Amateur Boxing Championships. Not yet documented here: a cost comparison against the current school, or which universities beyond JEE/NEET/DU treat it identically in admissions practice.
Talking about it
The resistance is usually the fear of being seen to take the 'easier' route. Reframing NIOS as 'the board built for this situation' rather than 'the fallback' changes the conversation more than any statistic does.
Do this next
Read what NIOS requires and how the transfer process works, before the next board's exam cycle locks the decision in for another year.