Why is it in the news?

• Recently, several state governments requested schools to seek parental consent for the creation of a new student identity card known as the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR).
• This is part of the ‘One nation, One Student ID’ initiative of the Union government, stemming from the new National Education Policy of 2020.

Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR)

About

• It’s an ID system for all students in India, active for a lifetime.
• Tracks academic progress from pre-primary to higher education.
• Acts as a gateway to Digilocker, allowing digital storage of academic documents.

Purpose

• Reduce the need to carry physical documents.
• Track literacy rates, dropout rates, etc., aiding state governments.
• Reduce fraud and duplicate certificates.

Functioning of APAAR ID

• Linked to Academic Bank Credit (ABC), a digital storehouse of student’s academic credits.
• Stores certificates from both formal and informal education.
• Digital certification of achievements securely stored by authorized institutions.
• Transfers all academic data when a student changes schools using APAAR ID, eliminating the need for physical transfer certificates.

Registration Process

• Students provide basic details like name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photo.
• Verification using Aadhar number, which is only for matching name and date of birth.
• Consent form to be signed by students or parents for minors.
• Sharing Aadhar and demographic information with the Ministry of Education for APAAR ID creation is voluntary.

Concerns with APAAR

• Sharing of Aadhar details raises privacy concerns.
• Fears of personal data leaks.

Other features

• Government assures confidentiality of shared information.
• Information sharing limited to educational entities like Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) database, scholarships, academic records, institutions, and recruitment agencies.
• Students can opt to stop sharing their information, though already processed data will remain.

Conclusion

• APAAR is a significant digital step in India’s education system under the National Education Policy.
• It promotes efficiency, transparency, and equal access to education.
• Aligns with the vision of a modern, tech-driven educational ecosystem in India.