TL; DR
- APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It is a specialized identification system (like the AADHAAR card) specially designed for Indian students by the Ministry of Education.
- When implemented on the intended scale, Indian students shouldn’t need to enter their high school, graduation, post-graduation, and PHD details separately on a form or a website.
Under the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF) established by the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, the government of India launched the APAAR program. It advises students to create a national identity card, called the APAAR ID, which acts as a lifelong academic identity for students. It helps students organize their educational records in one place, making them easier to access and share with institutions as and when needed.
What is APAAR ID?
First and foremost, APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It is a specialized identification system (like the AADHAAR card) specially designed for Indian students by the Ministry of Education. The government has launched it as an initiative that is part of the “One Nation, One Student ID” program as detailed in the National Education Policy 2020.
Like a unique AADHAAR number, APAAR ID gives Indian students a unique 12-digit ID, which carries a digital footprint of their academic record (including marksheets, degrees, diplomas, certifications, and other co-curricular achievements). While AADHAAR acts as proof of address or date of birth, the APAAR ID should serve as proof of education for all Indian students.
When implemented on the intended scale, Indian students shouldn’t need to enter their high school, graduation, post-graduation, and PHD details separately on a form or a website. Since all these details are already stored in the government’s database via the APAAR ID, only the unique 12-digit code should suffice.
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Key Features Of APAAR ID
- When students create an APAAR ID, they get a 12-digit unique ID that solidifies their academic identity for a lifetime.
- It is linked to the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and receives students’s academic credits directly from institutions and awarding bodies through the National Academic Depository.
- It is also linked to DigiLocker, which allows students to store their essential documents like exam results, academic results, etc, and present them when required.
- The APAAR ID system, under the Ministry of Education, stores all academic records in a centralized system, making them easier for both the student and the institution to access.
- APAAR ID also facilitates the transfer of credits between institutions, which helps create a comprehensive database and minimizes the chances of losing or missing information.
Moreover, the APAAR ID helps preserve a student’s records, achievements, and other accolades in one place to minimize any discrepancy or oversights in the presentation or the storage of information over the years.
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Benefits of APAAR ID
The most important and useful benefit of APAAR ID is that it simplifies the authentication process for educational institutes, companies, or other organizations that want to access the academic records of a citizen.
Usually, students or individuals have to manually upload their mark sheets, certificates, and academic credentials, which are often crucial for an entrance, transfer, or job application. However, APAAR ID streamlines the process by making it easier to share all the details by sharing the unique 12-digit code.
Given that the details come from verified sources trusted by the Indian government, institutes, and companies shouldn’t have a hard time reviewing them and moving ahead in the admission or hiring process with ease. Last but not least, the digital system eliminates the fear of losing hard copies that people save for years.
Given below is a list of the facilities that can be tracked or mapped through APAAR ID.
- Admissions
- Scholarships
- Concessions
- Credit Accumulation/Redemption/Transfer
- Internships
- Certifications
- Job Applications
- Marksheets
- Academic Achievements
The official FAQ page also mentions that the APAAR system can help schools streamline operations by simplifying tasks like admissions. It also mentions that the APAAR system will help schools to generate insightful reports, refine teaching methodologies, and transition into a paperless future.
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How To Generate APAAR ID?
There appears to be some confusion on the internet about how to create an APAAR ID card. While multiple sources have mentioned different methods, including accessing the Academic Bank of Credits, here’s what seems to have worked for us, and it includes the popular DigiLocker app.
- Open DigiLocker on your phone.
- In the search box at the top, type “APAAR ID.”
- Select the first option — “APAAR ID” — under the Academic Bank of Credits.
- On the next screen, you’ll see details like your name and date of birth (fetched from the AADHAAR card). Further, you’ll be required to enter basic details like identity type, name of the educational institute, the valid enrollment number, and the admission year.
- Then, hit the continue button at the bottom.
- In a few minutes, you should see the APAAR ID under “My Issued Document,” along with the other issued documents. In our case, that is the Aadhaar Card and the PAN Verification Record.
- Your APAAR ID should contain your name, date of birth, gender, and a unique 12-digit code. We verified this code with the one on the Academic Bank of Credits, and it was the same.
If you’re a parent, you can either generate your kids’ APAAR ID manually by the process mentioned above, or you can ask their school to generate it for you, in which case, you’d have to fill up a consent form and submit it.
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