Policy Update
Gowri Kodali
Introduction
Enhancing accessibility, flexibility, and continuity remains a core priority within India’s educational landscape. Students move between different educational institutions. The recognition and verification of their academic accomplishments is, therefore, increasingly important. To establish a unified academic identity, the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) was launched by the Ministry of Education, as part of the initiative “One Nation, One Student ID”, in line with the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. APAAR assigns a unique 12-digit number to students and enables the access and management of their academic records and achievements throughout their education (Ministry of Education, n.d.).
APAAR is being implemented in conjunction with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), National Academic Depository (NAD) and DigiLocker to facilitate the storage, verification and transfer of educational credentials. ABC, NAD and DigiLocker also help in digital record keeping. However, APAAR is designed to facilitate the recognition of prior learning and academic mobility and help in lifelong learning. Access and usage of permanent academic records by students will determine the significance of APAAR (Press Information Bureau [PIB], 2026).
Background
Different school boards, universities, professional and skill-development bodies in India have their own separate administrative systems to maintain students’ academic records. Students often face challenges in obtaining academic documents, confirming the authenticity of their academic credentials and obtaining recognition for their prior learning when they wish to study in other educational institutions.
Multidisciplinary programs, multiple entry and exit options, academic credit accumulation and the Academic Bank of Credits, as articulated in NEP 2020, demonstrate the need for greater flexibility in higher education (PIB, 2026). The Academic Bank of Credits provides a mechanism for storing and transferring academic credits to eligible institutions. The concept of Academic Permanent Personal Algorithmic Records (APAAR) was formulated to provide learners with a permanent digital academic record. Its implementation has been further expedited with the Ministry of Education launching the APAAR Services through the Common Services Centres on 7 February 2024 to take services to the remote and underserved areas.
This initiative links a student’s digital identity to his/her academic records and educational services and recognizes that a student may require human support to access the government services (PIB, 2024). The policy therefore provides a solution for two inter-connected issues, viz., fragmentation of academic records and restricted portability of education. While a common identification system is likely to reduce the need for multiple administrative systems, portability of academic credits will be achieved only through participation of educational institutions and their compliance to the academic regulations (Ministry of Education, n.d.; PIB, 2026).
Functioning
Each student is given a unique 12-digit academic identification number. For school students, details are confirmed by the school, and consent by parent/guardian is obtained, if the student is a minor. Identity and APAAR ID are generated in UDISE+ system and the digital ID is provided in DigiLocker. The student’s Permanent Education Number (PEN) is sought and the name is the same as in UDISE+ and Aadhaar. The Aadhaar card is digitally signed by the Ministry of Education (n.d.). APAAR has collaborated with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and National Academic Depository (NAD) in facilitating access to academic documents and credit records.
Accredited educational institutions can upload verified academic credits and students may access their credit records and effect transfers or redemption, as applicable, within the purview of the academic regulations of the educational institutions. The framework mandates explicit parental consent for minors, restricts data usage strictly to stated academic purposes, and implements encryption safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosures (PIB, 2026).
Transparency in the framework is essential, particularly with sensitive student data. The procedures for collection and authentication of data are outlined in the framework. This, along with the permitted uses of the data, is critical for the system’s credibility (Ministry of Education, 2026).
Performance
Rapid expansion of APAAR in digital registration has been reported (PIB, 2026). According to Ministry of Education data from June 2026, approximately 26.30 crore verified APAAR IDs have been successfully generated nationwide
The same backgrounder reported 2,963 institutions/awarding bodies with the Academic Bank of Credits, reflecting the growth in the administrative scale of the digital academic record system (PIB, 2026). The government’s June 2026 institutional breakdown report stated that 16.62 crores and 4.79 crores of APAAR IDs were generated at the school and higher education levels, respectively. The report identified 3.39 crore unmapped IDs reflecting transient student mobility or reporting lags underscoring the necessity of synchronizing digital identities with institutional rolls.
The Academic Bank of Credits report highlighted more than 110 crore educational records in the various categories, and these educational records should not be misconstrued to mean that they represent 110 crore individual beneficiaries (PIB, 2026). There is a need for a more balanced assessment to identify the impacts and the extent to which students are able to transfer credits and/or obtain recognition for prior learning. Such assessment should include figures on active accounts, authenticated academic records, successful transfers of credits, requests for correction and amendments, and other relevant student experiences.
Impact
With APAAR, academic identification and credential verification processes can be standardized, streamlining educational administration. DigiLocker gives students access to issued records and may reduce the need for students to carry hard copies of records. Integrating APAAR with ABC may simplify multidisciplinary education and recognize credits earned through multiple pathways (Ministry of Education, n.d.; PIB 2026). APAAR also has the potential to promote educational inclusion. Leveraging Common Service Centres (CSCs) can bridge connectivity gaps for digitally disadvantaged families, though sustained assistance is vital for ongoing record retrieval and grievance resolution.
The platform may facilitate transfer and admission processes, and verification of academic records (PIB 2024). The use of standardized forms and records may improve process coordination across educational institutions. However, these improvements may be difficult to quantify. Although creating an APAAR ID may be easy, the same may not hold true for academic credits.
Key Challenges
- Data protection and consent: Since minors are also covered under APAAR, processes to obtain consent, as well as student information protection, require special attention. The framework outlines certain safeguards, but effective protection is contingent upon processes, practices and consents adopted by educational institutions (Ministry of Education, 2026).
- Demographic mismatches: APAAR generation depends on the consistency of student details captured in UDISE+ and Aadhaar. Inconsistencies may result in the student’s inability to be registered and require correction before a digital ID is issued (Ministry of Education, n.d.). Students lacking appropriate administrative assistance may not be able to access their digital academic identity.
- Digital access and institutional capacity: Schools and Colleges differ in their access to the internet, administrative capacity and technical support. While Common Service Centers (CSCs) can assist in registration, continued access to digital credentials also depends on students’ ability to adequately operate the digital platforms and resolve the related issues (PIB, 2024).
- Identity creation vs. academic mobility: The generation of millions of IDs indicates coverage of registration, but not the transfer and recognition of credits. It is an important distinction since the educational value of the initiative lies in the recognition of records and credit transfer across participating educational institutions (PIB, 2026).
- Data accuracy and Grievance Redressal: The permanent identification system will lose credibility if school and academic records are inaccurate, or there are duplicate records. Delineating institutional accountabilities across schools, awarding bodies, and platform administrators is crucial to establish time-bound grievance pathways for error rectifications.
Way Forward:
- The Ministry of Education should report not just the numbers of APAAR IDs generated, but also the active participation of institutions, mapping of academic records, transfer of credits and grievance resolution. These indicators will show if digital registration is impacting educational mobility.
- Strengthen consent and privacy safeguards: Schools should modify registration processes to be transparent about the purpose and use of the information collected, and about the entities with whom the information is shared. Particular care should be taken for minor students, including processes for obtaining parental consent and mechanisms to address privacy concerns.
- Improve correction and grievance mechanisms: Schools should make accessible mechanisms to correct inadequate or inaccurate information in student records. These mechanisms should include defined timelines, and clearly identified institutional personnel.
- Support digitally disadvantaged students: The lack of adequate digital infrastructure should not impede students’ access to their educational records. Therefore, schools, Common Service Centers and Educational Institutions should provide in-person support with record retrieval and registration. Additionally, readily available, and multilingual, instructional resources should be provided to digitally disadvantaged students, to gain access to their educational records and engage with their digital academic identities.
- Evaluate educational outcomes independently: Evaluating APAAR and ABC requires tracking measurable indicators, including credit transfer volumes, credential verification turnaround times, and the resolution rate of student correction requests.
Conclusion
The Automated Permanent Academic Record Registry (APAAR) is an attempt by the Indian government to create a unified digital academic record system. The combination of APAAR, ABC and DigiLocker is expected to facilitate academic mobility, credential verification and lifelong learning. It is reported that around 26.30 crore verified APAAR IDs are targeted to be created by June 2026 (PIB, 2026). The measure of success for APAAR should not be defined by the number of IDs issued. The benefits of the system will accrue to students if the system assists students in receiving the credit they have earned and deserve, and provides the students’ academic record in an equitable manner.
Given the growing threats to personal data and the increasing attacks on individuals’ privacy, the APAAR System should ensure the students’ academic records and digital credit in an equitable and secure manner. Most importantly, the system should assist students in accessing and realizing their educational rights and benefits. APAAR should promote educational flexibility and continuity, and strengthen the rights and benefits of students.
References
- Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. APAAR. https://apaar.education.gov.in/faqs
- Ministry of Education. (2026, October 14). Privacy policy. APAAR. https://apaar.education.gov.in/privacy-policy
- Press Information Bureau. (2024, February 7). Academic Bank of Credit launched through CSCs. Ministry of Education, Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2003802&lang=1®=48
- Press Information Bureau. (2026, June 30). Academic Bank of Credits and APAAR: Building India’s lifelong learning ecosystem. Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/archiveContent.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=290657
About the Author
Gowri Kodali is a Research and Editorial Intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI). She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Economics and is actively preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Reviewed by Kushi and Aditya Chavan
Acknowledgement
I sincerely thank the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) for providing me with the opportunity to research and write this Policy Update. I am grateful to the IMPRI team for their valuable guidance, encouragement and support in strengthening my understanding of public policy research and analysis.
Disclaimer:
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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