India’s education system is undergoing a significant transformation with the implementation of the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID system, a cornerstone of the One Nation, One Student ID initiative introduced by the Union Ministry of Education under the National Education Policy 2020. The initiative extends India’s commitment to digital identity solutions, building upon the success of its Aadhaar national ID system.
The APAAR system assigns each student a unique 12-digit identifier that serves as a lifelong academic identity, storing educational records from elementary through collegiate levels. The centralized system enables credit transfer between institutions and connects to both DigiLocker, India’s national digital documentation platform, and the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) for secure record storage and verification. DigiLocker’s success in India’s digital infrastructure has been so notable that other nations like Sri Lanka are now adopting similar systems.
Implementation of the APAAR system requires parental consent for students under 18 years of age. The registration process involves creating an account on DigiLocker and providing an Aadhaar number, after which the system generates the unique APAAR ID that links to the student’s DigiLocker account. The integration builds on India’s established digital identity framework, which has recently expanded to include advanced features such as face biometric authentication.
While the Ministry of Education maintains that APAAR ID enrollment is voluntary, a January circular from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) instructed schools to achieve “100 percent saturation” of APAAR IDs. The directive has led to varying interpretations among educational institutions regarding the mandatory nature of the program.
Technical challenges have emerged during implementation, particularly concerning Aadhaar linking. Some parents have encountered difficulties due to spelling discrepancies between school records and the UIDAI database, similar to challenges faced during other major Aadhaar integration initiatives. CBSE has directed affected parents to visit Common Service Centres for document corrections.
The Internet Freedom Foundation and other advocacy groups have highlighted data privacy considerations, noting the current absence of a specific legal framework governing APAAR IDs and the protection of minors’ information. These concerns reflect broader discussions about data protection in India’s rapidly expanding digital identity ecosystem.
The Education Ministry faces several implementation priorities, including establishing clear guidelines regarding voluntary participation, developing comprehensive data protection measures, and streamlining the Aadhaar linking process. The challenges mirror those faced by other national digital ID initiatives, such as Kenya’s Maisha Namba and Ethiopia’s Fayda system, highlighting the complex nature of implementing large-scale digital identity programs.
Sources: Live Chennai, Study IQ, Drishti IAS, Only IAS, INSIGHTS IAS
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