Few weeks back, several state governmentsrequested schools to seek parental consent for the creation of a new studentidentity card known as the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR). This is part of the 'One nation,One Student ID' initiative of the Centre,stemming from the new NationalEducation Policy of 2020. Every individual will have a uniqueAPAAR ID, which will be linked to theAcademic Bank Credit (ABC), which is adigital storehouse that contains information of the credits earned by students throughout their learningjourney.
What is the purpose?
APAAR is envisioned as a special ID system for all students in India, starting from childhood. Each student would get a lifelong APAAR ID, making it easy to track academic progress from pre-primary education to higher education. APAAR would also serve as a gateway to Digi locker, a digital system where students can store their documents and achievements, such as exam results, report cards, etc. To sign up for APAAR, students will have to provide basic information such as name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photograph. This information will be verified using their Aadhaar number. Students will need to sign a consent form, and they can choose to either accept or decline sharing their Aadhaar number and demographic information with the Ministry of Education for creating the APAAR ID. For minors, parents will have to sign the consent form. Registration for creating APAAR ID is voluntary, not mandatory.
What are its benefits?
"The vision is to create a positive change, allowing state governments to track literacy rates, dropout rates, and more, helping them make improvements," as stated by Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Chairman of the National Educational Technology. APAAR also aims to reduce fraud and duplicate educational certificates by providing a single, trusted reference for educational institutions.
-Dafiq Gupta,4A
