One Nation, One Student ID Initiative: APAAR ID

Introduction to APAAR:

• APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry.
• It’s a unique ID system for students across India, initiated from childhood.
• The project is part of India’s National Education Policy 2020.

Purpose of APAAR:

• APAAR aims to provide each student with a lifelong ID.
• This ID helps track academic progress from early education to higher studies.
• APAAR is also linked to Digilocker, enabling digital storage of academic documents.

Benefits of Introducing APAAR:

• Simplifies educational processes, reducing dependency on physical documents.
• Facilitates tracking of key educational metrics like literacy and dropout rates.
• Aims to curb fraud and duplication in educational certificates.

Functioning of APAAR ID:

• Links to the Academic Bank Credit (ABC) for storing educational credits and achievements.
• Eases transfer of academic records across schools and states with the unique APAAR ID.
• Digital certification of achievements and course completions are stored securely.

Enrollment Process:

• Students register by providing basic personal details and a photograph.
• Aadhar number is used for verification, with confidentiality maintained.
• Consent is required for sharing Aadhar details; the process is voluntary for students.
• Parents must consent for minors.

Concerns and Safeguards:

• Concerns exist about the privacy and security of Aadhar details.
• Government assures confidentiality; information shared only for educational purposes.
• Students can choose to discontinue sharing data at any point.

Why in 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).