School students will soon have their own unique identification number, provided their parents consent.
As part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Union Education Ministry has proposed to create ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ called ‘Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR)’ for every student from pre-primary to higher education.
This is in addition to the 12-digit Aadhaar ID that each student will have. APAAR ID, an education ecosystem registry or edular, is to be treated as a lifetime ID number and will track the academic journey and achievements of students.
The Education Ministry has directed all states and union territories to start the process of generating APAAR ID for students.
APAAR and National Credit Framework will be QR codes for students across India.
AICTE Chairman TG Sitharaman said that every skill picked up by the students will be given credit here.
The state school education department has asked educational institutions to organize a meeting of parents and teachers between October 16 and 18 to discuss the importance of creating APAAR ID.
The data captured on Aadhaar ID will be the basis of APAAR ID. School heads said they are already struggling to update Aadhaar details of students on the portal.
This ID will require parental consent. The government has assured that the data will remain confidential and will be shared only with government agencies where required.
Parents who give their consent can withdraw it at any time.
After consent, it becomes the responsibility of the school to upload it on the Central Integrated District and Information System Education Plus portal.
