In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Union Ministry has unveiled a plan to assign unique ID numbers to school students across India.

Known as the ‘One Nation One Student ID’ scheme or ‘Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR),’ this initiative will create lifelong ID numbers to monitor students’ academic progress and facilitate school transfers. T G Sitharaman, AICTE chairman, referred to APAAR and the National Credit Framework as the QR code for learners across India, ensuring every acquired skill is credited.

This system will also help students digitally store their exam results, sports achievements, Olympiad outcomes, and track students who may be at risk of dropping out. To participate in this education ecosystem, parental consent is required, and states and Union Territories (UTs) have been instructed to initiate the registration process.

The Ministry of Education will generate APAAR IDs based on students’ Aadhaar numbers, with separate consent from parents. Special parent-teacher meetings are scheduled from October 16-18 to inform parents about the APAAR ID and its purpose. The government has assured the confidentiality of data, and parents can withdraw their consent at any time.

However, the increased burden of non-academic tasks has raised concerns among teachers, as they have recently completed updating students’ Aadhaar details on the portal. This initiative follows the government’s formation of a committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to assess the feasibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’ in India.