One Nation, One Student ID: Government Proposes Lifelong ID Number to Students - APAAR ID

The Union Ministry has proposed a strategy to develop unique ID numbers for school students across India as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The One Nation One Student ID system, also known as the 'Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR),' will be a lifelong ID number that will track students' achievements and academic travels while also making transfer from one institution to another easier.

What is the Feature and Objectives of One Nation One Student ID system aka APAAR ID Card?

"APAAR and the National Credit Framework will serve as the QR code for students across India." "Every skill they learn will be credited here," stated T G Sitharaman, chairperson of AICTE. 

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Along with that, the system aims to assist students in digitally storing test results, sports, and Olympiad results, as well as keeping track of students who drop out so that they can be mainstreamed. 

Registration for this education ecosystem will require parental agreement, and states and UTs have been directed to begin the process.

The Ministry of Education's letter to the Commissioner of Education further states that "The Ministry of Education will generate APAAR ID based on every student's Aadhaar number, for which separate authorization of the parents is required."

Schools have been told to organize special parent-teacher conferences from 16 to 18 October to inform parents about the APAAR ID and raise awareness. The government has pledged that the data will be kept private, and parents can revoke their agreement at any moment.

However, the increasing burden of non-academic activities has caused teachers to become dissatisfied. School administrators reported that they were already trying to update kids' Aadhaar details on the portal.

"Schools have just finished updating students' AADHAAR cards on UDISE." The creation of a new ID card is currently underway. On UDISE, we must additionally update each student's height, weight, and blood group. This leaves us with no time to concentrate on academics." According to Pandurang Kengar of the Mumbai School Principals' Association, as reported by The Indian Express.

This follows the formation of a committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind to evaluate the feasibility of the country's 'One Nation, One Election' policy.

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