APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. The Ministry of Education describes it as part of “One Nation, One Student ID” under the National Education Policy 2020: a unique 12-digit code that acts as a student’s permanent digital academic identity. It can hold scorecards, marksheets, certificates and co-curricular achievements, and it appears in the student’s DigiLocker.
What it is for
The official site lists these uses: tracking a student’s progress, keeping academic records in one place, reducing duplicate or fraudulent records, and recognising co-curricular achievements. It also helps when a student changes schools, takes entrance exams, applies for admission or a job, or upskills, because digital credentials cannot be lost the way paper certificates can.
Before an APAAR ID can be created
- The student must have a PEN in UDISE+. The official site calls this mandatory.
- The student’s name in UDISE+ must match the name on their Aadhaar.
- The details used are the PEN, student’s name, date of birth, gender, mobile number, mother’s and father’s names, and the name and number as per Aadhaar.
How the school creates it
- The school verifies the student’s demographic details in UDISE+.
- For a minor, a parent or guardian gives consent (see below).
- The student’s Aadhaar is verified through the UDISE+ Aadhaar module (“Validate AADHAAR from UIDAI”).
- With Aadhaar verified and the profile complete, the school selects the class and section in the APAAR module and clicks generate.
- The APAAR ID is created and added to the student’s DigiLocker.
Parental consent: what the form says
The government consent form (a copy is linked under Sources) asks the parent or guardian for the school name, the student’s Aadhaar number, the parent’s name and relationship, an ID proof type and number, and the date and place of consent, with a signature. The head of school or an authorised staff member then signs to confirm consent was given. Key points stated in the form:
- Purpose: the Aadhaar number and demographic details are shared with the Ministry of Education “for the sole purpose of creation of APAAR ID and opening of a DIGILOCKER account”.
- Aadhaar authentication: the parent authorises Aadhaar-based authentication with UIDAI.
- Sharing: the form says the APAAR ID may be used and shared for limited purposes notified by the Ministry. It lists entities that personal details may be made available to, including the UDISE+ database, scholarship programmes, academic record maintenance, educational institutions and recruitment agencies.
- Withdrawal: the form states that consent can be withdrawn “for all or any of the purposes at any time”. Data already processed is not affected by the withdrawal.
The official APAAR site describes parents filling in the consent form voluntarily. Read the form your school gives you before signing. You never need to pay anyone for an APAAR ID.
Why APAAR generation fails, and what to check
- Name mismatch: the UDISE+ name must match Aadhaar. A school can update a student’s name only once through Student Name Update, so get it right the first time.
- Aadhaar not verified: the APAAR module needs a verified Aadhaar and a complete profile.
- Details locked after verification: once Aadhaar is verified, the school cannot edit the date of birth, gender or parents’ names; the block, district or state admin must. Once an APAAR ID exists, the school cannot change the Aadhaar number.
How to check if your child has an APAAR ID
- Open DigiLocker and look under Issued documents for the APAAR ID card.
- Ask the school. It can see the status in the APAAR module of UDISE+.
- The official APAAR helpline listed on apaar.education.gov.in is 1800-889-3511.
