Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Addresses National Conference on APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card

New Delhi: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, participated in the National Conference on APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card in New Delhi today. The event witnessed the presence of dignitaries including Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri Sanjay K. Murthy; Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari; Secretary, MEITY, Shri S. Krishnan; Chairman, National Council for Vocational Education and Training, Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi; Chairman, National Educational Technology Forum NBA NAAC, Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe; Vice Chancellors, Directors, Registrars, Controller of Examinations from various institutions across the country, and senior officials of the Ministry of Education and Electronics and Information Technology, along with industry partners. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education Shri Govind Jaiswal delivered the welcome address.

In his address, Shri Pradhan emphasized the significance of the APAAR ID as an aspirational and global document for students in the country. He highlighted the importance of various Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) developed in India, stating that out of 53 such DPIs globally, 19 are in India. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for envisioning ‘Digital India,’ which has gained momentum with the creation of 25 crore APAAR IDs. Shri Pradhan emphasized the interconnectivity of APAAR IDs, Academic Bank of Credit, and Digilocker for operational ease, along with other digital assets like Swayam and DIKSHA.

The Minister also underscored the role of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in incorporating provisions for migration and integration without compromising on education quality. He stressed the importance of making competency aspirational through skilling and knowledge acquisition.

Shri Sanjay Kumar highlighted the extensive reach of the APAAR ID, aligning with its Hindi meaning. He discussed the vision of NEP 2020, emphasizing recommendations such as ensuring 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) till Class 12 and proficiency in at least one skill aligned with industry needs. APAAR aids in tracking the vast pool of 260 million students in the country, and a Permanent Education Number has been assigned to 25 crore children, resulting in the issuance of APAAR IDs. The vision of making schooling part of ease of living was reiterated, along with the linkage of initiatives like the Holistic Progress Card and Vidya Samiksha Kendra with APAAR.

Shri K. Sanjay Murthy highlighted the advantages of APAAR IDs and another DPI, Samarth, emphasizing its deployment, access, and seamless connection with APAAR. He urged institutions to adopt the Samarth platform and informed about the upcoming version of the Swayam platform, which will include content from leading industries. For recognition and validation, a digital record will be necessary.

Two panel discussions during the event addressed the integration of APAAR ID and Credit Systems with Job Profiles and explored the evolving role of DigiLocker in education.

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a transformative initiative aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF). It aims to provide a unified and accessible academic experience for students across India, assigning a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student to consolidate their academic achievements in one place. For more information, visit https://abc.gov.in/.