Academic verification goes digital: over 26 crore APAAR IDs issued, 110 crore academic records uploaded

Ziraat Times Team Report

Srinagar, July 3: India’s digital education ecosystem has crossed a major milestone, with more than 110.65 crore academic records now available in digital format, enabling students to transfer seamlessly between schools and higher education institutions while simplifying admissions, scholarships and employment verification.

The milestone comes as the Digital India programme completes 11 years, with the Government highlighting how digital public infrastructure has transformed education through platforms such as the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) and the National Academic Depository (NAD).

According to the Ministry of Education, the Academic Bank of Credits has emerged as a key enabler of flexible learning under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The platform allows students to securely store, transfer and redeem academic credits earned from recognised higher education institutions, supporting the Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit (MEME) framework and the National Credit Framework.

Integrated with APAAR, the ABC platform provides every learner with a unique lifelong academic identity, enabling secure access to academic records spanning school education, higher education, skill development and other recognised learning programmes.

Official figures show that 2,963 higher education institutions have registered on the ABC platform. More than 26.29 crore APAAR IDs have been created, while 110.65 crore academic records have been uploaded, reflecting widespread adoption of the country’s digital academic ecosystem.

The government said the system has significantly reduced dependence on physical documentation by allowing students to access, transfer and verify academic credits online. Digital verification has also accelerated processes related to admissions, scholarships, internships and employment while reducing paperwork and improving transparency.

The National Academic Depository (NAD), another flagship initiative under Digital India, serves as a round-the-clock online repository for academic awards, allowing institutions to issue, store and verify certificates, degrees, diplomas and mark sheets in a secure digital format.

Officials said the platform helps eliminate the risks associated with physical documents, including loss, damage and forgery, while enabling educational institutions, employers and government agencies to instantly verify academic credentials.

The Ministry said the combined integration of ABC, APAAR, NAD and DigiLocker has created a connected digital academic ecosystem that enables secure storage, seamless exchange and digital verification of academic records across institutions.

The digital ecosystem is also expected to reduce administrative costs, minimise manual verification and strengthen interoperability among educational institutions, thereby supporting lifelong learning and academic mobility.

Students have reported tangible benefits from the new system. Anjali Rathore, an MBA student from Chhattisgarh, said APAAR has simplified verification processes and reduced paperwork, making applications for seminars, internships, scholarships and competitions easier. Another student, Ashish Tiwangan, said the platform has made his academic records digitally secure while simplifying scholarship verification and future academic credit transfers.

The government said Digital India has significantly transformed educational service delivery over the past 11 years by making academic records secure, portable and digitally verifiable, contributing to a more transparent, paperless and citizen-centric education system aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.