Gujarat Schools Get Final Push for APAAR Registration
The Gujarat government has issued a clear directive to all schools across the state. They must achieve complete registration for the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) before January 31. This system provides a unique identification number for every student under the central government's 'One Nation, One Student ID' program.
Statewide Numbers and Current Progress
Gujarat operates nearly 53,500 schools. This includes both private and government institutions at primary and secondary levels. These schools enroll an estimated 1.15 crore students in total.
State Project Director Ranjeeth Kumar J from Samagra Shiksha shared an update. He stated that more than 70 percent of APAAR registration is already complete. The remaining registration work should finish soon, according to officials.
However, sources reveal a concerning gap. Over 225 schools across Gujarat have not even begun the APAAR registration process. This delay has prompted urgent government action.
Districts Lagging Behind in Registration
Officials have identified specific areas where registration progress remains slow. The highest number of schools that have not opened APAAR registration are located in Ahmedabad city, under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
Other districts with significant numbers of non-starter schools include:
- Surat city (SMC)
- Chhota Udepur
- Rajkot
- Jamnagar
- Morbi
The matter received serious attention during the fifth chief secretaries' conference held in Delhi. Authorities sought explanations from districts that had not initiated the process.
Government Directives and Monitoring
The State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha issued a directive on January 15. It instructed all District Education Officers (DEOs) to monitor APAAR registration daily. Special focus should remain on districts with low registration counts.
The government directive states clearly: "It is directed to conduct daily monitoring and review of how many APAAR IDs are generated and necessary action to be taken."
Over the last few weeks, officials have conducted regular video conference meetings with district education officers. These meetings focus on APAAR ID implementation and progress tracking.
Purpose and Benefits of APAAR ID
The APAAR system assigns a unique 12-digit number to every student. This ID serves as a permanent digital identity within the education ecosystem. It consolidates all academic and co-curricular achievements in one place, functioning as a lifelong academic passport.
An education official explained the system's broader benefits. APAAR will help track each student's enrollment, attendance, and grade progression. This tracking ensures compliance with the Right to Education Act.
The system also aims to identify several key student groups:
- Out of School Children (OoSC) who need reintegration into the education system.
- Gifted children who may require special educational support.
- Children from marginalized communities to ensure their engagement with institutions.
- At-risk students who might drop out, allowing for timely intervention.
Additionally, APAAR IDs will facilitate skill gap analysis. They will provide industry-relevant content for upskilling programs by monitoring students' academic records.
Data Integration and Policy Planning
Once all APAAR IDs are created, the collected data will be shared with the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK). A District Education Officer confirmed this integration plan.
The VSK will analyze educational trends and assess outcomes. This analysis will help identify region-specific needs. Ultimately, the data will support decision-making for educational policies and resource allocation across Gujarat.
Implementation Timeline and Awareness
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the APAAR initiative on February 13, 2024. However, the actual campaign for APAAR ID generation at the school level began in September 2024.
In Gujarat, communication and awareness campaigns targeting parents started last year. These efforts aim to ensure parental understanding and cooperation with the new student identification system.
The APAAR initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF). It represents a significant step toward digitizing and streamlining India's educational records.
