Mega APAAR Days in schools this week

On these two days, schools are expected to conduct special drives or maximise their efforts to generate APAAR ID, a unique identification number for each student to keep academic records.

When launched in October in Maharashtra for school students, schools were asked to complete the process by November 20. (Express Photo)

With only 60 percent completion of Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) identity generation for school-students in Maharashtra, state’s school education department has designated two days (Monday and Tuesday) as ‘Mega APAAR Days’, to accelerate the process.

On these two days, schools are expected to conduct special drives or maximise their efforts to generate APAAR ID, a unique identification number for each student to keep academic records. Schools, however, complain of technical glitches and other issues related to the process making it difficult for them to complete the task of APAAR ID generation for all students.

A schoolteacher from South Mumbai said, “It is already a humongous task involving students from pre-primary to secondary section. Each case is unique with many also having issues such as mismatching names due to different spellings, incomplete AADHAR registration of the child, among others.” Schools complain that with the size of work that this entails, it is inappropriate for the government to set days or deadlines for schools to just focus on generation of APAAR ID.

When launched in October in Maharashtra for school students, schools were asked to complete the process by November 20. It was then extended with the announcement of two Mega APAAR Days on November 29 and 30. Now the deadline is further extended and two more days are designated for the work. “The department is working as if schools have no other task to complete. Board exams are also approaching,” said a teacher from a school in the suburbs while also adding that the requirement of consent from parents adds to the complication. “Each child’s parent has to provide a written consent to generate APAAR ID in his/her name. While most parents agree easily, there are some who raise concerns. Counselling of parents then takes some more time,” said the teacher.

Mahendra Ganapule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association, said, “On one side when there are issues to get consent from parents, in case of children whose parents have saved their child’s data on Digilocker, the information is directly sourced from there as we initiate the APAAR ID generation process.”

What is APAAR ID?

Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID is a 12-digit unique identification system for each student of India under the One Nation One Student programme of the Central government. Serving as the digital identity of each student, APAAR ID aims to facilitate processes such as academic tracking, digital storage, credit transfer among others.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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