The Rollout and Legal Contestation of India's Student Identity System (APAAR): UPSC Current Affairs Story Arc

Overview

This arc tracks the evolution of India's 'One Nation, One Student ID' initiative, known as APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry). Introduced in early 2025 to unify student records on DigiLocker, the system's mandate rapidly expanded when the CBSE made it compulsory for the 2026 board exams. This shift from 'voluntary' to 'mandatory' triggered a judicial intervention by the Orissa High Court, which mandated an explicit opt-out clause to protect student privacy and consent. Parallel to this legal friction, the UIDAI launched a massive logistical campaign, completing over 1 crore biometric updates for schoolchildren in just five months to ensure the underlying identity infrastructure could support this nationwide educational ecosystem.

How This Story Evolved

APAAR ID introduced (Item 12) → Made mandatory for CBSE exams (Item 3) → Court orders opt-out option (Item 14) → UIDAI executes mass biometric updates to support the ecosystem (Seed)

1. 2025-03-20: APAAR ID for Students Introduced
   More details

   UPSC Angle: APAAR ID streamlines student records and improves access to academic resources.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR ID: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • Purpose: Streamline student records and improve access to academic resources
   • Storage: DigiLocker
   • Scope: School and higher education students across India
   • Generation: UDISE+ portal with Aadhaar linkage and parental consent for minors
2. 2025-08-14: APAAR ID Mandatory for CBSE 2026 Board Exams
   More details

   UPSC Angle: APAAR ID mandatory for CBSE 2026 board exams.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • APAAR ID: 12-digit unique identifier
   • Launched by: Ministry of Education
   • Target: All students in Classes 1 to 12 across India
   • IDs generated as of July 2025: Over 2.36 crore
3. 2025-12-15: APAAR ID Amendment
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Orissa HC directs amendment to APAAR ID consent form.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR ID: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • 12-digit ID
   • Governed by: National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
   • Registration: Voluntary
   • Directed by: Orissa High Court
4. 2026-02-09: Aadhaar Biometric Updates for Schoolchildren
   More details

   UPSC Angle: UIDAI completes 1 crore biometric updates for schoolchildren.

   Key Facts:

   • UIDAI announced completion of over 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) for schoolchildren
   • Coverage of 83,000 schools in about 5 months
   • Over 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) completed for schoolchildren
   • Covering 83,000 schools in 5 months
   • 1.3 crore MBU transactions at Aadhaar Seva Kendras and enrolment centres
   • Nationwide mission-mode campaign

Genesis

Trigger

The Ministry of Education officially introduced the APAAR ID on March 20, 2025, to streamline academic records and improve resource access across school and higher education.

Why Now

The rollout is a core component of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which envisions a centralized, digital academic credit and record system to facilitate student mobility and reduce paper-based verification.

Historical Context

It follows the success of the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) for higher education and utilizes the existing UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education) and Aadhaar frameworks.

Key Turning Points

1. [2025-08-14] CBSE makes APAAR ID mandatory for 2026 Board Exams.

   It transformed the ID from a digital convenience into a 'gatekeeping' requirement for secondary education.

   Before: Registration was largely seen as a peripheral digital initiative. After: It became a critical prerequisite for millions of students, leading to legal pushback.

2. [2025-12-15] Orissa High Court ruling on Opt-Out option.

   It legally checked executive overreach, aligning the rollout with the K.S. Puttaswamy (Right to Privacy) judgment.

   Before: Passive consent or mandatory registration was the trend. After: Authorities must provide a clear mechanism for students to participate without compulsion.

Key Actors and Institutions

Key Institutions

• Ministry of Education (MoE)
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
• DigiLocker
• UDISE+ Portal

Key Concepts

APAAR ID

A 12-digit permanent digital identity for students that stores academic achievements, credits, and records in a single, verifiable portal.

Current Fact: Over 2.36 crore IDs were generated as of July 2025.

Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU)

The process of updating Aadhaar biometrics (iris, fingerprints) for children upon reaching ages 5 and 15 to ensure continued identity authentication.

Current Fact: 1 crore MBUs were completed in a 5-month campaign ending February 2026.

Informed Consent

The legal requirement that users (or parents of minors) must be fully aware of how their data is used and have the right to refuse participation.

Current Fact: The Orissa High Court mandated an 'explicit opt-out option' in the consent forms on December 15, 2025.

What Happens Next

Current Status

As of February 2026, the focus has shifted to the 'last-mile' logistical challenge, with UIDAI completing 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) across 83,000 schools.

Likely Next

Expansion of APAAR linkage to scholarship disbursements and vocational training certifications; potential for other state boards to follow the CBSE's lead in making it a prerequisite for exams.

Wildcards

A Supreme Court challenge regarding the 'mandatory' nature of the ID despite the High Court's opt-out ruling; technical glitches in DigiLocker during high-traffic exam registration periods.

Why UPSC Cares

Syllabus Topics

• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education
• E-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
• Basics of cyber security; data protection

Essay Angles

• The Digital Panopticon: Balancing administrative efficiency with individual privacy in the 21st century.
• Digital Education in India: From infrastructure gaps to data-driven governance.

Prelims Likely: Yes

Mains Likely: Yes

Trend Signal: rising

Exam Intelligence

Previous Year Question Connections

• Tested whether Aadhaar is mandatory for benefits from the Consolidated Fund and private contracts. — Directly mirrors the debate on making APAAR ID mandatory for board exams versus maintaining its voluntary status.
• Tested features of the National Education Policy 2020. — APAAR is a key digital implementation of the NEP 2020 vision of a unified education system.

Prelims Angles

• The 12-digit nature of the APAAR ID and its storage in DigiLocker.
• The role of the UDISE+ portal in generating the ID.
• Specific age milestones for Aadhaar Mandatory Biometric Updates (5 and 15 years).
• Whether APAAR registration is legally voluntary or mandatory following the Orissa HC order.

Mains Preparation

Sample Question: Discuss the significance of the APAAR ID in achieving the 'One Nation, One Student ID' vision. In light of recent judicial interventions, evaluate the challenges of balancing digital governance with the right to privacy in India's education sector.

Answer Structure: Intro: Define APAAR and its link to NEP 2020. Body 1: Benefits (mobility, credit transfer, fraud reduction). Body 2: Legal/Privacy challenges (Mandatory vs Voluntary, K.S. Puttaswamy judgment). Body 3: Logistical hurdles (Biometric updates, rural-urban divide). Conclusion: The way forward through robust data protection and informed consent.

Essay Topic: Identity in the Digital Age: A Tool for Empowerment or a Mechanism of Control?

Textbook Connections

Key Takeaway

The APAAR ID rollout exemplifies the tension between the state's drive for efficient, data-driven education governance and the judicial protection of student privacy through informed consent.

All Events in This Story (4 items)

1. 2025-03-20 [Schemes & Programs] — APAAR ID for Students Introduced
   The Indian government has introduced the APAAR ID (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) to streamline student records and improve access to academic resources. The APAAR ID covers school and higher education students across India, storing permanent academic records on DigiLocker.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: APAAR ID streamlines student records and improves access to academic resources.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR ID: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • Purpose: Streamline student records and improve access to academic resources
   • Storage: DigiLocker
   • Scope: School and higher education students across India
   • Generation: UDISE+ portal with Aadhaar linkage and parental consent for minors
2. 2025-08-14 [Polity & Governance] — APAAR ID Mandatory for CBSE 2026 Board Exams
   The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made the APAAR ID mandatory for registration and List of Candidates (LOC) submission for the 2026 board exams. Launched by the Ministry of Education, the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a 12-digit unique identifier assigned to each student in India to unify academic records and implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision of 'One Nation, One Student ID', with over 2.36 crore IDs already generated as of July 2025.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: APAAR ID mandatory for CBSE 2026 board exams.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • APAAR ID: 12-digit unique identifier
   • Launched by: Ministry of Education
   • Target: All students in Classes 1 to 12 across India
   • IDs generated as of July 2025: Over 2.36 crore
3. 2025-12-15 [Polity & Governance] — APAAR ID Amendment
   The Orissa High Court has directed education authorities to amend the consent form used for generating APAAR IDs to include an explicit opt-out option. APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) is a 12-digit ID for all students in India to streamline and enhance the academic experience by consolidating academic records into a single platform, in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Registration is voluntary.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Orissa HC directs amendment to APAAR ID consent form.

   Key Facts:

   • APAAR ID: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
   • 12-digit ID
   • Governed by: National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
   • Registration: Voluntary
   • Directed by: Orissa High Court
4. 2026-02-09 [Schemes & Programs] — Aadhaar Biometric Updates for Schoolchildren
   UIDAI announced the completion of over 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) for schoolchildren through a nationwide campaign, covering 83,000 schools in about 5 months. This highlights the integration of identity services with the education ecosystem.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: UIDAI completes 1 crore biometric updates for schoolchildren.

   Key Facts:

   • UIDAI announced completion of over 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) for schoolchildren
   • Coverage of 83,000 schools in about 5 months
   • Over 1 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) completed for schoolchildren
   • Covering 83,000 schools in 5 months
   • 1.3 crore MBU transactions at Aadhaar Seva Kendras and enrolment centres
   • Nationwide mission-mode campaign