What is APAAR ID? CBSE Makes It Mandatory for Class 10 & 12 Board Exam Registrations

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) decided during its Governing Body meeting in June 2025 that linking each student’s APAAR ID with their registration and the List of Candidates (LoC) is compulsory for the 2026 board exams. This applies to Classes 9 through 12, starting registration in Classes 9 and 11, and submissions for LoC in Classes 10 and 12

What Does This Mean?

The APAAR ID will become part of official documents like marksheets, certificates, and migration records

What is APAAR?

APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It is a 12-digit unique identifier designed to serve as a lifelong, universal digital academic identity under the One Nation, One Student ID initiative and aligned with NEP 2020

The ID helps consolidate all academic and co‑curricular achievements in one place — accessible via platforms like DigiLocker — fostering transparency, preventing fraud, and simplifying academic transitions across institutions

Implementation on Ground

Schools across the country have begun generating APAAR IDs, often organising orientation sessions and help desks to aid students and parents in the process.

Public Reactions & Concerns

Some schools and educational bodies have raised concerns about the feasibility of the mandate due to:

Data mismatches between Aadhaar and school records.

Procedural delays in Aadhaar corrections.

Overall administrative strain, especially in ensuring accuracy across thousands of student records

Privacy advocates and legal experts have criticized the move, pointing out:

The lack of statutory/legal backing for APAAR, making its mandate questionable.

The erosion of the voluntary nature of APAAR, as many feel coerced into compliance.

Risks surrounding data security and privacy, especially involving minors and centralized student data.

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