Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) & APAAR ID: Key Facts

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) is a digital platform of the Union Ministry of Education, regulated by the University Grants Commission.

• It enables students to store, manage, transfer, and redeem academic credits earned from recognised educational institutions through a secure digital repository.
• ABC is a key component of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Education under the Digital India Programme.

Objectives

• Create a flexible, learner-centric education system.
• Recognise and preserve academic achievements throughout a learner’s lifetime.
• Facilitate credit transfer across institutions.
• Promote multiple entry and multiple exit (MEE) in higher education.
• Support lifelong learning and academic mobility.

APAAR ID

• APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) is a unique 12-digit student identification number linked to the ABC system.
• Introduced under the “One Nation, One Student ID” initiative, it provides every learner with a single lifelong academic identity.
• Accessible through DigiLocker, it integrates academic records from:
  • School education
  • Higher education
  • Skill development programmes
  • Other recognised learning programmes
• APAAR IDs can also be generated through Common Service Centres (CSCs), improving accessibility in rural and underserved areas.

Key Features

• Allows students to study across multiple Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and seamlessly transfer academic credits between institutions and programmes.
• Provides a consent-based digital document exchange system, simplifying verification and reducing processing time.
• Supports the Multiple Entry and Exit (MEE) framework under the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020):
  • Certificate after completion of 1 year.
  • Diploma after 2 years.
  • Degree after 3 or 4 years, depending on the programme.
• Aligns with the National Credit Framework, enabling recognition and transfer of credits across different disciplines and learning pathways.

Student Benefits

• Students can accumulate and redeem credits earned from different recognised institutions throughout their academic journey.
• By authenticating their APAAR ID, students aged 13–30 years can avail:
  • Up to 10% discount on base airfares.
  • Additional 10 kg baggage allowance on eligible travel offers (as notified under the initiative).

Source: PIB

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