DigiLocker, a government initiative for storing documents and verifying credentials online, is gradually replacing the need for paper.
It is common to see interview candidates nervously carrying folders containing their education certificates.
They hold onto these 'original' documents for dear life since losing even one can delay or damage their prospects.
Whether for admission in a school or college or for employment, candidates depend on paper documents.
DigiLocker, a government initiative for storing documents and verifying credentials online, is gradually replacing the need for paper.
Now, education information is set to leap forward with the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR). It is a specialised identification system designed for students.
The registry is part of the 'One Nation, One Student ID (identity)' programme launched by the central government.
According to the education ministry, every student in India must register for an APAAR.
This will be a unique 12-digit code to digitally store, manage and access all academic credits, including degrees, diplomas, certificates, training details, and co-curricular accomplishments.
When a child joins a nursery class or anganwadi (a rural child care centre), s/he will be given an APAAR ID linked to her Aadhaar number.
From then, the unique number will be used to identify the student through her academic journey.
If s/he changes schools or towns, the number will be used for transfer and admission process.
More importantly, an APAAR ID will include information about academic history and performance, including subjects studied and exam results. It will be linked to DigiLocker.
A separate online repository called Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) will store information about students based on the APAAR ID.
Each APAAR ID shall have a corresponding account in ABC, where all information on academic or co-curricular learning like sports, music, dance, arts drama and social work will be authenticated.
Credits for all and academic and co-curricular learning will be deposited in ABC.
ABC will get information from institutions connected to it. That way not just colleges, even potential employers will get access to verified academic records of applications and employees.
This process will address the challenge of fake academic certificates.
Many employers, especially in the information technology sector, complain of fake education certificates. Physical verification of documents can take weeks, delaying hiring.
APAAR IDs can also be created for school dropouts and professionals who are planning mid-career learning courses.
Several players in the education ecosystem will gain from APAAR and ABC. Data generated from ABC records will help students analyse their own performance and aptitude.
Educational institutions will be able to guide students and policymakers will get instant and authentic data about national education outcomes.
Solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to such data.
"Based on which courses one has done in which domain and which credits are earned by a student, AI can help a student to chart out his or her journey and help select right kind of courses to be taken.
"And if he or she is not able to cope up, AI can help make course correction," said Professor Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the executive committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
"The data will enable policymakers to drill down information and provide insight into popular courses, difficult courses, employability-related courses and make suitable interventions," said Professor Sahasrabudhe, a former chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education.
The data used for analysis will be anonymised and the control of information will remain with the student.
The education ministry has said that so far almost 300 million students and about 1,900 institutions have registered with APAAR and ABC.
Analysis of the data gathered from the two registries holds the promise of offering important insights to individuals and institutions.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
