What is APAAR ID for NEET? NTA Mandates Aadhaar Verification to Ensure NEET UG 2025 Integrity

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced the APAAR ID (Authentication, Profiling, and Access for Applicant Registration) as an essential component of the NEET UG 2025 registration process. This unique identifier is aimed at enhancing transparency and preventing fraudulent activities during the application process.

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR), an initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, is designed to track the academic records of approximately 30 crore students in India, spanning from school to higher education.

To align with this initiative, the NTA has urged students to use their APAAR ID and complete Aadhaar authentication during the NEET UG 2025 registration and examination process.

What is APAAR ID?

1. Introduction and Purpose:
   • APAAR is an initiative introduced under the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
   • It provides every student in India with a unique 12-digit identity number, similar to Aadhaar, to consolidate their academic achievements.
2. Vision:
   • APAAR ID embodies the concept of “One Nation, One Student ID”.
   • It serves as a lifelong academic passport, storing and consolidating all academic credentials and achievements in one place.
3. Objective:
   • The initiative aims to integrate all educational records of school students into a unified system by 2026-27.
4. Role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs):
   • The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all HEIs to upload the credit data of the last three years onto the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) portal by June 2025.
5. Current Progress:
   • By March 2024, 1,855 academic institutions had joined the ABC portal.
   • Over 4 crore students had registered on the platform, facilitating seamless access to consolidated academic records.

Why APAAR ID Matters:

The APAAR ID will serve as a mandatory requirement for all candidates registering for NEET UG 2025. It ensures:

• Authenticity of applicant data.
• Streamlined registration through centralized profiling.
• Improved system integrity by linking Aadhaar details with the registration process.

How to Generate Your APAAR ID:
To obtain your APAAR ID, follow these steps:

1. Verification of Demographic Details: The student’s demographic details are verified by visiting their school.
2. Parental Consent for Minors: For minor students, parental consent is obtained to proceed with the APAAR ID creation.
3. Identity Authentication: The student’s identity is authenticated and verified through the school.
4. APAAR ID Creation: Once verification is successful, the APAAR ID is generated.
5. Secure Access: The generated APAAR ID is added to DigiLocker for secure and convenient online access.

NTA’s Advisory:
The NTA advises all candidates to:

• Ensure their Aadhaar details are up-to-date and error-free.
• Generate their APAAR ID well before the registration deadline to avoid last-minute issues.