50,552 student discrepancy in UP’s Apaar ID sparks concern
A staggering discrepancy of 50,552 students has been found in the Apaar ID enrolment records of the Basic Education Department this year compared to the previous year.
The department has made Apaar ID mandatory for all students from this academic session to digitally track academic records and ensure transparency in school admissions. However, a review on March 1 revealed that only 70% of students have been assigned an Apaar ID so far, raising concerns over possible mismanagement in enrolment data.
The irregularity, detected during an online review, has drawn sharp criticism from director general of school education, Kanchan Verma, who has warned of strict action against the district education officer for failing to provide an explanation.
Following Verma’s displeasure over these irregularities, Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Ramendra Kumar Singh has directed all schools to submit a detailed report within two days, explaining the discrepancies in student enrolment and the delays in Apaar ID generation. Schools failing to comply will face departmental action.
According to Primary Teachers’ Association vice president, Gyanendra Ojha, the large gap in enrolment numbers is due to duplicate entries and students leaving schools after failing to generate an Apaar ID.
“In many cases, parents enroll their children in multiple schools but ultimately choose only one. Some students also drop out before their Apaar ID is generated,” Ojha explained. Despite repeated requests from schools, some parents do not send their children back, leading to discrepancies in the records.
Sources indicate that duplicate admissions have been a common practice, where students enroll in government schools to avail benefits like free uniforms and midday meals but continue their education in private institutions. With the introduction of Apaar ID, students can now be linked to only one school, leading to a drop in recorded enrolment numbers.
Additionally, records for some students are missing due to dropouts or incomplete Apaar ID registration. The department is now working to streamline student records and prevent data manipulation by ensuring full implementation of the Apaar ID system.
More about Apaar IDs
Apaar ID (Automatic Permanent Academic Account Registry) is a unique academic identification system introduced for students across both government and private schools in India. This 12-digit number allows authorities to track student enrolments and transfers in real-time, ensuring transparency and preventing duplicate or fraudulent admissions. With a single click, the complete academic history of a student can be accessed from any school in the country.
