APAAR ID, ABC ID and DigiLocker: How to Create Them in 2026
By Eduvy Editorial · 25 September 2026 · Admission 2026
APAAR ID and ABC ID are the same 12-digit number. APAAR is a lifelong student ID, and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) uses it to hold college credits. DigiLocker is where a college student creates the ID, and where marks cards and degrees uploaded by boards and universities can be downloaded. If the name on Aadhaar matches the marks card, creating the ID is a short online process. If it does not match, fix the name first.
Below: what each ID is, the steps for college and school students, the official position on whether it is compulsory, and a document checklist for Karnataka admissions.
What each one is
- APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry): a unique 12-digit code, launched under the "One Nation One Student ID" banner. It is meant to hold a student's scorecards, marksheets, degrees, diplomas, certificates and co-curricular achievements.
- ABC (Academic Bank of Credits): a Ministry of Education initiative regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC). It stores, transfers and redeems college credits. Its FAQ says: "Without an APAAR ID, a student cannot access or use ABC services." So when a college asks for your "ABC ID", give your APAAR ID.
- DigiLocker: the government's digital document wallet, linked to Aadhaar.
- NAD (National Academic Depository): an online store where boards and universities publish marks cards and degrees, which students open through DigiLocker. If a record was never uploaded, DigiLocker cannot show it.
- UDISE+ and PEN: the national school database, and a student's Permanent Education Number in it.
| ID | Who issues it | Who needs it | How to get it | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAAR ID (same as ABC ID) | Ministry of Education, via UDISE+ (schools) or DigiLocker (higher education) | School and college students | School: through the school, with parental consent. College: yourself, on DigiLocker | Admissions, scholarships, credit transfer, internships, job applications, record verification |
| ABC account | Academic Bank of Credits, regulated by UGC | College students whose credits are recorded | Log in at abc.gov.in with your DigiLocker account and APAAR ID | Depositing, transferring and redeeming credits; rejoining after an early exit |
| DigiLocker account | Government of India (Ministry of Electronics and IT) | Anyone with Aadhaar and a mobile number | digilocker.gov.in or the app: mobile or Aadhaar number, OTP, 6-digit PIN | Downloading marks cards, degrees and CBSE migration certificates; creating APAAR |
| PEN | UDISE+ (school education) | School students | Assigned by the school | Required for school-route APAAR |
| UUCMS Candidate ID | Department of Higher Education, Karnataka | Students applying to colleges of Karnataka state universities | Register at uucms.karnataka.gov.in | Applying to state university colleges and programmes with one registration |
Step by step: APAAR/ABC ID for a college student
Keep ready: Aadhaar, the mobile number linked to it, your college's name, admission year, and roll, registration or enrolment number if you have one. First check "Issued Documents" in DigiLocker: an APAAR ID created through your school is pushed there automatically.
- Open digilocker.gov.in or the DigiLocker app and choose Login/Register. Enter your mobile or Aadhaar number, then the OTP, then your 6-digit security PIN.
- Click "Get APAAR ID" if it is shown. If not, use Search Documents, type "APAAR", choose "Academic Bank of Credits" and then "APAAR ID".
- Your name, date of birth and gender are filled in from Aadhaar. Check them against your marks card before going further.
- Choose your identity type: roll number, registration number or enrolment number. If you are newly admitted and have none of these, choose "None".
- Select your admission year, then your college from the dropdown list.
- Tick the consent box and click Get Document. The APAAR ID is generated and saved in Issued Documents, where you can download the APAAR card.
- Give the number to your college office, and enter it wherever the college tells you to, for example your university student portal.
- Log in at abc.gov.in with the same DigiLocker account after each semester's results, and check your credits have arrived.
College not in the list? Ask the college office whether it is registered with ABC. According to the ABC FAQ, any award-granting body recognised by the Ministry of Education, UGC, AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), NCVET (National Council for Vocational Education and Training) or another competent regulator can register.
School students: the UDISE+ route
- The school explains APAAR to parents.
- A parent fills in the consent form. The APAAR portal describes this step as voluntary.
- The UDISE+ system generates the APAAR ID from the student's PEN.
- The ID is sent to the student's DigiLocker account.
The student must have a PEN, and the UDISE+ name must match Aadhaar. DigiLocker says students under 16 cannot create an APAAR ID themselves and must go through their school. For any minor, the APAAR FAQ requires parental consent.
Is APAAR mandatory?
Here is what is on record:
- In a reply in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024, the Ministry of Education said an APAAR ID "can be voluntarily created through DigiLocker".
- The APAAR portal says parents fill in the consent form "voluntarily".
- On 12 December 2025, the Orissa High Court held that a consent form with no way to refuse did not fit a voluntary scheme. On 20 July 2026, the Supreme Court directed that its ruling be applied across India, so consent forms must let parents refuse.
- MediaNama reported that in April 2026 NCERT clarified that a child can get school admission without an APAAR ID.
- However, the ABC portal's FAQ says "every student in India is required to register for APAAR ID", and without it ABC cannot record your credits.
In practice: for school admission it is not a requirement, per the NCERT clarification. For college, we found no rule making it a condition of admission. But without it, your credits cannot sit in ABC, and credit transfer and re-entry after an early exit depend on ABC. If a college says it is compulsory, ask for the circular in writing.
When the Aadhaar name does not match the marks card
A name mismatch blocks you at several points. APAAR generation needs the school record to match Aadhaar, and DigiLocker will not release a document whose name differs from Aadhaar. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) also requires the SSLC marks card name to match Aadhaar, and caste or caste-income certificates to match the SSLC marks card.
- Compare all your documents. Put Aadhaar, the 10th and 12th marks cards and the caste and income certificates side by side. Note spelling, initials and word order (surname first or last).
- Pick the version to match. KEA tells Karnataka candidates to correct Aadhaar if it differs from the SSLC marks card. The UUCMS FAQ allows either direction.
- Correct Aadhaar once, carefully. UIDAI allows a name update only twice in a lifetime, and date of birth and gender only once. Check UIDAI's accepted identity documents and take one showing the correct name.
- If the marks card is wrong, start at the school. It forwards the correction to the board. For Karnataka SSLC, that is the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB).
- Reissue dependent certificates. Caste and income certificates in Karnataka carry an RD number from Nadakacheri/AJSK (Atalji Jana Snehi Kendra). Get them reissued in the corrected name.
- Retry. Once the corrected Aadhaar is live, repeat the DigiLocker steps. School students should ask the school to update UDISE+.
Karnataka college admission: document checklist
The KEA details below come from the UGCET-2026 Information Bulletin. Keep the originals plus two sets of photocopies.
| Document | Who issues it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| SSLC/10th marks card | KSEAB or your board (CBSE, CISCE, other state boards) | KEA treats this name as the reference, so check it against Aadhaar first |
| 2nd PUC/12th marks card | KSEAB or your board | If revaluation changes your marks, send the new marks card to KEA for a revised rank |
| Transfer certificate | Your last school or PU college | Collect it before reporting to college |
| Migration certificate | Your board, if it is not a Karnataka board (CBSE, CISCE, other state boards) | CBSE now issues it digitally in DigiLocker for exams from 2025; ask other boards early |
| Eligibility certificate | The affiliating university, e.g. RGUHS for nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy | Usually for students from outside Karnataka or other boards; ask the college. RGUHS: apply online and get it before admission (₹1,000 for B.Pharm, BPT, B.Sc Nursing, allied health) |
| Study certificate (7 years in Karnataka) | Head of school/college, countersigned by the BEO (Block Educational Officer) or DDPU | Needed for Government seats where SATS data is not available. CBSE/CISCE certificates do not need a countersignature |
| Kannada medium certificate | Head of institution, countersigned by BEO or DDPI | Needs 10 full years in Kannada medium, Class 1 to 10, in KEA's format |
| Rural study certificate, plus NCLC (Non-Creamy Layer Certificate) for General Merit candidates | School head, countersigned by BEO; NCLC from the Tahsildar | Needs 10 full years in rural areas, Class 1 to 10. The NCLC must carry an RD number |
| Caste or caste-income certificate | Tahsildar: Form D (SC/ST), Form E (Category-1), Form F (2A, 2B, 3A, 3B) | Must be in the candidate's own name, with an RD number. A central OBC certificate is not valid for KEA |
| Income certificate | Tahsildar | For fee exemption (SC/ST/Cat-1) and the engineering supernumerary quota (family income below ₹8 lakh). An EWS certificate does not count |
| Kalyana Karnataka (371J) certificate | Assistant Commissioner, Annexure-A | Must have an RD number, entered in the application |
| Scorecard, verification slip, admission order, fee receipt | KEA (KCET), COMEDK, or NTA (NEET UG) | Keep the originals. KEA needs its admission order, fee challan and verification slip even to cancel a seat |
| Aadhaar and APAAR/ABC ID | UIDAI; DigiLocker | UUCMS does not accept an Aadhaar enrolment acknowledgement number |
| Photographs | You | KEA: keep 2-3 prints identical to the uploaded photo. UUCMS uploads: 200 KB maximum |
| Gap affidavit | Notarised affidavit | Only if there is a break after Class 12. Ask the college for its format |
| Medical fitness certificate | A registered medical practitioner | Health science colleges often ask for one. Get their format first |
Common mistakes
- Treating APAAR and ABC as two separate IDs and trying to create a second one.
- Picking the wrong college or admission year in DigiLocker. Check both before ticking consent.
- Updating the Aadhaar name in a hurry, then needing another change. The lifetime limit is two.
- Using a caste certificate in a parent's name. KEA requires the candidate's own name.
- Submitting a central OBC certificate or an EWS certificate for a KEA claim.
- Not claiming rural or Kannada medium reservation in the online application. KEA does not allow it to be claimed later.
- Using an expired certificate. UUCMS rejects RD numbers from certificates that have expired.
- Leaving the migration or eligibility certificate until the last day of admission.
Related reading: Government Scholarships for Karnataka College Students 2026-27 · NEP 2020 Explained for Parents: What Changes at College in 2026
Frequently asked questions
Are APAAR ID and ABC ID different?
No. The ABC portal says it uses the APAAR ID to track credits, and that a student without one cannot use ABC. One 12-digit number does both jobs.
Is APAAR compulsory for college admission in 2026?
The Ministry of Education calls it voluntary, and we found no rule making it a condition of college admission. But without it your credits cannot be recorded in the Academic Bank of Credits, so most college students will want one.
My child is 15. Can we create the APAAR ID on DigiLocker?
No. DigiLocker says students under 16 cannot create it themselves and should go through their school, where it is generated from UDISE+ with a parent's consent.
My marks cards are not showing in DigiLocker. Why?
Only the board or university can upload them, through the National Academic Depository, so contact them if a record is missing. Also check the name on the record matches your Aadhaar.
Sort out names and certificates before your KCET or COMEDK UGET verification date, not during it. For health science courses, see RGUHS-affiliated colleges, and the 2026 admission guide covers the full process. The Eduvy app lets you compare colleges, year-wise fees and hostels and apply to several from one profile.
Sources
- what APAAR is; school-route steps; voluntary consent; UDISE+ name match and PEN requirement (apaar.education.gov.in)
- parental consent for minors; demographic mismatch; where APAAR is used (apaar.education.gov.in)
- ABC uses the APAAR ID; steps for higher education learners (abc.gov.in)
- no ABC services without an APAAR ID; "every student ... required"; credit validity (abc.gov.in)
- what NAD is; access through DigiLocker; APAAR created on ABC registration (nad.digilocker.gov.in)
- DigiLocker Q&A, 18 Oct 2024: name must match Aadhaar; under-16 students; records only via NAD (digilocker.gov.in)
- Maharashtra State CET Cell, "How to Get APAAR ID", 9 Dec 2025: DigiLocker screen steps (cetcell.mahacet.org)
- Ministry of Education national conference on "APAAR: One Nation One Student ID" (pib.gov.in)
- Rajya Sabha reply: APAAR can be voluntarily created (medianama.com)
- Orissa High Court, 12 Dec 2025; Supreme Court order, 20 Jul 2026 (internetfreedom.in)
- revised consent form; NCERT clarification of April 2026 (medianama.com)
- KEA UGCET-2026 Information Bulletin: documents, name matching, RD numbers, SNQ (cetonline.karnataka.gov.in)
- UUCMS student FAQ: Aadhaar mandatory, name mismatch, RD numbers, 200 KB uploads (uni-mysore.ac.in)
- RGUHS online eligibility certificate steps and fees (rguhs.karnataka.gov.in)
- UIDAI: name twice, DOB and gender once (uidai.gov.in)
- CBSE digital migration certificates from 2025 (news.careers360.com)