Digital India at 11: Over 110 Crore Academic Records Digitised, Making Education Services Faster and Paperless

As the Digital India programme completes 11 years on 1 July 2026, the Government of India continues to strengthen its digital public infrastructure, making governance more transparent, accessible and citizen-friendly. Since its launch in 2015, Digital India has significantly transformed public service delivery, particularly in the education sector, by introducing trusted digital platforms that simplify academic processes and improve ease of living.

Among the flagship initiatives driving this transformation are the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) and the National Academic Depository (NAD), all of which support the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Academic Bank of Credits Promotes Flexible Learning

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), developed by the Ministry of Education and regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC), is a digital platform that allows students to securely store, transfer and redeem academic credits earned from recognised higher education institutions.

The platform supports the Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit (MEME) system and the National Credit Framework, enabling students to continue their education with greater flexibility across institutions.

Integrated with APAAR, ABC provides every learner with a unique lifelong academic identity that securely links academic records across school education, higher education, skill development and other recognised learning programmes.

According to the latest data:

• 2,963 higher education institutions have registered on the ABC platform.
• More than 26.29 crore APAAR IDs have been generated.
• Over 110.65 crore academic records have been uploaded.

The digital platform enables students to access academic records online, transfer credits seamlessly and simplify applications for admissions, scholarships, internships and employment through faster digital verification.

National Academic Depository Ensures Secure Digital Credentials

The National Academic Depository (NAD) serves as a 24×7 digital repository where educational institutions can securely issue, store and verify academic certificates, degrees, diplomas and mark sheets.

By replacing physical certificates with digitally authenticated records, NAD provides students with anytime-anywhere access to their academic documents while allowing universities, employers and government agencies to verify credentials online.

The system helps reduce paperwork, lowers administrative costs and minimises the risk of lost, damaged or forged certificates, making admissions, recruitment and scholarship verification more transparent and efficient.

Key Benefits of ABC, APAAR and NAD

Together, these digital platforms are strengthening India’s academic ecosystem by:

• Providing secure, digitally verifiable academic records.
• Allowing students to access certificates and academic credits anytime and from anywhere.
• Supporting flexible learning through credit transfer and Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit under NEP 2020.
• Speeding up admissions, internships, scholarships and employment verification.
• Reducing paperwork and manual verification processes.
• Integrating with DigiLocker and other Digital India platforms for seamless exchange of academic records.

Students Welcome the Digital Transformation

Students have reported significant benefits from the new digital ecosystem.

Anjali Rathore, an MBA student at Rungta International Skills University in Bhilai, said that the APAAR ID has simplified document verification and reduced paperwork. She noted that easy access to academic records has made applying for seminars, internships, scholarships and competitions much more convenient while saving time and effort.

Similarly, Ashish Tiwangan, a student at Government V.Y.T. PG Autonomous College in Durg, said that APAAR has made managing academic records much easier. With mark sheets and certificates stored digitally, he can access them whenever needed, while the platform also simplifies scholarship verification and supports academic credit transfers for future admissions.

Building a Connected Digital Education Ecosystem

The integration of ABC, APAAR, NAD and DigiLocker has created a unified digital academic ecosystem that enables secure storage, seamless sharing and instant verification of academic records.

These initiatives promote interoperability among educational institutions, support academic mobility and encourage lifelong learning, in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020.

Over the past eleven years, Digital India has played a key role in making educational services more efficient by replacing paper-based processes with secure digital systems. Through platforms such as ABC and NAD, the government aims to reduce administrative burdens, improve transparency and build a trusted, student-centric education ecosystem that supports the vision of Viksit Bharat.

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Source: PIB

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