If you have applied to any colleges or logged into any university admission portal, chances are high that you have come across the term ABC ID. It is one of the latest additions to India’s higher education framework, and soon it is going to be an essential thing to be aware of before joining any institutions.
What does ABC ID mean? It is an abbreviation of the Academic Bank of Credits ID. It is a 12-digit unique identification number given to students in accordance with the National Education Policy of India, 2020. This identification number acts as an online digital account that manages the academic credits earned by a student. This guide aims to explain everything about ABC ID, its creation process, and its importance for any prospective candidates seeking UGC recognised degrees.
Understanding the ABC ID: A Digital Bank Account for Your College Credits
Imagine ABC ID as a digital bank account that doesn't hold money but holds academic credits. It was conceptualised to address a practical problem that existed before and make a couple of improvements to the education process.
What it does is the following:
Each completed course offered by a recognized college or university becomes an entry in the account where credits remain stored for later transfer or utilization towards a degree or diploma or certificate.
Before its invention, any gap year or any break in the education process would mean the loss of all the progress made. When the student left his degree program after one or two years and decided to resume education later at another institution, those early courses didn't count for anything.
This system enables students to move out of and back into the education system without having to start from scratch and also allows institutions to get information about the credit history of a student instantly.
All this happens through DigiLocker app and Academic Bank of Credits official website.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Generate Your ABC ID via DigiLocker
The process of getting the ABC ID does not take long, regardless of whether you are a new student or a professional who returned to education.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to get it:
Go to DigiLocker app or the official ABC website and log in or register with your phone number if it is the first time you have used this website.
Connect your Aadhaar number and authenticate yourself using the OTP that will be sent to your registered phone number.
Type "Academic Bank of Credits" in the dashboard and choose the ABC ID tab.
Provide such personal details as your full name, date of birth, gender, admission year, and institution name. All these details are taken from your Aadhaar record.
Confirm your consent for sending your information from DigiLocker to ABC ID system, check everything, and send the application.
After some processing, your ABC ID will appear in the " Issued Documents " section in DigiLocker.
Major Perks: Why Having an ABC ID is a Gamechanger for Students
ABC ID is no ordinary formal procedure that is just added to the admission form. ABC ID has helped revolutionise the management of academic records in a way that the results become visible at every stage in a student’s educational life.
Some of the ways that it facilitates:
Credit transfer from one institution to another to use coursework taken in one college as part of a degree at another institution.
Faster admission because the institutions would be able to verify the academic record of the student via the online system and not have to request physical documentation.
Multiple entry and exits where students would be able to leave the course after a couple of years and obtain certificates or diploma and return some other time to complete the course.
Permanent and tamper proof academic record that remains with the student throughout their life irrespective of how many institutions they have studied at.
Several UGC recognized universities require the student to have an ABC ID for admission, while submitting the examination forms or while picking up their degree certificate. Therefore, having an ABC ID in place becomes important.
ABC ID vs. APAAR ID: What Is the Difference Between Them?
ABC ID and APAAR ID often get mixed up since they run on the same digital framework, but they serve slightly different purposes. Here is a quick side by side look to make the difference clear.
Feature | ABC ID | APAAR ID |
Full form | Academic Bank of Credits | Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry |
What it is | A digital account that stores and manages academic credits | A lifelong academic identity number for the student |
Purpose | Accumulate, store, and transfer credits earned during higher education | Link a student's entire academic record, from school to higher education |
When it usually starts | Once a student enters higher education and begins earning credits | Often generated earlier, through school, with parental consent for minors |
What it covers | Credits from courses, exams, and certifications | Marksheets, certificates, degrees, and other academic records |
How it's used | To move or redeem credits when switching institutions or programs | To verify a student's academic history and identity |
Relation to each other | Works like a passbook linked to the student's identity | Often shares the same 12 digit number as ABC ID in practice |
Unlocking Seamless Admissions at DYP Online with Your ABC ID
As far as the students thinking about joining any UGC entitled online degree courses are concerned, having an ABC ID in hand before filling out the application form will be quite helpful.
Here are a few reasons why it does make a lot of sense:
DYP Online provides courses such as online MBA, BBA, MCA, BCA, and many more, which cater to the needs of working professionals or those who want a flexible and authenticated degree.
As such, there is a provision of credit transfer in these programs; thus, having your academic background attached to your ABC ID will help in making the process much easier for you.
Furthermore, it will also be helpful if you want to get enrolled in online courses after completing the offline courses, as in this way your credit will still remain attached to your account.
Conclusion
The process of using an ABC ID for academic management and tracking has become a standard in Indian higher education institutions. The use of ABC ID eliminates much of the paperwork that students had to go through previously, saves their academic credentials from being lost, and provides much more freedom in pursuing education. In case you haven’t generated your ABC ID yet, creating one using DigiLocker will take just a couple of minutes.
