Board clarifies foreign schools will ‘maintain status quo’; APAAR ID mandatory only for India-based students
A new directive from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India has sparked confusion among Indian expat parents and students in the UAE, after some schools requested Aadhaar card numbers to generate the newly mandated APAAR ID, reported gulfnews.com.
APAAR ID confusion leaves Indian expat families in UAE anxious
Earlier this month, CBSE announced that students appearing for Class 10 and 12 board exams must submit an Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID at the time of registration.
The APAAR ID, introduced under India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, will track students’ academic journeys from pre-primary to higher education and is seen as a safeguard against fake educational certificates.
While the move applies to India-based schools, the rollout has left expat families in the UAE uncertain, since the creation of an APAAR ID requires Aadhaar details. Aadhaar, a 12-digit identity number based on biometric and demographic data, is not mandatory for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and cannot be issued to foreign students.
- Some schools in Dubai and Sharjah informed students at the last minute about needing Aadhaar for APAAR registration, causing distress among families
- Parents complained that had they known earlier, they could have completed Aadhaar enrolment during summer visits to India
- One Dubai parent expressed frustration, saying, “Now families like mine are left in a very difficult situation. It is not feasible to travel back to India just for this.”
On the other hand, schools such as International Indian School, Abu Dhabi, prepared their students well in advance, asking them to secure Aadhaar cards during the summer break. In contrast, Gulf Asian English School, Sharjah, is awaiting further CBSE instructions, given that many of its students are of non-Indian nationalities and cannot obtain Aadhaar.
CBSE Clarifies Position for Foreign Schools
Responding to the confusion, Dr Ram Shankar, Director of CBSE’s Regional Office and Centre of Excellence in Dubai, confirmed to Gulf News that CBSE will “maintain the status quo” for schools outside India. He clarified that APAAR ID is not currently mandatory for expat students, and that official instructions and advisories will soon be issued to guide foreign institutions.
For now, Indian schools in the UAE can continue registering students without Aadhaar or APAAR IDs, until further notice from CBSE.
