How to Create ABC ID: Academic Bank of Credits Guide 2026

To create an ABC ID, sign in to DigiLocker with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number, search for “ABC ID Card” or “APAAR ID”, fill in your date of birth, gender, admission year, roll or registration number and college name, and click Get Document. The ID appears in your issued documents within moments and can be downloaded as a card.

What is the Academic Bank of Credits?

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) is a digital record of the credits a student earns in higher education. It is run by the Ministry of Education and regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Think of it as a bank account, except the balance is in course credits, not rupees.

The idea comes from the National Education Policy 2020, which allows students to leave a programme midway and return later, or to take some courses at another institution. For that to work, credits earned in one place must be stored safely and accepted elsewhere. You can read about the wider reforms in our explainer on key changes under NEP 2020.

Also readPM Vidyalaxmi Scheme: Collateral-Free Education Loan Guide

The legal basis is the UGC (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021, published in the Gazette of India on 28 July 2021.

ABC ID and APAAR ID: are they the same?

For college and university students, the ID you receive on the ABC platform is now called the APAAR ID. APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It is a 12-digit number that the government describes as part of its “One Nation, One Student ID” plan.

According to a Press Information Bureau factsheet, the ABC student ID was renamed APAAR ID for registration purposes, and the ID is accessible through both DigiLocker and the ABC portal. So when your college asks for your “ABC ID”, it usually means the number printed on the ABC ID card in your DigiLocker, which is your APAAR ID.

School students get APAAR IDs through their schools with parental consent. That process is different and is covered in our guide on what the APAAR ID is and how schools generate it.

Before you start: what you need

• Aadhaar number, with a mobile number linked to it. DigiLocker sends OTPs to this number.
• A DigiLocker account. If you do not have one, you can create it in a few minutes.
• Your college roll number or university registration number, exactly as your institution has recorded it.
• Admission year of your current programme.
• Your institution’s name as it appears on the ABC list. Your college must be registered on ABC for it to show up.

How to create an ABC ID on DigiLocker: step by step

Most colleges ask students to use DigiLocker, since the ID is linked to Aadhaar there and the card is saved automatically. The steps below follow the procedure circulated by several universities in 2025 and 2026.

Part 1: Create or open your DigiLocker account

1. Open digilocker.gov.in or the DigiLocker app and tap Sign Up (or Register).
2. Enter the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar and verify it with the OTP.
3. Enter your Aadhaar number and verify the second OTP.
4. Set a 6-digit security PIN. Note it down, as you will need it every time you sign in.
5. Once the welcome screen shows your name and username, your account is ready.

If you already have an account, simply sign in with your mobile number, Aadhaar number or username and your PIN. Our DigiLocker guide explains the app in more detail.

Part 2: Generate the ABC ID

1. On the DigiLocker home screen, open Search Documents.
2. Type “ABC” or “APAAR” and select the ABC ID Card (Academic Bank of Credits) option.
3. Check that your name, date of birth and gender are filled correctly from Aadhaar.
4. Select the identity type your college has told you to use, usually Roll Number or Registration Number.
5. Enter the identity value, that is, the roll or registration number itself, in the exact format your college uses.
6. Enter your admission year.
7. Type a part of your institution’s name and pick it from the dropdown list.
8. Tick the consent box and click Get Document.

Your ABC ID card is then saved under Issued Documents. Open it, note the 12-digit number and download a copy. Many colleges ask students to submit a printout or enter the number on the college portal.

Can I create it on abc.gov.in directly?

The ABC portal at abc.gov.in has a student section, and the ID is linked to your Aadhaar and DigiLocker account either way. Most colleges point students to DigiLocker because the card is saved there automatically. Use the portal later to view your credit account.

How credits are stored in your ABC account

Students cannot upload their own marks. Under the 2021 regulations, the ABC accepts credit records only when they are sent by the registered institution that awarded them. Your college or university uploads grade sheets to the National Academic Depository (NAD) portal against your APAAR ID, and the credits then appear in your account.

This is why the ID number matters. If your institution does not have your correct ID, your credits cannot be mapped to you. In 2026, the UGC set 30 June 2026 as the deadline for institutions to upload credit data for all 2025 examinations to the NAD-ABC portal.

Item	Rule or figure
Governing rules	UGC ABC Regulations, 2021 (notified 28 July 2021)
Who uploads credits	The registered institution, not the student
Maximum validity of credits	7 years, or a shorter period set for the discipline
Minimum credits from degree-awarding institution	50%
Credits eligible	Earned in or after academic year 2021-22
Institutions registered (2 July 2026)	2,899 higher education institutions
Credit records mapped (2 July 2026)	9,77,97,393 grade-sheet records

Figures are from the Press Information Bureau factsheet on ABC, checked in October 2026.

How credit transfer and redemption work

Credits sit in your account until you use them. “Redemption” is the term for using accumulated credits to meet the requirements of a certificate, diploma or degree. When you redeem credits for a qualification, they are permanently debited and cannot be used again for another qualification.

Transfer happens when you take courses at one institution and count them towards a programme at another. Courses on SWAYAM, NPTEL and V-Lab can also be considered for credit transfer under the regulations. The PIB factsheet notes that about 450 universities have adopted the rule allowing up to 40% of credits from SWAYAM.

There is one firm limit. The regulations require a student to earn at least 50% of the credits for a qualification from the institution that awards it. You also need the required credits in your core subject. So you cannot collect most of a degree from elsewhere and have one college simply stamp it.

Multiple entry and exit

ABC is the record-keeping system that makes multiple entry and exit possible in undergraduate programmes. Under this structure, a student can leave with a certificate after one year, a diploma after two years, or a degree after three or four years, and return later using the stored credits. According to PIB, more than 700 universities and 6,600 colleges offer these options.

UGC rules on credit validity

Credits do not last forever. The 2021 regulations say credits remain valid for redemption for a period set by the awarding and accepting institutions, up to a maximum of seven years. A discipline can set a shorter period.

In practice, if you exit after the first year of a programme in, say, 2026, you should plan to return and redeem those credits well before 2033. Check with the university you plan to join, because the accepting institution’s rules also apply.

The regulations also say only credits earned in or after the 2021-22 academic year qualify. Older marksheets will not be loaded into ABC as transferable credits.

Common problems and how to fix them

Mobile number not linked to Aadhaar

DigiLocker sign-up needs OTPs on your Aadhaar-linked number. If your number has changed, update it at an Aadhaar enrolment or update centre first, then try again.

Name mismatch

The name on your ABC ID comes from Aadhaar, while your college records may spell it differently. A mismatch can stop your credits from mapping. Ask your college examination section to correct its records, or update Aadhaar if Aadhaar is wrong.

College not in the dropdown

Your institution appears only if it is registered on ABC. Try typing a shorter part of the name, such as the town or a distinctive word. If it still does not appear, inform your college’s ABC coordinator.

Credits not showing in the account

This is the most common complaint. It usually means your institution has not yet uploaded the results, or uploaded them against the wrong ID. Confirm that your college has your correct 12-digit number and ask when the upload is scheduled.

Forgotten DigiLocker PIN

Use the “Forgot Security PIN” option on the sign-in screen and reset it with an OTP.

Duplicate IDs

Do not create a second ID because the first one was not shown. Sign in to DigiLocker and check Issued Documents first. Two IDs can split your credit records.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: PIB factsheet on Academic Bank of Credits, text of UGC ABC Regulations, 2021, Academic Bank of Credits portal, DigiLocker.