24-07-2025
UG Medical admissions begin: Students complain of not being able to proceed with application for lack of APAAR ID number
As registration for undergraduate (UG) medical admissions started in Maharashtra, the system is demanding applicants to submit APAAR ID number. While it is not a mandatory field in the application form, several candidates complained they are not able to proceed with their application without putting a valid APAAR ID number. Authorities however refuted the issue stating that there is no such hurdle as candidates are allowed to proceed even after keeping that box empty.
The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID is a 12-digit unique identification number for each student of India under the One Nation One Student programme of the central government, which serves as a digital identity of the students for seamless process of tracking of academic records, transfer of credits with digital storage facility.
As the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell declared the commencement of UG medical admissions on Wednesday, the online registration process started. Submitting APAAR ID is a new requirement in the application form. Due to lack of awareness around APAAR ID among candidates, along with no knowledge on how and where to generate it, this requirement is causing confusion among students.
Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative who is also helping candidates in the registration process, said, 'It does not show as a mandatory field. Yet an applicant is unable to move forward without putting a valid APAAR ID.' Shenoy further questioned that there is no such requirement of APAAR ID in the All-India admission medical admissions process which is taking place simultaneously. 'Why is the Maharashtra government enforcing it?'
Brijesh Sutaria, another parent representative, said, 'The CET cell should provide a detailed instructional video or booklet on APAAR ID and the generation process. Generation of APAAR ID requires one to have Digilocker access. In order to ensure all this, the applicants have to exit the medical admission registration process.'
State CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai however stated that it is unlikely to cause an issue as submitting APAAR ID is not mandatory on the application form. Urging that candidates should not be confused, he said, 'They can proceed with the application process even without an APAAR ID. Our technical wing has verified it. Already over 6,000 candidates have successfully completed registration, including some who have not filled in their APAAR ID number.' Highlighting that there is no systemic error, Sardesai pointed out that there may be an issue if anybody is keying incorrect APAAR ID, which the system will not accept.
