What is the ABC of SWAYAM Plus?

What is the ABC of SWAYAM Plus?

Ujjwal KirtiUpdated on 26 Sep 2025, 02:13 PM IST

The ABC of SWAYAM Plus is not about the foundation-level online certification courses or knowing the history of SWAYAM Plus; it stands for the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), which students have to submit while creating their profile on the SWAYAM Plus portal. Students enrolled in SWAYAM courses can use the score for credit transfer. Candidates with the ABC ID can get the credits validated by the parent institution without their intervention. In case the ABC ID is not available, students can create their own by completing the academic bank of credit registration in online mode on the official website: abc.gov.in. To know more, read the full article below.

This Story also Contains

  1. Academic Bank of Credits: Overview
  2. What is the Academic Bank of Credits?
  3. How to Create an ABC ID?
  4. Why does SWAYAM have an ABC ID field?
  5. Will Credits be immediately transferred after ABC ID creation?
  6. How Does the Academic Bank of Credits Benefit Students?
What is the ABC of SWAYAM Plus?
What is the ABC of SWAYAM Plus?

Academic Bank of Credits: Overview

What is ABC?

ABC stands for the Academic Bank of Credits, which is a virtual credit database system that has been created to enable credit mobility for courses

What is ABC ID?

ABC ID is a unique 12-digit academic bank of credit identifier for students in India, which is managed by UGC and linked to DigiLocker

Official website to create an ABC ID

abc.gov.in

Credential Required to create ABC ID

APAAR ID

Launched by

Ministry of Education, Government of India, under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

Implemented by


University Grants Commission (UGC) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD)

Platform

DigiLocker (integrated under ABC framework).

Academic Bank of Credit registration mode

Online

Is ABC mandatory?

It is not mandatory at the moment. However, it is beneficial for students in terms of credit transfer

Total number of awarding institutions registered on ABC

2,641

Validity of Credits

Up to 7 years (as per UGC guidelines, unless specified otherwise by the institution)

Types of Credits Stored

Credits from UG, PG, Diploma, Online and Distance Learning programmes (as per UGC regulations)

SWAYAM, NPTEL, MOOCs (approved).

What is the Academic Bank of Credits?

The Academic Bank of Credits is the virtual credit database system started as an initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The ABC system has been implemented by UGC and NeGD, and it enables credit mobility.

The ABC platform will manage the credit redemption and credit transfer. ABC allows institutions to deposit academic credits earned by students into their academic bank accounts (linked to the APAAR ID). It enables verification, transfer, accumulation, and redemption of credits for degree, diploma, or certificate awards.

What is ABC ID?

Students or learners who are enrolled in ABC-registered institutions can create their Academic Bank of Credits ID or ABC ID, which is a 12-digit unique number that works as an identifier for students in India. ABC ID D simplifies credit verification, facilitates student mobility, and other functions as per NEP 2020. ABC is applicable for credits earned from academic year 2021 onwards.

What is Academic Credit?

Whenever it comes to MOOC platforms such as SWAYAM, NPTEL, and other online courses for students, there are a few terms that pop out, such as credit transfer, credit redemption, and others related to academic credits. So, let us understand what this academic credit is and how one can evaluate their credit.

Academic credit is basically a standard methodology to calculate the number of hours of study during the total duration of online courses.

  • 1 hour of Theory or 1 hour of Tutorial or 2 Hours of Lab work, per week for a duration of a semester (13-15 weeks) = 1 Credit

  • Credit for Internship = 1 Credit per one week of internship (Maximum 6 credits only)

This academic credit is awarded by a higher educational institution.

How to Create an ABC ID?

Creating the ABC ID is quite easy; however, students should have an APAAR ID for ABC ID registration.

  • Visit the ABC official website - abc.gov.in

  • On the top-right corner, select ‘student’ from the drop-down menu of the Login/Register tab

  • On the next page, use DigiLocker credentials such mobile number or username and security pin to sign in for ABC ID registration

  • If the student does not have digilocker credentials, he/she can create their digilocker with the SignUp option available on the same page

  • After signing in, a 12-digit ABC ID will be created with the window prompt on the screen

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Why does SWAYAM have an ABC ID field?

It is understood that the ABC ID is created for the credit transfer learner in the MOOCs. Students who are enrolled in SWAYAM courses can transfer their earned credits throughout their courses. This will also show the students’ credibility and proof of dedication to the programme.

Will Credits be immediately transferred after ABC ID creation?

Transfer of credits takes time as this process involves everyone; the learner, the host institution and the parent institution. After creating the ABC ID, the parent institution can validate the credit with the intervention of the learner, and the actual policies of Credit Transfer will be dependent on the policies created by the parent institution of the learner.

How Does the Academic Bank of Credits Benefit Students?

The Academic Bank of Credits provides a beneficial platform to manage and transfer credits from academic and skill-based programs without any hassle. Some of the other benefits of ABC platforms are:

  • Streamlined Credit Management - This includes tracking to transferring of credits

  • APAAR ID Integration

  • Flexibility for Learners

  • Recognition for Non-Academic Learning

Final Takeaways

Academic Bank of Credit, an initiative by the Ministry of Education, is making the student-credit system easy and transparent for students. With the function of verification, transfer, accumulation, and redemption of credits for degree, diploma, or certificate awards, it balances the academic mobility and curriculum flexibility for students.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Who needs to create an ABC ID?
A:

All the students and learners should create an ABC ID, as this helps to keep track and transfer the achievements and competencies from both formal and informal learning modes, in alignment with the National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Q: Is the ABC ID mandatory for SWAYAM?
A:

It is not mandatory; however, it will help to transfer the credit earned by learners while completing their SWAYAM courses.

Q: How to make an ABC ID for college students?
A:

To create the ABC ID, students must have a DigiLocker account. The ABC ID can be created using the DigiLocker credentials.

Q: What is my ABC ID?
A:

ABC ID is the 12-digit unique number integrated with APAAR, used for the credit transfer from MOOCs to your degree, diploma, or certifications

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