The Union Education Ministry is ready to present an 11-digit Unique Identification Number, known as the ‘Permanent Education Number’ (PEN), starting from the current academic year. As outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this initiative aims to identify every student through the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) portal. The West Bengal School Education department will make the usage of PEN compulsory from the 2024-25 academic year.
The implementation of PEN will greatly simplify the complicated process of transferring students between schools, particularly at the pre-primary, primary, and upper primary levels. Many schools currently require certificates, caste, and birth records during student transitions and parents often face challenges in obtaining these documents, leading to significant delays. To address this issue, the education department plans to form a special team to ensure smooth student transfers.
Additionally, the state’s education portal, Banglar Shiksha already uses a system of unique IDs for students in vocational undergraduate, anganwadi, and engineering courses. If the centre’s PEN is integrated with the Banglar Shiksha portal, it will allow schools and teachers in the state to smoothly access student information.
Recognizing those students who moved outside West Bengal through the Banglar Shiksha portal was challenging. However, the introduction of PEN will resolve this issue, allowing for easy identification and record access nationwide. Attempts to link PEN with the Banglar Shiksha portal have already begun.
Author: Sangi Roy
Student of mass communication with a deep passion for print media and reading. My hobbies include traveling, exploring ancient history, and visiting museums.
