Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Telangana to Assign PENs to Intermediate Students from 2026-27
Telangana plans to give every intermediate student a special 11-digit number.
This number is called a Permanent Education Number, or PEN.
It will stay with students as they continue their education.
The number can include details such as a student's name, birth date, gender and studies.
Officials can use it to follow students if they change colleges or move to another state.
They also hope it will help identify students who stop studying.
The plan comes after second-year enrollment in government junior colleges fell by about 17,000.
Students and parents have until September 7 to complete admissions at affiliated junior colleges.
Telangana will assign every intermediate student an 11-digit Permanent Education Number from the 2026-27 academic year.
The PEN will remain with students from pre-primary education through higher education, research and upskilling.
Officials will use the identifier to track academic progress, student migration and possible dropouts.
The initiative follows concerns about declining continuation rates in government junior colleges, including a 17,000-student fall in second-year enrollment in 2025-26.
The Telangana Board of Intermediate Education extended the admission deadline to September 7.
- Who
- The Telangana government and Telangana Board of Intermediate Education will assign PENs to intermediate students.
- What
- An 11-digit Permanent Education Number will be introduced as a lifelong education identifier.
- When
- The system will begin in the 2026-27 academic year; the admission deadline is September 7.
- Where
- It applies across Telangana and can track students who move to institutions inside or outside the state.
- Why
- The initiative is intended to monitor academic progress, identify dropouts and address concerns about student retention.
- Identifier
- Permanent Education Number (PEN)
- Length
- 11 digits
- Start year
- 2026-27 academic year
- Coverage
- Students in institutions across management types, from pre-primary through higher education, research and upskilling
- Tracked details
- Name, date of birth, gender and study particulars
- Enrollment concern
- Second-year enrollment in 2025-26 fell by about 17,000 compared with the previous year
- Admission deadline
- September 7