Orissa High Court issues notice to government over APAAR ID mandate in school

The Orissa High Court has taken notice of a public interest petition questioning the obligatory implementation of the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) for school students in the state.

The petition, by Rohit Anand Das, an advocate and parent of a kindergartener, residing in Bhubaneswar, challenges the authorities of the Odisha government and national ministries including the Union Ministries of Education (MoE) and Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It also names the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and SAI International School as respondents.

Petition Background

According to The Hindu, Das contended that the consent form for APAAR registration lacked transparency about the voluntary aspect of enrolment. The APAAR is a new system which aims to centralize and standardize student data as a ‘single source of truth’. Despite the Ministry of Education’s online assertion that the scheme is voluntary, there seems to be pressure on schools and state governments for students to be enrolled.

Lack of Comments and Public Concerns

While key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and Odisha's Education Department have refrained from commenting, Das has shared his apprehensions. He clarified that his stance is not against APAAR per se, but he advocates for clear communication and public awareness before its execution.

“Such measures will restrict access to education for students who do not have these IDs, or it will force children to give up their right to privacy in order to continue their education,” Das asserted.

“The APAAR ID lacks adequate safeguards to protect the student’s privacy,” he added.

Parents and digital rights activists have voiced objections, stating the scheme contravenes the right to privacy established by a Supreme Court verdict in 2017, which decrees that Aadhaar cannot be mandatory for educational purposes.

Call for Safeguards and Clarity

The petition insists on a distinct opt-out provision in consent forms to safeguard student rights. It warns that enforcing APAAR IDs without robust privacy protections could compromise students' access to education or infringe their privacy rights. There are also concerns about substandard privacy measures about the potential misuse of student information.