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Context:
The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID intends to standardize student records with DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). The Education Ministry says that enrolments are voluntary, but CBSE has instructed all schools to get a 100% registration, making it difficult for them to opt out.
Key Highlights:
- Compulsory imposition
- School and state (e.g. Uttar Pradesh) pressure students to enroll which contradicts the volunteer status claim.
- Data privacy risks
- Sensitive student data is collected without adequate legal protections.
- Aadhaar dependency issues
- Linking APAAR with Aadhaar has delayed enrolment owing to document mismatch and compulsorily made it an indirect requirement for school benefits.
- Illegalities
- The Supreme Court (K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2019) said Aadhaar cannot be mandatory for education, yet APAAR is making it virtually so.
Public Push back and Advocacy
- Organizations such as the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) appeal that APAAR violates privacy rights.
- Some parents have resisted the enrolment, however, the pressure of the states may restrict future ceasing of enrollment.
Recommendations
- Ensure real voluntariness by disallowing coercion at schools.
- Pass robust data protection legislation for the students’ information protection.
- Provide alternative ways of enrollment (like school ID instead of Aadhaar).
- Make Aadhaar verification easier to avoid bureaucratic obstacles.
While APAAR intends digitization of education, people are compelled, concerned about the data, and dependent on Aadhaar raising more serious issues. The government should strike a balance in between education reforms and protecting students’ rights to ensure voluntary participation and legal compliance.
Source: TH
