Creation of APAAR ID for school students to be voluntary; Supreme Court directs examination of data security concerns..
The Supreme Court has delivered a significant ruling regarding the APAAR ID. While hearing a petition, the Court ordered the implementation of the Odisha High Court's decision, which had declared the creation of an APAAR ID to be entirely voluntary. Following the Supreme Court's order, obtaining an APAAR ID will now be voluntary for students across the country. Additionally, the Court has directed that data security concerns related to the APAAR ID rules be examined; this directive has been issued to the CBSE.
Let us understand the entire matter in detail. We will explore what the APAAR ID is, why it is being implemented, and the specific directives issued by the Supreme Court regarding it.
**Creating an APAAR ID will be voluntary**
While hearing a petition, the Supreme Court stated that the creation of an APAAR ID would be voluntary. The Court made this observation while hearing a plea challenging the mandatory nature of the APAAR ID (which is linked to Aadhaar). The Supreme Court directed that the consent form used for creating an APAAR ID must include a clear option to 'opt-out' or decline.
A bench presided over by Justice Surya Kant orally stated that the Court would issue an appropriate order in this matter. The petition had argued that the rule violates the fundamental right to privacy.
**What is the APAAR ID?**
The APAAR ID is part of the Ministry of Education's 'One Nation, One Student ID' scheme. Under this scheme, every student in the country is to be assigned a unique 12-digit digital identity. This ID will securely store all of a student's academic data, including school records, mark sheets, certificates, and other academic documents. In other words, students will be able to access their documents in the future using their APAAR ID with just a single click.
To put it another way, through this ID, the Government of India will maintain secure records of a student's academic journey, spanning from Class 1 through to higher education. Currently, APAAR IDs are being generated for students across all grade levels in several states. This initiative enables the monitoring of school dropout rates.
APAAR Made Mandatory for Board Exams
Education boards, including the CBSE and various state boards, have made the APAAR ID mandatory for students in classes 9 through 12. The CBSE has clarified that registration for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations cannot be completed without an APAAR ID. Schools have been instructed to generate APAAR IDs for students in these classes.
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