Orissa High Court Directs Changes to APAAR Consent Form

Orissa High Court Directs Changes to APAAR Consent Form

CNB World Times

Cuttack, Odisha, 13^th December, 2025: Addressing a key legal issue related to the right to privacy of students and their guardians, the Orissa High Court on Friday, December 12, asked the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) to amend the consent form linked to the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) portal. The court said the form must clearly allow students and guardians to refuse consent for enrolment.

A Single Bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra observed that enrolment under the APAAR system has always been described by the government as voluntary. Therefore, the consent form must clearly include an option to “opt out” or reject enrolment.

APAAR ID Is Voluntary, Not Mandatory

The court reiterated that the APAAR ID, also referred to as the permanent digital academic identity of students under the National Education Policy, is not mandatory. It can only be created with the consent of parents or guardians. As a result, no student can be forced to enrol, and refusal must be clearly permitted.

While the Union Ministry of Education has maintained that APAAR is optional, the court noted that confusion has arisen due to instructions from some state governments, including Odisha, pushing for high enrolment. In some cases, educational institutions treated APAAR as essential for accessing benefits, which created pressure on parents to give consent.

Petition by Parents Highlights Privacy Concerns

The case was filed by guardian Rohit Anand Das and others, who challenged the consent process followed by a private English-medium school. The school had issued a letter asking parents to provide Aadhaar details and consent for APAAR registration. However, the consent form did not include an option to refuse registration.

The petitioners argued that although enrolment was described as voluntary, the absence of a rejection option made it appear mandatory. They also raised concerns about the violation of children’s right to privacy and the risk of misuse of personal data due to inadequate security safeguards.

Court’s Observation and Direction

After hearing arguments from both sides, the High Court held that a consent form without a clear rejection option is unacceptable. Justice Mishra ruled that the option to refuse or reject must be clearly mentioned at the beginning of the form.

The court has directed the Centre, the Odisha government, and the concerned school authorities to amend the consent form within two months to clearly include an option to reject or opt out of APAAR enrolment.

The verdict reinforces that APAAR ID is completely voluntary and cannot be imposed on students. It also strengthens the protection of students’ privacy by ensuring that parents and guardians are given a clear and informed choice regarding enrolment.