If your children are studying in school or college, you might have heard about APAAR ID, also known as ‘One Nation, One Student ID’. Under this scheme of the Central Government, a unique digital card is being made for every student. However, the matter of this card and data privacy has recently reached the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has directed CBSE to strictly follow the rules while making this card. Let us understand in simple words what is APAAR ID and what the Supreme Court has said about it.
**Important decision of Supreme Court on APAAR ID**
The Supreme Court recently heard data security concerns in the APAAR ID scheme. The Court directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to comply with the orders of the Odisha High Court and ensure that making APAAR ID is completely voluntary throughout the country. The bench headed by the Chief Justice said that neither the students nor the parents can be forced to take this ID.
**Data Privacy and ‘Right to be Forgotten’**
The petition filed in the court argued that the APAAR ID framework – which is linked to Aadhaar – may violate the fundamental rights and privacy of students. The petitioner raised privacy concerns, particularly the ‘right to be forgotten’. As a result, the Court has directed CBSE to ensure the security of personal data of students.
**What is APAAR ID after all?**
APAAR ID, launched under the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), is known as ‘One Nation, One Student ID’. It is a 12-digit digital code that keeps a digital record of the student’s educational journey from pre-primary school to college. Its main objective is to make the country’s education system more flexible and digitized.
Main advantages of APAAR ID:
By taking APAAR ID, students are freed from the hassle of managing physical copies of their marksheets, degrees and certificates. It works like a secure digital locker where data related to scholarships, awards and academic credits is kept safely. This greatly simplifies the paperwork involved when transferring admission from one school or college to another.
What are the data security standards?
According to the government, student data is kept completely secure in the APAAR ID system. Information is shared only with authorized government agencies or institutions. Additionally, sharing any document requires the consent of the student or their parents.
How to get APAAR ID?
The process of creating APAAR ID is very easy. Students will have to visit their school to verify their demographic information. If the student is a minor, parental consent is required. Once the verification is complete, the APAAR ID is generated and linked to the student’s DigiLocker account.
