The Supreme Court On Monday he ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to implement the Orissa High Court directives on APAAR ID (Automated Permanent Account Registry) across the country. Hearing a petition challenging the order, the court also asked the CBSE to review issues related to parental consent and data protection.The observation came as the Bench observed that the Center had accepted the Orissa High Court’s December 2025 judgment without filing an appeal. The court said that the CBSE should comply with the Supreme Court’s national directives and ensure that the system complies with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.This decision has also brought the attention of APAAR. Launched under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the project aims to create lifelong technical knowledge for every student in India. Here’s what the policy is, how it works and why it’s been the subject of legal scrutiny.
What is it APAAR ID ?
APAAR is a unique 12-digit student identification number that is designed to remain with the student throughout their academic journey.Unlike the school number, which changes with institutions, the APAAR ID is intended to serve as a permanent educational identifier. It enables students to maintain a digital record of their academic achievements from school to higher education and professional development programmes.The project is part of the government’s efforts to digitize education and make academic records easier to access, verify and transfer.
How does the APAAR ID work?
Once an APAAR database is created, it serves as a central repository of a student’s certified academic records.The system can digitally store:
- Papers and report cards
- Board exam certificates
- Degrees and diplomas
- Educational background
- Scholarships and awards
- Excellence in co-curricular and extracurricular
- Certificates of skills and professional qualifications
The documents are designed to be integrated with platforms such as DigiLocker and Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), allowing students to access official academic documents online.
Advantages of APAAR
According to the Ministry of Education, APAAR is designed to improve the management of education and reduce paperwork.Some of its main advantages are:
- One educational experience in a student’s life.
- Easy access to certified academic papers.
- Transfer records quickly when changing schools or colleges.
- Reducing the chances of duplicate or lost certificates.
- Better tracking of learning progress and achievements.
- Effective planning and policy making using reliable educational data.
The Supreme Court also said in the case that a unified student ID would help administrators maintain accurate records, implement educational reforms and monitor indicators such as teacher-student ratios.
APAAR official form: Definition
The APAAR consent form is a document that parents or guardians are asked to consent to before a student’s APAAR ID is created.This form explains why the student’s information is being collected, how it will be used and how educational records will be kept. Since the policy mainly affects school-going children, parental consent is considered an important part of the registration process.The current consent policy has become the subject of a major legal dispute as plaintiffs argue that parents are not given sufficient opportunity to opt-out before their child’s data is collected.
Why is parental consent checked?
The Supreme Court petition argues that although APAAR is described as voluntary, it is closely related to Aadhaarleaving parents with no real choice.The petitioners have also questioned whether the existing consent is in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, particularly regarding informed consent, withdrawal of consent and protection of children’s information.Another concern is related to the long-term storage of student educational data. The plaintiffs argue that parents and students should have the opportunity to withdraw consent and exercise the “right to be forgotten.”
What did the Orissa High Court order?
In December 2025, the Orissa High Court asked the Ministry of Education to revise the APAAR approval form.The court ruled that parents must be given the opportunity to refuse consent before enrolling or opting out of the program. It also noted that if the APAAR is voluntary, the consent form should clearly indicate this.The Supreme Court also held that education cannot be made available for obtaining Aadhaar and said that the ability to withdraw permission later cannot be a substitute for the right to refuse enrollment.What happened?The Supreme Court has not stayed the APAAR scheme. Instead, it has asked the CBSE to implement the Orissa High Court guidelines across the country and look into issues related to privacy and parental consent.For students, the system continues to function as a digital learning identity designed to make academic records accessible and accessible. However, recent court rulings indicate that its implementation should be closely monitored to ensure compliance with India’s data protection laws.