this Supreme Court The Central Board of Secondary Education (Central Board of Secondary Education) was directed on MondayCBSE) to implement the Orissa High Court directions regarding APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registration) ID consent process across the country. While hearing a petition challenging the scheme, the court also asked CBSE to examine issues related to parental consent and data protection.The bench made the observations after pointing out that the Center had accepted the December 2025 judgment of the Odisha High Court without filing an appeal. The court said CBSE must implement the high court’s directive across the country and ensure that the scheme complies with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.This ruling once again puts APAAR in the spotlight. The initiative was launched under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to create a lifelong digital academic identity for every student in India. Here’s what the program is, how it works and why it’s the subject of legal scrutiny.
what is APAAR ID ?
APAAR is a unique 12-digit student identification number designed to be carried by learners throughout their academic career.Unlike a student ID number, which changes from institution to institution, the APAAR ID is intended to be a permanent academic identity. It enables students to maintain digital records of their educational achievements from school to higher education and skill development programmes.The initiative is part of the government’s wider efforts to digitize the education system and make academic records easier to access, verify and transfer.
How does APAAR ID work?
Once an APAAR ID is generated, it serves as a central repository for a student’s verified academic record.The system can digitally store:
- Scoresheets and Report Cards
- Board Exam Certificate
- Degrees and Diplomas
- credit
- Scholarships and Awards
- Extracurricular and Extracurricular Achievements
- Skills certificates and professional qualifications
These records are designed to integrate with platforms such as DigiLocker and Academic Credit Bank (ABC), giving students online access to verified education documents.
Benefits of APAAR
According to the Department of Education, APAAR is designed to simplify academic records management and reduce paperwork.Some of its main advantages include:
- A single academic identity throughout a student’s life.
- Get easy access to proven educational documents.
- Transfer records faster when changing schools or colleges.
- Reduce the possibility of duplicate or lost certificates.
- Better track academic progress and achievements.
- Improve planning and policy development through reliable education data.
The Supreme Court also noted during the hearing that a unified student ID card could help authorities maintain accurate records, implement education reforms and monitor indicators such as teacher-student ratios.
APAAR Consent Form: Meaning
An APAAR consent form is a document that requires permission from a parent or legal guardian before a student’s APAAR ID is created.This form explains why student information is collected, how it is used, and how academic records are stored. As the program primarily reaches school children, parental consent is considered an important part of the enrollment process.The current consent process has become a focus of legal debate because petitioners argue that parents are not given a meaningful opportunity to refuse enrollment before their children’s data is collected.
Why review parental consent?
The petition filed in the Supreme Court argued that although APAAR was described as voluntary, it was actually Adharleaving parents with few real choices.The petitioners have also questioned whether the existing consent process is compliant with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, especially with regard to informed consent, withdrawal of consent and protection of children’s personal information.Another issue involves the long-term storage of student academic data. The petitioners argue that parents and students should have the option to withdraw consent and exercise the “right to be forgotten.”
What are the directions of the Orissa High Court?
In December 2025, the Orissa High Court asked the education department to revise the APAAR consent form model.The court directed that parents should have the option to withhold consent or opt out of the program before admission. It also states that if APAAR is voluntary, the consent form must clearly reflect this position.The High Court further held that education cannot be made conditional on obtaining Aadhaar and said that the ability to withdraw consent later cannot supersede the right to refuse admission in the first place.What happens next?The Supreme Court did not halt the APAAR program. Instead, it asked CBSE to implement the Orissa High Court directions across the country and review issues related to privacy and parental consent.For students, the program continues to serve as a digital academic identity designed to make educational records portable and easily accessible. However, the latest court action suggests that its implementation will now face greater scrutiny to ensure it complies with constitutional protections and India’s data protection laws.
