APAAR ID: Student Registry and Privacy Concerns
Why in the news
The APAAR ID, meant to digitise academic records, drew criticism over pressure on students to enrol, data privacy and heavy reliance on Aadhaar.
Key concerns
- Coercion: participation is said to be forced in practice.
- Privacy: sensitive student data is collected without strong legal protection.
- Aadhaar dependency: the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy ruling held Aadhaar cannot be mandatory for education, yet APAAR makes it nearly so.
- Advocacy: the Internet Freedom Foundation and the Software Freedom Law Centre say it breaches privacy rights.
Way forward
- Guarantee real voluntariness by stopping coercion in schools.
- Enact strong data protection law for student information.
- Simplify Aadhaar verification to avoid bureaucratic hurdles.
Exam angle
- Full form: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry.
- Groups opposing it: IFF and SFLC.
- Key legal reference: Puttaswamy case on Aadhaar.