Supreme Court to Direct CBSE on Opt-Out in Aadhaar-Linked APAAR ID Consent Forms

India's Supreme Court stated on July 20 that it will direct the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure that consent forms for Aadhaar-linked APAAR IDs (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) explicitly provide parents with an opt-out option. This follows a previous ruling by the Orissa High Court and aims to address concerns regarding the Aadhaar linkage and data protection.

The bench, hearing the matter, which included Chief Justice Surya Kant, took up a petition filed by parents challenging the constitutional validity of the APAAR scheme. The petitioners argued that the system compels students to obtain Aadhaar IDs and violates India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023.

The Supreme Court indicated it would pass a direction to CBSE to "implement this judgment on a pan-India basis." The court also noted that CBSE's own circulars are subject to the data protection law. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, representing the petitioners, cited a previous Supreme Court ruling that prohibits compelling children to provide their Aadhaar number, arguing that the APAAR system indirectly forces Aadhaar linkage.

The Orissa High Court's December 2025 ruling, which forms the basis for the Supreme Court's directive, found that the APAAR consent form did not reflect the voluntary nature of the scheme. The form lacked an upfront option to refuse consent, raising privacy concerns. The Supreme Court has previously established that children have heightened privacy protections and that education cannot be conditioned on Aadhaar.