Orissa High Court Directs Govt to Amend APAAR ID Consent Form to Allow Opt-Out

The Orissa High Court ordered the Union Ministry of Education and related authorities to amend the consent form for the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) to expressly allow students and their guardians to refuse consent upfront, reinforcing that participation must be genuinely voluntary.

The Court observed that while the APAAR scheme is promoted as voluntary, the existing form only permits withdrawal after consent is given, which does not protect privacy rights effectively.

The Bench held that a clear opt-out/refusal option must be added within two months to uphold the right to privacy under Puttaswamy and related data protection principles.

[Rohit Anand Das & Anr. v. State of Odisha & Ors.]