The Supreme Court's pan-India extension of the APAAR ID consent mandate raises the legal question of whether the State may collect minor students' biometric-linked academic data without explicit, informed parental and individual consent under the right to privacy and data protection principles.
Aaj ki debate ka motion yeh hai: 'Mandatory Informed Consent Is Required Before Collecting Students' APAAR ID Data' — yeh ek bahut hi mahatvapurn sawaal hai jo hamare bachon ki privacy aur unke data ke adhikar ko seedha chhoota hai. Main chahti hoon ki dono paksh is vishay ko constitutional principles aur niti ke dariche se rakhein — aur ab main Counsel Aarav se nivedan karti hoon ki woh apna paksh prastut karein.
My lord, APAAR ID ek lifelong digital identity hai jo ek student ke poore academic record ko ek centralized system mein bind karti hai — yeh koi chhoti baat nahi. Jab is data ka collection bina meaningful, informed consent ke hota hai, to hum ek minor ke fundamental privacy rights ko sidha undermine karte hain — aur yahi is motion ka core hai. Paksh ka stand bilkul clear hai: mandatory informed consent sirf ek procedural formality nahi, balki ek constitutional necessity hai jo students aur unke guardians ko unke apne data par control deta hai.
My lord, main is motion ka poora vipaksh karti hoon — kyunki APAAR ID ek educational identifier hai, aur iska link Aadhaar se hona zaroor hai, lekin yeh mandatory informed consent ki demand is liye galat hai kyunki A6 ke Section 8(2)(a) mein already yeh provision hai ki requesting entity — yaani school ya authority — bachche ke parent ya guardian ki consent legi authentication se pehle; toh naya 'mandatory' framework thopna ek duplication hai, ek solution nahi. Paksh yeh bhool rahi hai ki existing statutory framework pehle se consent ka protection deta hai — unka motion sirf ek already-secured right par unnecessary legislative burden daalne ki koshish hai.
Ref: Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. · Section 8-2
My Lord, vipaksh ne jo bhi kaha, uska jawab khud hamare verified statute mein hai — Aadhaar Act, 2016 ki Section 8(2)(a) crystal clear kehti hai ki koi bhi requesting entity kisi bhi individual ka identity information collect karne se pehle uski consent legi, aur agar wo bachcha hai, to uske parent ya guardian ki consent zaroori hai. APAAR ID seedha Aadhaar se linked hai, isliye yeh provision directly apply hota hai — consent optional nahi, statutory obligation hai. Aur Section 8(3) yeh bhi mandate karti hai ki requesting entity ko authentication ke nature, use, aur scope ki puri jaankari deni hogi — yahi 'informed consent' ka core hai jo is motion maangta hai.
Ref: THE AADHAAR (TARGETED DELIVERY OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUBSIDIES, BENEFITS AND SERVICES) ACT, 2016 · Section 8
My lord, paksh ne kaha ki consent ka framework already exist karta hai — lekin main yahan seedha Section 8-2(2)(a) dikhana chahungi, jo explicitly kehta hai ki requesting entity ko individual ka — ya child ke case mein parent ya guardian ka — consent lena hoga BEFORE collecting identity information. APAAR ID schools ke through collect ho raha hai, aur agar yeh framework itna adequate hai jitna paksh maanta hai, to phir mandatory informed consent ka requirement dene mein aapatti kya hai? Vipaksh ka stand yahi hai, my lord — agar consent pehle se required hai statute mein, to use mandatory aur informed banana sirf us existing protection ko strengthen karta hai, weaken nahi — aur isliye motion ka virodh karna hi galat hai.
Ref: Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. · Section 8-2
Proposition ne yeh powerful point rakha ki Aadhaar Act Section 8(2) ke tahat, kisi bhi child ke liye authentication se pehle parent ya guardian ki swikriti zaroori hai — aur APAAR ID is dayre se bahar nahi ho sakta; jabki Opposition ne yeh argument diya ki national education integration aur seamless benefit delivery ke liye APAAR ID ek zaroori administrative tool hai jisme safeguards pehle se hain. Main koi faisla nahi sunaungi, lekin ek balanced legal suggestion zaroor dungi: Sarkar ko chahiye ki APAAR ID enrollment ke liye ek spasht, written, informed consent mechanism banaye jisme parents aur guardians ko A5 ke Section 8(2) aur (3) ke under — data ki prakriti, upyog aur alternatives — puri tarah samjhaya jaye, aur enrollment ko kisi bhi benefit se directly link karne se pehle adequate safeguards ensure kiye jayein. Ab main aap sab nagrik-janon se request karungi ki is debate ko rate karein aur apna nazariya share karein!
Ref: THE AADHAAR (TARGETED DELIVERY OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUBSIDIES, BENEFITS AND SERVICES) ACT, 2016 · Section 8