Aadhaar Not Mandatory For Admission To Private Schools In Delhi, Rules Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has said in an order that Aadhaar number for admission to private schools in the national capital under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Disadvantaged Group (DG), Children with Special Needs (CWSN) categories is not mandatory, refusing to interfere with an earlier order. The court said demanding Aadhaar card from students during admission would mean infringing their right to privacy. It was hearing an appeal filed by the Delhi government against the order by a single-judge bench.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed the appeal stating that the requirement is prima facie in conflict with the constitutional provisions (under Article 21) pertaining to privacy.

"The issue of obtaining sensitive personal details of a child, as observed in the K S Puttaswamy case (by the Supreme Court), would have the potential of infringing their right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the bench said in an order passed last week.