Calcutta: CBSE schools are recording the Aadhaar numbers of students during online registration for classes IX to XII, in compliance with a circular issued by the board making Aadhaar registration mandatory for affiliated schools.

The Aadhaar is a 12-digit number issued to Indian residents by the Unique Identification Authority of India.

If a student does not have an Aadhaar number, the Aadhaar enrolment number can be submitted, according to the circular that comes amid a nationwide debate over whether Aadhaar is mandatory.

The case on whether Aadhaar should be mandatory is pending in the Supreme Court and slated to be heard before a five-judge bench in November. The Supreme Court had, in August, ruled that individual privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution.

The CBSE circular for online registration of classes IX and XI was issued in September and those for classes X and XII almost a month later.

"The Aadhaar number field provided is mandatory. Wherever Aadhaar number is not available; Aadhaar enrolment number can be provided. Residents of Indian states where Aadhaar enrolment is not being done may provide bank details or any other govt. proof in lieu of Aadhaar," the CBSE circular states.

Schools have been asking students to provide photocopies of their Aadhaar cards for filling in details during online registration.

A school in Calcutta found that about "50 per cent of the students" do not have an Aadhaar card. "Filling in the Aadhaar details is only making the online registration cumbersome," said a school official.

Agencies outsourced by the central government have either conducted or will conduct camps in various schools to encourage Aadhaar enrolment.

Parents of children below five years of age has been asked to provide their birth certificate, school ID card and the Aadhaar card of the guardian who should accompany the child. Those above five years of age should submit the birth certificate and school ID card. Complaints for lost Aadhaar cards or requests for correction will also be entertained.

"The case is pending in court but if such camps are held in schools and forms sent out to us, we think it is better we enrol our children," said a parent whose son is in Class VIII.

Some schools said Aadhaar registration would make it easy to access the board's digital repository of academic records.

Employers and institutions can use the Aadhaar number to verify documents online and digital academic certificates from this repository will also be available to students through DigiLocker.