Data On Students' Personal Info Well Protected In ERP Software: Delhi University Tells High Court

The University of Delhi has told the Delhi High Court that the entire data related to the personal information of students has been well protected and kept with University developed Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and that the University has a privacy policy in respect of the data received.

Justice Pratibha M Singh was dealing with a plea filed by final year students of the University in July, 2020 being aggrieved over the conduct of the online Open Book Examinations by the University.

The Petitioners sought quashing and withdrawal of the notifications dated 14th May, 2020, 30th May, 2020 and 27th June, 2020 in respect of undergraduate and postgraduate students, including students of the School of Open Learning and Non-Collegiate Women Education Board. It was pointed out that there were several glitches in the online portal of DU.

Vide order dated 5th February, 2021, on the aspect of data privacy, the Court had directed the University to file an affidavit as to whether it has a privacy policy, in respect of the entire data related to the personal information of students which has been collected, and kept with the ERP software.

The Court was therefore informed and assured that the data relating to the personal information of students is well protected with an ERP software, and that the access to the same is restricted to the designated officers of the Examination Unit, the Admissions Unit and other Administrative Unit of the University.

At the outset, the Court recorded its satisfaction over the steps taken by the University, stating that the same were sufficient for the purposes of maintaining the safety and integrity of the data so collected.

Furthermore, the counsel appearing for the Delhi University pointed out that the ERP software which has been installed relates to the prospective applicants for undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

"It is made clear that the same shall also be made applicable to all the data which has been collected while conducting the OBE for all students during the previous two academic sessions as well. Appropriate steps be taken by DU to ensure the security and privacy of the said data," the Court said.

Accordingly, the Court directed the University officials to ensure adherence to the directions of this the Court, and issue necessary administrative directions to all concerned.

In a similar development, the Judge had last week directed the Delhi University to put in place a mechanism so that in case of any urgency, a student can write an email to the concerned Dean of Examinations who shall then consider the said request and issue the attested marksheet or transcript manually within a period of 5 working days.

The Court had issued a slew of other directions in a bunch of pleas filed by students of the University of Delhi studying various courses who graduated in the year 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

High Court Directs Delhi University To Devise Mechanism For Issuance Of Attested Marksheet Manually To Students In Urgent Need

Case Title: ANUPAM & ORS. v. UNIVERSITY OF DELHI THROUGH: ITS REGISTRAR & ORS.

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Del) 214

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