Student and Parent Rights Under DPDPA: A School-Focused Guide

Understanding Student and Parent Rights Under the DPDPA: What Schools Must Do

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023 fundamentally reshapes how schools in India collect, store, process, and share student information. Under this law, students and their parents are recognised as Data Principals, which gives them clear, actionable rights over every aspect of their personal data—ranging from admission forms and health information to CCTV footage, classroom apps, transport records, photos, videos, and learning analytics.

Schools, operating as Data Fiduciaries, must therefore build a transparent, accountable, and secure data environment that respects these rights. Understanding these rights is essential for compliance and for building trust with families.

1. Right to Access

Parents can request full visibility into what personal data the school holds, why it was collected, how it is processed, where it is stored, and who it is shared with. This right is especially important as schools increasingly rely on digital learning platforms, GPS-enabled transport systems, media archives, and third-party education apps.
To support this right, schools need a structured data inventory, clear documentation, and a formalised response mechanism that delivers authenticated access within defined timelines.

2. Right to Correction

Parents and students can request correction of incorrect or outdated personal details, academic records, health information, or administrative data. Errors in records can affect examinations, emergency responses, government documentation, and communication workflows.
Schools must therefore establish internal SOPs to verify changes quickly and update all connected systems—LMS, MIS, apps, and vendor platforms—to ensure consistency across the entire digital ecosystem.

3. Right to Erasure

Parents may request deletion of student data once its purpose is fulfilled or if consent is withdrawn. This includes unnecessary photos, outdated contact information, obsolete learning data, or non-essential records.
However, certain records must be retained as required by law or board guidelines. Schools must develop a retention and deletion policy, maintain logs, and ensure erasure across backups, local systems, and external vendors to prevent residual storage.

4. Right to Withdraw Consent

Schools collect consent for activities such as photography, video coverage, mobile app usage, onboarding to digital learning platforms, and sharing information with third-party vendors.
If parents withdraw this consent, the school must immediately stop processing the data for that purpose. A verifiable consent management system and clear internal communication processes are essential to ensure every teacher, department, and vendor respects the updated permission.

5. Right to Grievance Redressal

DPDPA requires schools to provide a fair and accessible grievance mechanism where parents can raise concerns about data misuse, improper collection, platform vulnerabilities, or poor privacy practices.
A designated Grievance Officer must manage these submissions, document responses, and ensure timely resolution through transparent workflows.

6. Right to Breach Notification

If student data is exposed through a breach—whether via a digital system, a vendor, or internal error—the school must notify parents promptly. This includes explaining what data was affected, the potential risks, corrective steps taken, and recommended action for families.
Breach-response protocols play a critical role in preserving parent trust and ensuring legal compliance.

How Our Model Supports Schools in Upholding These Rights

Our DPDPA School Compliance Model provides a structured, scalable framework for implementing each of these rights:

• Parent Rights Portal: A single interface where parents can submit requests for access, correction, erasure, consent withdrawal, and grievances—ensuring a transparent, auditable workflow.
• Automated Consent Management: Verifiable parental consent for all activities, complete with purpose-based logging and easy withdrawal options.
• Data Mapping and Inventory: Comprehensive cataloguing of all student data flows across MIS, LMS, school apps, media workflows, and vendor systems, forming the backbone of all compliance actions.
• Retention and Deletion Workflows: Automated deletion schedules, secure destruction logs, and retention timelines aligned with board guidelines and legal requirements.
• Vendor Governance Engine: A structured approach to approving, reviewing, and monitoring third-party vendors, including data processing agreements, risk ratings, and integration hygiene checks.
• Teacher and Staff Training: Easy-to-understand SOPs, privacy modules, and regular awareness sessions that help staff avoid accidental misuse or over-collection of data.
• Secure Media Workflows: Safe, consent-driven handling of photography, event videos, classroom content, and media sharing with parents—ensuring alignment with DPDPA expectations.

Together, these tools help schools transform compliance from a manual, fragmented process into a streamlined and reliable system that protects students and builds parent confidence.
Contact us today to make your school fully DPDPA-compliant with a trusted, end-to-end solution.