Can AI voice agents call students under 18 about admissions?
Coaching institutes, schools and edtech companies can call about admissions, but data about anyone under 18 is a child's data under the DPDP Act 2023. Section 9 requires verifiable parental consent before processing it and bars tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising directed at children. The safer practice is to call the parent or guardian rather than the student, and keep the call informational.
Why this matters for education calling
A large share of enquiries for JEE, NEET, board-exam coaching and school admissions come from or about minors. A Class 11 student in Kota or Hyderabad who fills a form for a crash course is a child under the DPDP Act 2023, which defines a child as anyone under 18.
What the DPDP Act requires
- —Verifiable consent of a parent or lawful guardian before processing a child's personal data (Section 9(1)).
- —No processing likely to harm the child's well-being (Section 9(2)).
- —No tracking, behavioural monitoring or targeted advertising directed at children (Section 9(3)), subject to exemptions notified under the rules.
- —The DPDP Rules 2025 set out how verifiable parental consent is obtained, with some exemptions, including for certain activities of educational institutions.
Other rules for coaching centres
The CCPA's Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024 bar false guarantees of selection or success, and the Ministry of Education circulated Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres in January 2024 for states to adopt. Several states have adopted or are drafting their own versions. Scripts that promise selection or results are risky under these guidelines and under the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
A practical approach
- —Ask on your form whether the enquirer is a parent or a student, and capture the parent's number.
- —Direct AI calls to the parent or guardian.
- —If a student answers, keep the call informational and offer to speak with a parent.
- —Avoid putting student data into repeated promotional campaigns.
How Outpero fits
Outpero can run admission enquiry follow-ups in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam or Indian English, capturing who answered and whether a parent is available, and booking a campus visit or counselling slot in your calendar.
The children's data provisions are among the most detailed parts of the DPDP framework and are being phased in. Confirm your consent flow with counsel.
Want to hear an AI voice agent handle this on a real call?