Pilot project on digital certificates completed

Updated on: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Taking forward its novel initiative of providing academic qualifications in digital format, Ministry of Human Resource Development will make available in de-mat form the results of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), 2011, to be announced on Tuesday. The results of the recently announced Class XII exam, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will also be available in electronic format.

The Ministry has initiated the process of establishment of a National Academic Depository (NAD) – national database of academic qualifications in an electronic format to facilitate the online verification of academic awards issued by various State education boards and universities. This will also help in curbing attempts to issue fake or forged certificates.

Following drafting of the National Academic Depository Bill, 2011, which has been cleared by the Cabinet and is listed for tabling in Parliament in the coming session, the Ministry had asked the CBSE to carry out the pilot project for technical feasibility of the process. This would also save time in implementing the project once the Bill is passed in the Parliament.

The pilot was to be undertaken with two agencies – Central Depository Services (India) Ltd and the National Securities Depositories Limited (NSDL) – as these are the only two depositories registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The two were awarded the pilot projects in January and completed the pilot which has been built, owned and operated by them.

Talking to reporters here, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the academic depository would provide access to CBSE to database, facilitate it to efficiently lodge in the database the academic qualifications awarded by it, in addition to providing online verification of any specific academic qualifications lodged in the database. It will also provide an authenticated copy of any specific academic qualification when requested.

Mr. Sibal said adequate systems and safeguards had been put in place to ensure that its automated data processing systems are secure against unauthorised access, alteration, destruction, disclosure or manipulation. There will be back-up for recovery in case of any loss, destruction or any other contingency of data in the database.

Once the Bill is passed, an expert committee will choose one of the two depositories for running the National Academic Depository which may also choose to implement tariff.

Pilot project on digital certificates completed

More Education news