TN Govt Universities to Implement DigiLocker Scheme for Students

• All TN govt universities to adopt NAD DigiLocker under NEP.
• Students can access degrees, certificates, and mark sheets anytime.
• Initiative prevents forgeries and ensures secure record sharing.

All government universities are required to adopt and utilize the National Academic Depository (NAD) DigiLocker initiative for preserving digital copies of students' credentials, as per the National Education Policy (NEP).

This follows the recent guidance from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TNSCHE), which operates under the Higher Education Department.

The NEP encourages the adoption of DigiLocker and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) system to digitize academic records and enable credit transfer in universities. The ABC is an online and digital repository that holds details on the credits accumulated by each student during their educational path.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) created the NAD to offer a continuous online repository for educational institutions to keep and disseminate academic credentials. The digital repository not only facilitates easy access and retrieval of academic credentials but also confirms and protects their authenticity and secure storage.

A high-ranking official from the Higher Education Department, speaking anonymously, indicated that following TNSCHE's guidance, the initiative is anticipated to be put into action at universities, enabling students to access and download digital certificates such as degrees, provisional certificates, and mark sheets at any time without having to go to the university.

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"At present, this scheme will be implemented only to maintain students’ records in all universities," he added. Claiming that the system would enable students to access and transfer their awards easily while reducing the risk of forged certificates, the official noted, "Currently, only a few universities in the country have implemented the scheme."

B Lakshmanan, a senior professor in a private college, elaborated, "As the scheme is a State and Centre-backed digital storage service, it enables students to access their academic records instantly and share them securely with QR code verification for various purposes such as seeking admissions and availing government welfare schemes meant for students."

Resonating with similar sentiments, V Sai Lakshmi, an HR expert at a private recruitment firm in Chennai, mentioned that private companies could collaborate with DigiLocker to provide and authenticate digital documents before interviews, with educational institutions serving as the document issuers."Unlike earlier days, certificate and document verification has been made easier through DigiLocker, as it can now be completed in a day or two," she added.