Digital depository for academic certificates in next 3 mths

\ New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) A National Academic Depository\(NAD) for school certificates, degrees and academic awards\will be operationalised within three months, wherein students\and employers can access the verified documents digitally.\ The move is also expected to check the menace of fake\certificates and degrees.\ NAD will provide digital or a printed copy of the degree\or academic award with security features to students or other\authorised users. It will verify academic awards online on the\same day of request initiated by any authorised user.\ The Union Cabinet, chaired Prime Minister Narendra Modi,\accorded its approval for establishment and operationalisation\of NAD.\ \\"NAD would be established and operationalised within theext three months and would be rolled out throughout the\country in 2017-18,\\" an official statement issued after the\Cabinet meeting said, adding that the move is \\"aimed at\bringing another dimension and enhancement of the vision of\Digital India\\".\ The Depository would be operationalised by NSDL Database\Management (NDML) and CDSL Ventures (CVL) – two of the wholly\owned subsidiaries of the Depositories registered under\Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.\ Academic institutions would be responsible for the\authenticity of data digitally uploaded by them into the\system. The depositories will ensure the integrity of data.\ The Depository will register educational institutions/\boards/eligibility assessment bodies, students and other\users/verifying entities like banks, employer companies,\government agencies and academic institutions.\ \\"Requests for access to academic awards, for example,\from potential employers, and academic institutions would be\only on the basis of consent of the student,\\" the release\said.\ NAD will maintain the authenticity, integrity and\confidentiality of its database. It will also train and\facilitate academic institutions/boards/ eligibility\assessment bodies to efficiently lodge academic awards in the\database.\ Finance Minister in Budget Speech of 2016-17 had\announced to set up a digital depository for school learning\certificates, degrees and other academic awards, on the\pattern of a Securities Depository. PTI JD NKD CS\MKJ\