The Human Resource Development (HRD) minister, Kapil Sibal, announced for establishment of a national database of academic qualifications (degree/certificates from school to graduate/postgraduate level including professional degrees) to be created and maintained in an electronic format by an identified, registered depository.
He emphasised that the shift from traditional paper-pen method to a technology based solution for certificates would also ensure confidentiality, authenticity and fidelity, enabling online verification and easy retrieval of academic qualifications. At present two Depositories, National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) are registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Additionally, fraudulent practices such as forging of certificates and mark sheets could be eliminated by such a system. This is to be facilitated through encouraging online verification for which the Ministry has constituted a Task Force under Prof. Sanjay Dhande, Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. The other members of the Task Force shall include Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director, Indian Institute of Management- Kozhikode (IIM-K), Prof. S.S.Mantha, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Prof. Ved Prakash, Vice-Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), Vineet Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), a nominee of the Department of Financial Services not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, the Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Human Resource Development or his nominee from the Finance wing of the Ministry and a nominee of the Planning Commission.
