The cabinet has given an ex-post facto approval
for the formation of an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
(IISER), Berhampur Society in Odisha and its operations to start in a transit
campus from the current academic year 2016-17.
Commenting on the new IISER, the HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar said that the government is eager to enhance and research in eastern India and the new IISER will prove to be a good step in this direction.
Following the proposal of HRD ministry, the
Union Cabinet has approved the formation of National Academic Depository (NAD)
which will digitally store learning certificates, degrees and other academic
awards of higher education institutions. These institutions will start
operating in next three months.
The
Union Cabinet has announced that the depository will be established within the
next three months and would be rolled out throughout the country in 2017-18.
"The Cabinet has approved today
establishment of NAD, this a really important milestone in higher education
because it will bring transparency," commented HRD minister, Prakash
Javadekar adding that "tampering, fake degrees will become a thing of the
past."
The depository will hold, not only the
present and future but past certificates as well, revealed Javadekar.
In February, during his Budget speech,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the establishment of a Digital
Depository for certificates, degrees and other academic awards, on the pattern
of a Securities Depository.
The NAD will be operationalised by NSDL
Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures Limited (CVL). Both of
them are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Depositories registered under
Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992..
The responsibility for the authenticity of
data, digitally uploaded by them into the system, will lie with the academic
institutions.
The depositories in the NAD will make sure
that the integrity of the data is maintained. Educational institutions, eligibility
assessment bodies, boards, students and other users such as verifying entities
like banks, government agencies, employer companies and academic institutions
will be registered by NAD.
Students or other authorised users will be provided
a digital or printed copy of the academic award with security features. The day
a request is initiated by any authorised user, academic awards will be verified
online by NAD on the very same day.
Only if the student gives consent, will the
requests for access to academic awards from potential employers and academic
institutions will be entertained.
Tags: National Academic Depository
Digital Certificates
Prakash Javadekar
Iiser
