Come April 2018 and the Cochin University of Science and Technology will roll out two major digital initiatives.
First, the varsity will make all payments by students digital transactions. It will provide degrees, certificates and awards online as part of the second digital project under the Centre’s National Academy Repository (NAD) to be launched in the new academic year.
Vice Chancellor J. Letha said the Syndicate had given its nod for digital payment of fee for various services being offered to students, which include fee for various examinations and certificates. Students could make payments using debit, credit cards or through internet banking.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) had asked varsities to switch over to the digital mode to bring transparency and ensure propriety. The apex body in higher education had directed all higher educational institutions to adopt digital modes of payment (namely online IMPS/BHIM/debit cards/AEPS) under the National Digital Payments Mission (NDPM). The UGC had also issued an advisory to all universities that all receipts and payments related to the functioning of the institutions (student fee, exam fee, vendor payments, salary/wage payments, etc.) shall be made only through online or digital modes.
Dr. Letha said that work on joining the NAD initiative was in its final stages. The varsity is expected to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the two agencies shortlisted to roll out the project.
NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures Limited (CVL), wholly-owned subsidiaries of the depositories registered under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992, will operationalise the NAD.
Recruiters of candidates who had passed out from the varsity will be able to check the authenticity of degrees, certificates and awards online.
According to the guidelines on NAD issued by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, academic institutions have to upload and authenticate all documents in digital form. NAD will provide digital or a printed copy of the 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.
Besides ensuring safe storage and easy retrieval of documents, the depository is expected to eliminate fraudulent practices like forging of certificates and mark sheets and facilitate validation. NAD will be available online round-the-clock to stakeholders.
