The Delhi High Courtafter criticising the Delhi University for its lackadaisical approach constitutes a committee to finalise the process of issuing digital degree certificates to students.
Senior officials from the Delhi High Court’s IT Team, a member from National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Joint Director of DU’s Computer Centre, and two members from Digilocker will be a part of the said Committee.
Justice Prathiba M Singhin a single bench directed the said committee to finalise the following:
The online link on the DU portal where the students can put in applications for issuance of their digital degree certificates. Alternatively, an e-mail address shall be provided where the Petitioners and similarly placed candidates can write an e-mail to obtain their degree certificates
The timeline after receipt of the said email for verification and issuance of the degree certificate with the digital signature;
Template for the degree certificate to be issued by email;
Official to be responsible for affixing the digital signature and issuance of the same;
A sample degree certificate in favour of one of the Petitioners, duly signed with the digital signature, shall also be generated;
Timelines for transmission of past data to Digilocker from DU;
Timelines for transmission of data periodically to Digilocker so that students can easily access their certificates, transcripts, marksheets, awards etc.
The order has come in a plea moved by medical graduates who are awaiting their degree certificates since 2018.
By August 15,the said graduates need their degree certificates to get their registrations on the ECFMG platform and in order to be able to sit in theUSMLE examination for post graduate studies in the US.
Also Read- Delhi HC asks Delhi University to Issue Degrees Through Email
The courtin the previous hearing had directed the Delhi University to come up with a mechanism to provide digital degree certificates to students having digital signatures.
Noting by the Court
The court after beinghighly dissatisfied with the mechanism placed before the court by the Delhi University noted that:
‘Despite sufficient time being made available, it is clear that DU is not taking adequate steps to set up the process for issuance of digital degree certificates. There is a completely callous attitude being reflected towards the plight of students. A request is made for adjourning the matter for tomorrow to place a better scheme on record. This Court feels that the same would be completely futile as considerable time has already lapsed without any positive steps being taken by the Delhi University.’
Further, the court noted that the procedure put forward by Delhi University for obtaining degree certificates is too complicated and makes it difficult for students to obtain their degrees:
‘Obtaining a degree, which should have been a cause of celebration, has been turned into acomplete nightmare for all these doctors who ought to have been busy rendering medical services during the pandemic. Despite the Court’s best effort, DU is not placing a proper protocol on record.’
Therefore, the court constituted a committee and enshrined it the powers to come up with a mechanism to provide digital degree certificates to students.
On August 07, the status report in this regard has to be submitted.
Mr SarthakMaggon represented the Petitioner in the case.
Case Title: Akshita Khosla v. University of Delhi
1 comment
I was also among the students who were suffering without degree certificate from DU. Although I was graduated in 2017 but haven’t received degree certificate yet and it has affected my employment. My employment in State Bank of India is on hold for past 7months due to the same.