Union Cabinet Gives Nod to Create National Academic Depository (NAD)

In order to grapple the problem of fake certificates, the Centre has come up with an innovative solution. The Cabinet had now given the nod to set up National Academic Depository (NAD) to maintain a set of records for all students from school to colleges.

What is NAD?

It is a collection of students' school leaving certificates, mark sheets, degrees, diplomas that will be stored digitally in de-mat format as in stocks. This will be done by National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) and Central Depository Services Ltd (CDSL), the depositories registered under Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.

How long will it take to set up NAD?

According to the Cabinet meeting, the deadline for creating the depository is three months. Data from all educational institutes would be collected. The idea would be implemented in the year 2017-2018.

How was NAD initiated?

The idea of NAD was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his budget speech in February this year.
According to a government press release, 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 decision aims at bringing another dimension and enhancement of the vision of Digital India," the statement said.

''This would address the problem of fake certificates to a great extent,'' HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said. The educational institutions will have to take the responsibility for the credibility of the students data provided.

Details of educational institutions, boards, eligibility assessment bodies, students and other users will be registered in NAD after verification from banks, employer companies, government agencies and academic institutions. This database will be strictly confidential and authenticated, it is learnt.