New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities, higher education institutions, boards and eligibility assessment bodies to facilitate the implementation of National Academic Depository (NAD), an online store house of academic awards (degrees, diplomas, certificates, mark-sheets, etc.). As a first step,   the academic institutions/boards/eligibility assessment bodies will have to select either of the two entities viz. NDML and CVL for entering into legally enforceable agreement between them and the selected depository for utilizing the services of NAD.

The UGC said that these institutes should enter into a Service Level Agreement with either of the depositories for boarding on to NAD. To facilitate the implementation of NAD, they will have to designate Nodal Officers and set up a NAD cell immediately by intimating the UGC.

National Academic Depository (NAD) will act as an online store house of academic awards (degrees, diplomas, certificates, mark-sheets, etc.) lodged by the academic institutions/boards/eligibility assessment bodies in a digital format. lt will be on 24×7 online mode for making available academic awards and shall help in validating their authenticity, their safe storage and easy retrieval.

Here, it can be mentioned that NAD shall comprise of two interoperable digital depositories namely NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures Limited (CVL). These digital depositories shall keep the academic awards in the digital format and ensure data integrity.

Following the approval of Union Cabinet recently for establishing NAD, the Central Government has designated the UGC as an authorised body to enter into a tripartite agreement, initially for a period of three years for the purposes of establishment of NAD.

The NAD, online data base for academic degrees/certificates, is expected to be game changer in the academic and employment sector. This platform will offer win-win opportunities for all stakeholders of the education sector such as: students, academic institutes, employers, assessment bodies, etc.