HC directs DU to take immediate steps to prepare protocol for issuing degrees, marksheets online

New Delhi, July 23

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi University to take immediate steps to draw up the protocol for issuing degree certificates, mark sheets and transcripts online with digital signatures and security features.

The high court remarked that it is clear that degree certificates are taking time to be issued due to delay in convocation, delay in sending of data and degree certificates for several years have not been given to the students by the Delhi University (DU).

Justice Prathiba M Singh, who was holding the hearing through video conferencing, issued notice to National Academic Depository (NAD), which is a digital database of academic awards provided by the Central government, and asked a senior official to join the proceedings on the next date to update the court about the agreement entered between NAD and DU.

The high court asked the NAD to also apprise it about the status of the data to be received by the DU. “Since the NAD is a unique feature and to act as a national depository for academic records to make it easily accessible to the students, the same should be utilised effectively by the DU and immediate steps be taken by the DU for transferring all the existing data relating to the students to the NAD,” the judge said.

The high court also directed the varsity to “immediately take steps to draw up the protocol for issuance of degree certificates and other documents including mark sheets and transcripts along with digital signatures and security features”.

The high court passed the order while hearing a petition by five doctors who graduated their MBBS course from Lady Hardinge Medical College, which is a part of Faculty of Medical Sciences, DU.

The reason for them to approach the high court is that they graduated in 2018 but have not received their degree certificate till date. The petitioners, represented through advocate Sarthak Maggon, submitted that they wish to apply for their residency programmes in the United States and to sit in the the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

They said August 15 is the last date by which the degree certificates would have to be uploaded for processing to the ‘My ECFMG’ mobile application. — PTI