Fake certificate menace: Centre to roll out Unique ID system for students  

In a bid curb the use of fake certificates, the Central government will roll out a Unique Identity system for students. This was informed by Anil Sahasrabudhe, the Chairman of National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), on the sidelines of the G20 3rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

Speaking to media, Sahasrabudhe said, “There is an urgent need for Education Ecosystem Registry. Just like Aadhaar gives unique identity to a person, students need to be provided with Aadhaar-based unique identity.”

“This will help a student save all his information at one place. Besides, it will allow students not to fill the admission forms while changing educational institutes in the same state or other. Moreover, the system will help know the authenticity of students.” Sahasrabudhe added.

“We have shared the draft documents of the system on our portals and sought people’s feedback till May 5. The registration will begin in August and Unique ID will be linked with Aadhaar card. This digitalisation not only bring transparency but also curb the use of fake certificates to secure a job,” he explained.

The announcement of the NETF chairman came amid crackdowns on major fake educational certificate rackets in several parts of Odisha. 

Notably, the Crime Branch which is probing the fake educational certificate racket case has reportedly found Uttar Pradesh Board officials’ link in the scam.

Also Read | Fake Certificate Racket: CB Team Camps in Bolangir, Awaits ‘Direction’ for more Arrests

The fake education certificate racket having pan-India links was busted in Bolangir and around 1,000 to 5,000 fake certificates were seized from a coaching centre named Reliance Education Institute. 

All the certificates looked almost similar to the original ones with properly printed holograms and logos. So far, 19 persons including the owner of the educational institution have been arrested in connection with the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Crime Branch had earlier informed that nearly 200 job holders are under the scanner for using fake certificates to secure jobs.