Have you ever experienced the need to present your ID card at a hotel check-in? Or perhaps you encountered the tedious process of photocopying your identification cards for a bank account application. Maybe you’ve collected and photocopied all your certificates when applying for school, college admission, or a job.
These common scenarios often lead us to contemplate some fundamental inquiries. Is there a more convenient approach to handling and accessing our identification documents? Can we do away with physical copies and streamline these procedures in our progressively digital era?
What are the current challenges of physical documents?
Now, let’s take a moment to examine the present difficulties associated with the handling of physical documents and certificates.
⇒ Risk of Loss or Damage: Physical documents are susceptible to loss, theft, or damage due to various factors such as fire, water, or wear and tear.
⇒ Space Constraints & Inconvenience: Accumulating physical documents requires storage space, and over time, this can lead to clutter and the need for additional storage solutions. Retrieving a specific document from a pile of physical papers can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if they are not well-organized.
⇒ Authentication and Verification: Ensuring the authenticity of physical documents can be challenging, and fraudulent copies can be easily created.
⇒ Accessibility: Carrying physical documents everywhere can be impractical and risky. They may be left behind or forgotten when needed.
⇒ Time-Consuming Processes: Many administrative processes require physical document submission, which can be slow and tedious, involving manual checks and verifications.
⇒ Environmental Impact: The production and disposal of physical documents contribute to paper waste and have environmental implications.
⇒ Costs: Printing, storing, and maintaining physical documents can incur costs over time, including expenses related to photocopying, storage, and transportation.
⇒ Document Lifespan: Physical documents can deteriorate over time, leading to the loss of critical information and the need for periodic document replacement.
Join us as we delve into an innovative solution designed to tackle these challenges and questions & revolutionize how we manage our identification documents.
What is DigiLocker?
Under the Digital India Initiative, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), through the Digital India Cooperation (DIC), introduced a novel platform named DigiLocker in February 2015.
DigiLocker is a cloud-based platform for issuance and verification of documents & certificates digitally. DigiLocker offers a convenient and secure solution for safeguarding your vital documents.
Whether you need to share documents during job interviews or when you accidentally leave your driving license behind, DigiLocker simplifies these situations. Additionally, it reduces the risk of carrying physical documents, which could be lost or damaged.
DigiLocker, a groundbreaking digital platform, stands at the forefront of India’s digital revolution. In an age where the world is rapidly embracing digitalization, DigiLocker has emerged as a game-changing initiative under the Digital India program.
This innovative platform offers individuals a secure and convenient way to digitize and store their important documents, ranging from identification cards like PAN and Aadhaar to academic certificates and COVID-19 vaccination records.
With its “Your documents anytime, anywhere” motto, DigiLocker ensures that your crucial documents are accessible whenever you need them, all while fostering a paperless, efficient, and transparent ecosystem. In this era of increasing digital reliance, DigiLocker is a testament to India’s commitment to modernization and simplification of citizens’ lives.
As an easy-to-use and convenient application driven by Aadhaar Card, DigiLocker today has 194.62 million registered users and 6.27 billion Issued Documents.
How to create a DigiLocker account and get started?
To get started with DigiLocker, you’ll need to set up an account. You have two options:
- DigiLocker Website – Visit the official DigiLocker Website.
- DigiLocker Mobile Application – Download the DigiLocker Mobile App from the Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iPhones.
DigiLocker uses Aadhaar to verify the identity of the user and also enables authentic “Issued Documents” access. It’s important to ensure that your mobile number and other information match with the information on your Aadhaar Card, as DigiLocker uses Aadhaar for identity verification purposes.
What's the difference between "Issued Documents" and "Uploaded Documents"?
In DigiLocker, “Issued Documents” and “Uploaded Documents” serve different purposes:
⇒ Issued Documents:
- These are documents that have been officially issued by government authorities and issuers that are integrated with DigiLocker.
- Issued documents are typically government-issued certificates and records, such as Aadhaar Cards, PAN Cards, Voter ID Cards, educational certificates, and Vehicle Registration documents.
- Citizens do not upload these documents themselves; they are automatically made available in their DigiLocker accounts because they are issued by authorized government sources and issuers.
- These documents are considered authentic and are widely accepted by government authorities and private entities for various purposes, including KYC (Know your customer) and verification.
⇒ Uploaded Documents:
- Uploaded documents are files that citizens personally add to their DigiLocker accounts from their own devices.
- Users can upload any document or file they want to keep safe and easily accessible in digital form. These documents can include personal records, receipts, invoices, or any other paperwork they find important.
- Uploaded documents are not issued by government authorities; instead, citizens manually upload them.
- Citizens have control over what they upload and can choose to share these documents with others as needed.
In summary, “Issued Documents” are government-issued and automatically available in DigiLocker, while “Uploaded Documents” are user-added files for personal use, which can also be shared digitally when necessary.
Is DigiLocker safe and secure for a common citizen of India?
DigiLocker keeps your documents safe and makes them easy to use. Here’s how it works:
→ Security Steps: DigiLocker uses a two-step process to keep your documents safe and accessible. First, it sends a one-time password (OTP) to your registered mobile number. Then, it asks for a six-digit PIN that acts like a password for your DigiLocker account. Once you’ve set up an account, all your documents are easy to find and share.
→ Access Anywhere, Anytime: You can see your documents in DigiLocker whenever you need them, from any place. It uses your Aadhaar card details to check if it’s really you and lets you look at your documents safely in the cloud.
→ Government Trust: DigiLocker is started by the government, so most people trust it. It’s super secure because it uses strong encryption. Plus, it never shares your data with anyone else, without your consent.
→ Your Control: You decide who can see your documents. Nobody can share your documents without asking you first and obtaining your consent. Your consent is the first step in sharing your documents with any other entity. The government watches over DigiLocker to keep it safe.
In short, DigiLocker is a secure way to keep and share your important documents, and you’re in charge of who gets to see them.
Are DigiLocker documents authentic?
The DigiLocker “Issued Documents” are considered authentic documents and are accepted by all government authorities and private companies. According to the Information Technology Act, of 2000, DigiLocker’s “Issued Documents” hold the same status as the original ones.
As of 2023, there are 194.62 million registered users on DigiLocker, and the platform has given out about 6.27 billion issued documents. This shows that more and more people trust DigiLocker to keep their important documents, which is a big help for the Digital India Initiative.
Moreover, you can upload documents in DigiLocker Drive. This drive allows for the storage of up to 1 GB of documents. It’s essential to note that documents stored in the DigiLocker Drive are not considered equivalent to authentic original documents.
What are the advantages of using DigiLocker?
» Digital Convenience: DigiLocker offers a hassle-free and paperless solution for storing and managing important documents, making it easy to access and share them digitally.
» Secure Storage: Documents stored in DigiLocker are well-protected and backed by government regulations, ensuring their safety and authenticity.
» Reduction of Physical Documents: It reduces the need to carry physical documents, reducing the risk of loss or damage.
» Accessibility: DigiLocker allows users to access their documents anytime, anywhere, making it convenient for various situations such as job interviews or document verification.
» Support for Digital India: DigiLocker aligns with the Digital India Initiative, promoting the digitalization of essential services and reducing paperwork.
» Time Efficiency: It saves time for both individuals and administrative authorities by enabling direct document verification, eliminating the need for physical document checks.
» Improved Service Delivery: Timely access to documents facilitates faster and more efficient government services in areas like healthcare, education, and employment.
» Transparency: DigiLocker reduces the scope for corruption and the involvement of middlemen, ensuring a transparent and direct document-sharing process.
» Environmentally Friendly: By reducing the use of physical documents and paperwork, DigiLocker contributes to environmental sustainability.
» Wide Acceptance: DigiLocker-issued documents are recognized and accepted by various government authorities, making it a trusted platform for document storage and sharing.
What are the limitations to use DigiLocker?
There are two primary constraints associated with using DigiLocker:
→ Aadhaar Card Requirement
To access DigiLocker, having an Aadhaar Card is mandatory. Upon signing up for a DigiLocker account, you can utilize the “Uploaded Documents” feature to store various files in your DigiLocker Drive.
This drive allows for the storage of up to 1 GB of documents. It’s essential to note that documents stored in the DigiLocker Drive are not considered equivalent to authentic original documents.
To fully utilize the “Issued Documents” feature of DigiLocker, an Aadhaar Card is also necessary. According to the IT Act of 2000, DigiLocker’s “Issued Documents” hold the same legal status as original documents.
→ Mobile Number Linkage
Even if you possess an Aadhaar Card, it’s crucial to have a mobile number linked to your Aadhaar Card for complete DigiLocker functionality.
Without the linked mobile number, you won’t be able to perform Aadhaar + OTP authentication, preventing you from connecting your DigiLocker account to your Aadhaar.
Consequently, you won’t be able to employ the “Issued Documents” feature to retrieve your Aadhaar Card or any other documents for various purposes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, DigiLocker has emerged as a highly advantageous tool for the citizens of India, effectively addressing significant challenges associated with physical documents. It mitigates the risks of document loss, enhances document authenticity, and eliminates the inconvenience of carrying physical copies.
To fully harness its benefits, it is crucial for the government to take proactive steps in promoting awareness about this platform, ensuring that a larger segment of the population can enjoy its advantages and securely store essential documents in their DigiLocker accounts.
Furthermore, considering the government’s reliance on citizen data for various service-providing initiatives and analytical purposes, the necessity of a singular and dependable platform housing critical documents becomes evident.
DigiLocker plays a pivotal role in India’s progress by streamlining administrative processes for both the government and its citizens, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and digitally empowered nation.
