UGC to varsities: Add security features – QR code, hologram – to degrees, certificates

The mark sheets and certificates issued by the university to have security features.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) directed all the universities and higher educational institutions in India to introduce identification mechanisms such as hologram of the institute and QR code in students’ certificates and degrees for proper verification and curbing duplication. According to a UGC official, the move will also help in bringing uniformity across the higher education system in the country.

“You are requested to introduce security features in mark sheets and certificates issued by the university to students enrolled in different programmes of study. While such features are useful for the purposes of verification and curbing duplication, they also help in introducing uniformity across the system of higher education in the country,” UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain said in a letter to the Vice Chancellors.

It said, “Introduce identification mechanisms like photograph of the student, hologram of the institute and QR code in students’ certificates and degrees. Such inscriptions will go a long way in uniformly making a student’s personal identity and other associated details.”

In the letter, the UGC chairperson also asked the varsities to add mention the name and place of the institution from where the student had studied as well as the mode of delivery (regular, part-time or distance) of the programme. The letter warned, “it is important to mention (the information) correctly on academic certificates”.

The move, said the letter, will be implemented from coming academic session