Lucknow: At its upcoming convocation on September 9th, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) will be pioneering a new approach to issuing degrees. Approximately 50,000 graduates and postgraduates in engineering and management will receive their diplomas utilizing blockchain technology.
This marks a significant milestone as AKTU embraces blockchain for the first time. The decision stems from the numerous advantages blockchain offers in terms of degree issuance and validation, with a focus on heightened security, improved efficiency, and greater transparency.
Ayush Srivastava, Assistant Registrar at AKTU, stated that this move to a tamper-proof and decentralized system for storing and authenticating academic records was carefully considered. It promises to simplify procedures for students, educational institutions, and prospective employers alike.
During the ceremony, AKTU will also recognize its high-achieving students by awarding roughly 75 gold, silver, and bronze medals. The provisional list of medal recipients has already been released, and the university is accepting objections to the declared merit list until Tuesday. The final merit list will then be published. In addition to the medals, a cash prize will be awarded to the recipient of the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, along with winners in other categories. Vice Chancellor JP Pandey explained that this digital framework leverages a secure, computerized database to generate and validate academic credentials, thereby guaranteeing authenticity and preventing unauthorized modifications. He noted that blockchain delivers a dependable way to issue and oversee digital certifications and that it virtually eradicates any chances of errors or manipulation within university documents. Students can print their digital certificates whenever needed.
Pandey also addressed the concerning issue of fraudulent degree mark sheets prevalent across various universities. To address this and further upgrade its technological infrastructure, the university administration has adopted blockchain technology. Our mark sheets, too, will be issued using the technology.
Pandey clarified that student examination details and results will be spread across various servers. The university will generate degree mark sheets using roll numbers and unique identifiers. The inherent security of the system ensures that data remains protected even if specific servers experience security breaches or disruptions.
Students will be provided with login credentials to access and print their degree mark sheets on demand. The VC emphasized that blockchain strengthens the security of degrees and mark sheets through its key features: immutability, transparency, and decentralized verification. This makes it incredibly difficult to forge or alter records once they have been recorded on the blockchain.
