How to Get and Use Education Documents Safely through DigiLocker

DigiLocker is a government digital-document platform operated by the National e-Governance Division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Boards, universities, government departments and other registered issuers can make documents available to citizens through DigiLocker.

The most important safety distinction is between Issued Documents and files uploaded by the user. A PDF alone should not be treated as official without checking its issuer, provenance, record details and secure QR information.

Citizen Affairs is not part of DigiLocker or any educational institution. Before submitting a record for admission, recruitment or verification, follow the current instructions of the receiving authority.

1. Use only the official DigiLocker service

The official website is digilocker.gov.in. When installing the mobile app, compare the app-store listing, developer details and link with the official DigiLocker website.

Avoid search advertisements, forwarded links, clone websites and unknown APK files. Never share an OTP, PIN or password. On a shared device or cyber café, log out after use and remove downloaded documents.

2. Issued Documents and uploaded files are different

According to DigiLocker’s official guidance:

• Issued document: generated or delivered electronically from the original data source of a registered board, university, department or other issuer. It normally appears in the Issued Documents section as a URI or digital record.
• Uploaded document: a PDF, JPEG or PNG file stored by the user. Uploading a scan does not make it issuer-verified.

This difference matters during admission and recruitment. A user-uploaded scan and an issuer-fetched digital marksheet do not carry the same provenance.

3. How to find an education document

Labels in the website or app can change, but the general official process is:

1. Sign in to the DigiLocker account.
2. Open Browse Documents or the document-search section.
3. Search by education category or issuer name, such as a board, university or authority.
4. Select the required document type: marksheet, passing certificate, migration certificate, degree or another record.
5. Enter the roll number, registration number, passing year or other details requested by the issuer.
6. After fetching, check that the record appears under Issued Documents.

Not every issuer, course or year is available at all times. A missing document does not mean that the academic record is invalid. Contact the institution through its official support channel.

4. Check the details after fetching

Verify the fields that apply to the record:

• student’s full name;
• date of birth;
• roll or registration number;
• examination, course or programme name;
• year, session or passing date;
• marks, grade, division or qualification;
• issuing board, university or authority;
• document ID, URI, issue date and secure QR code.

If information is wrong, do not edit the PDF or manipulate the image. Follow the issuer’s official correction process. DigiLocker displays data supplied by the issuer and cannot independently correct the issuer’s source database.

5. Verify the secure QR code

A DigiLocker-issued document may include a secure QR code. Use the official DigiLocker verification portal or the verification feature in the official app.

When verifying:

• give camera permission only to the official portal or app;
• compare the scan result with the issuer and document details;
• be cautious with blurred, cropped or altered QR codes;
• do not publish a certificate or its QR code on social media;
• do not rely on a screenshot of a QR-verification result supplied by someone else.

The person or organisation receiving the document should perform its own verification where required.

6. Legal status does not replace process-specific instructions

DigiLocker’s official information states that issuer-issued electronic records are treated as equivalent to physical originals under the applicable Information Technology rules. This does not mean that every institution uses the same submission process.

An admission office, recruiting body or verifier may ask for:

• a DigiLocker URI;
• a digitally issued PDF;
• QR verification;
• consent-based electronic sharing;
• a printed copy;
• the physical original during final verification.

Read the current official notice of the receiving authority. Do not assume that a general legal status overrides its document-submission instructions.

7. Share documents safely

Use DigiLocker’s official sharing or download options where appropriate. Before sharing:

• confirm the identity and purpose of the recipient;
• send only the document that is required;
• avoid sharing the entire account or screen;
• never disclose the login OTP, PIN or password;
• remove unrelated personal information from public screenshots;
• use an official application portal or institutional email where instructed.

Do not hand account control to a coaching centre, cyber-café operator or agent. They do not need your login credentials to receive a document copy.

8. What to do when a record is unavailable or incorrect

If an issued record cannot be found:

1. Recheck the issuer, document type, roll number, registration number and year.
2. Confirm that the name and other details match the issuer’s records.
3. Check the issuer’s official website for DigiLocker or National Academic Depository guidance.
4. Contact the board or university through its official support channel.
5. Preserve error screenshots without exposing sensitive data.

If the source record itself is wrong, request correction from the issuer first. Avoid third parties promising to add or edit an official record for payment.

Final checklist

Before using an education document, confirm that:

• you signed in through the official DigiLocker service;
• the record appears under Issued Documents, not merely Uploads;
• student, examination and issuer details are correct;
• the secure QR code or URI can be verified;
• the receiving authority accepts the proposed submission method;
• no OTP, PIN or account access has been shared;
• any error is being corrected by the original issuer.

Use DigiLocker as a secure document channel, but use the issuer and the receiving authority’s current instructions as the final source for correctness and acceptance.

Key facts and official links Open the checklist when you are ready to act

Decision workspace

What you should check and do next

Use this source-linked summary before reading the full explanation or opening an official portal.

Current status

Partially Confirmed

Last verified

5 August 2026

Official sources

6

Transparency record

Updates and corrections

Material changes are recorded so you can see how this information evolved.

Update history

1. 2026-08-05: Published after checking the official FAQ, Terms of Use, National Academic Depository FAQ and QR-verification portal for issued/uploaded provenance, legal status, sharing and verification guidance.