Dhritiman Ray v. University of Delhi

13 AND + W.P.(C) 4571/2020 & CM APPLs. 16511/2020, 16512/2020, 16513/2020 DR.

NAMAN BARECHA & ORS...... Petitioners along with P-1 to 3 in person versus UNIVERSITY OF DELHI & ORS...... Respondents Mr. Rajendra Sahu, Advocate for R-4 Mr. Shlok Chandra, Advocate for R- 5. CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH Prathiba M. Singh J. (Oral)

1. This hearing has been held through video-conferencing.

2. The present petition has been listed before this Court from time to time. The Petitioners are doctors who have graduated from various medical colleges in Delhi in 2017 and 2018. They wished to pursue their post graduate medical education in the USA. For the said purpose they had applied for issuance of degree certificates. However, the same were not issued by the University of Delhi (hereinafter, ‘DU’) on the ground that the contract with the printer had expired.

3. Vide order dated 23rd July, 2020, in order to streamline the process of issuance of degrees and to also eliminate the need for students to physically go the DU campus for obtaining certificates, this Court had directed the DU to come up with a protocol for issuance of digital degree certificates. However, the protocol placed on record by the DU was not satisfactory and accordingly on 4th August, 2020 the Court had appointed a Committee.

4. The said Committee is stated to have held meetings with the officials of DU. In compliance with the last order, Mr. Rupal, Ld. Counsel for DU has placed on record, a sample digital degree certificate before the Court, which has been prepared with the assistance of the officials from Digilocker as also IT officials from the High Court of Delhi. The said degree certificate contains the following information: i) Name of the course; ii) Name of the candidate in English and Hindi; iii) Grade secured by the candidate; iv) QR code; v) Bar code at the bottom; vi) Date of issuance of the degree; vii) Roll number and Enrolment number; viii) Signatures of the Registrar and Vice-Chancellor; ix) Digital signature of Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Joint Director, Delhi University Computer Centre (DUCC).

5. The Court has perused the digital degree certificate, which has been sent by e-mail, and the Court is satisfied with the contents of the same. The issuance of similar digital degree certificates duly verified by two officials of the DU and in the Court’s opinion, satisfy the purpose of the Petitioners.

6. Insofar as the Petitioners in these petitions are concerned, it is directed that the digital degree certificates for all of them be issued by email, on or before 13th August, 2020.

7. In so far as other students of the University are concerned, Dr. Sanjeev Singh and Prof. Vinay Gupta (Dean, Examinations), who have also joined the video conferencing hearing, submit that the data of all the students who have graduated up till November, 2019 is already available with the DU.

8. They further submit that DU has activated the online portal for issuance of digital degree certificates being www.digicerti.du.ac.in, wherein the students have to register themselves and give their details including their academic qualification, name of their college, etc. Upon the same being completed by the students, the digital degree certificates for the students shall be issued within a maximum period of one week, after completing the verification etc.

9. Insofar as the transmission of data to Digilocker is concerned, DU is working out modalities with the officials of Digilocker to transmit all the data relating to degrees awarded by DU to Digilocker, within a time bound manner. Let the above measures and timelines thereto be placed on record by means of an affidavit by DU.

10. Let an affidavit be also placed on record by MEITY/Digilocker as to what are the steps that DU needs to take to ensure that the data is made available to the students through Digilocker.

11. Let both affidavits, of the DU and the MEITY/Digilocker, be filed within two weeks.

12. In the meantime, all such students who require their digital degree certificates due to any urgent deadlines etc., are free to register on the portal and the officials at DU shall ensure that their digital degree certificates are issued within a period of one week from registration. In case the portal is not working for any reasons, the details may be submitted on the e-mail addresses of Dr. Sanjeev Singh and Prof. Vinay Gupta, as mentioned below, and steps shall then be taken within the time prescribed.

13. The Petitioners are free to use the digital degree certificates for the purpose of their ECFMG applications. If the ECFMG authorities need any clarification, the same may be addressed to Dr. Sanjeev Singh (e-mail: sanjeev@south.du.ac.in) or Prof. Vinay Gupta (email: dean_exam@du.ac.in).