The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will cease issuing physical migration certificates for Classes 10 and 12 students, effective from the 2025 board examination cycle . Digitally signed certificates, accessible via the DigiLocker platform, will serve as legally valid documents for all higher educational institutions.
This policy change follows a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued on January 3, 2022 . The UGC instructed all universities and colleges to recognize digital certificates uploaded to the National Academic Depository (NAD) and DigiLocker as valid and authentic documents.
Reasons for Digital Transition
Data collected by CBSE supports the shift towards digital document issuance. For the Class 12 board exam in 2025, only 38,386 students out of a total of 1,704,367 candidates applied for a hard copy of their migration certificate. This figure represents just 2.2% of the total student body, indicating a significant preference for digital solutions.
The board noted this low demand underscores a broader trend of increasing digital adoption among students. The move aims to streamline administrative processes and reduce reliance on physical paperwork across the education sector.
Accessing Digital Certificates
Students will no longer incur any fee to obtain their migration certificates. CBSE will automatically upload the digitally signed certificates to the DigiLocker website. This upload will occur following the official announcement of board results.
Candidates can access and download their certificates directly from their respective student portals, which will link to the DigiLocker platform. DigiLocker provides a secure cloud-based environment for the storage, issuance, and verification of various government-issued documents and academic records.
Validity and Student Benefits
Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) across India are mandated to accept these digital migration certificates. The UGC’s directive ensures universal recognition, eliminating any concerns regarding the authenticity or acceptance of digital documents during admissions. These digital certificates carry the same legal validity as their physical counterparts.
The underlying National Academic Depository (NAD) system, integrated with DigiLocker, provides a secure and verifiable platform for academic records. This ensures that the digital certificates are tamper-proof and easily authenticated by institutions, reducing instances of fraud and administrative discrepancies.
This digital transition offers several direct benefits for students. It ensures immediate access to certificates, removing potential delays associated with postal delivery or manual processing. It also significantly reduces the risk of loss or damage to physical documents. Furthermore, the digital format simplifies the process of sharing documents securely with multiple institutions during college and university applications, enhancing convenience and efficiency for applicants.
Transition Phase and Hard Copy Requests
During a temporary transition period, students who still require a physical hard copy of their migration certificate can submit a request. Such requests must be made through the CBSE’s Duplicate Academic Document System (DADS) portal.
The DADS portal is accessible at cbseit.in/cbse/web/dads/List.aspx . The board will process and dispatch these requested physical copies according to the individual student’s application. This system ensures that students with specific requirements for physical documents are accommodated during the shift.
