Explained: Why has India announced 'digital certificates' for its athletes and what will it contain
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 29, 2024, 4:40 PM ISTThe ministry has instructed all National Sports Federations (NSFs) to exclusively distribute merit and participation certificates via DigiLocker. This directive follows the minister's initial announcement on simplifying processes for athletes and NSFs during last year's National Sports Day on August 29.
On Thursday, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur declared the government's plan to issue digital certificates to registered athletes nationwide. This initiative aims to provide transparent records of their participation and performance, with the certificates displaying dates of competitions and serving as evidence of their achievements.
"With athletes at the heart of our progressing and growing sporting ecosystem, the sports ministry has made a crucial decision to promote the 'issuance of digital certificates to athletes'," wrote Thakur on 'X'.
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The ministry has instructed all National Sports Federations (NSFs) to exclusively distribute merit and participation certificates via DigiLocker. This directive follows the minister's initial announcement on simplifying processes for athletes and NSFs during last year's National Sports Day on August 29.
On Thursday, the minister said, "Keeping up with our policy of 'athlete-first', NSFs have been advocated to issue certificates to athletes via DigiLocker, an initiative of Ministry of Electronics and IT."
He emphasized that digital certificates will introduce a new dimension to sports administration and the management of athletes.
"This decision has been taken to ensure the accessibility, security and veracity of documents and promote transparency and efficiency in the sports administration of the NSFs. This will further lead to ease of living for our sportspersons across the nation," the Sports Minister said.
"From June 1 this year, only certificates issued by the (sports) federations through Digilocker shall be valid and no physical certificates issued will be recognised for government and other benefits. We have advised the federations that their affiliated units must also start issuing the certificates through the DigiLocker from January 1 next year," added Thakur.
Thakur outlined the advantages of issuing sports certificates through DigiLocker, highlighting its ease of access and sharing, elimination of physical copies, provision of a secure environment for document storage and verification, and assurance of integrity and authenticity. He emphasized that this approach would streamline the certificate issuance process and alleviate administrative burdens.
"These certificates are proof of the athletes' commitment, effort, and accomplishments in their respective sports, and are currently distributed through outdated and inefficient, conventional methods," he said, adding that NSFs must put in place technology-based tools and solutions to serve the interest of sports, especially athletes.
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