DigiLocker: Features, Benefits, Structure; How It Works

DigiLocker, a digital document storage service, grants access to authentic virtual documents. The Digital Locker Scheme, initiated by the Government of India in February 2015, allows Indian residents to securely store essential documents in their personal electronic space. Whether safeguarding your Aadhar card or preserving your marriage certificate, the Digital Locker Scheme provides a safe repository. Retrieving lost documents can be a hassle, but with this scheme, you can rest assured about document security. This facility is a significant component of the Digital India programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1, 2015. When you register for a DigiLocker account, you can upload and protect your documents. The dedicated cloud storage space is specifically linked to your Aadhaar number, ensuring both convenience and security.

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Features Of The Digital Locker Scheme:

Document Safety: Safeguarding important documents is crucial, and storing them in an insecure place can be problematic. DigiLocker ensures secure access to all your documents by utilizing authenticity services provided by Aadhar.

Go Paperless: DigiLocker enables Indian residents to share documents online with government agencies, eliminating the need to carry physical documents at all times. It takes a step forward into the digital era, sparing citizens from the burden of carrying a bulky file of documents everywhere.

Personal Electronic Storage Space: DigiLocker encourages citizens to maintain a personal document storage space, linked to their Aadhaar numbers and secured through advanced technology.

Reduced Paperwork: DigiLocker minimizes or eliminates the requirement for paperwork, streamlining the manual labour involved in handling documents within government agencies.

Lower Administrative Work And Costs: Government agencies deal with a significant volume of documents, requiring resources like files, paper, storage space, and manpower for safeguarding. The administrative costs in the government sector are notably high. By reducing administrative work, DigiLocker directly contributes to lowering the associated costs for the government.

Who Can Benefit From DigiLocker

DigiLocker is available for use by individuals, firms, corporate companies, government agencies, and other institutions. Three primary stakeholders benefit from this system: citizens, issuers, and requestors.

Citizens can utilize the DigiLocker facility to store and access their documents anytime and anywhere. They can save documents such as PAN cards, Aadhar cards, university mark sheets, passports, and more. Citizens can also receive documents through DigiLocker; any registered issuer on the platform can send documents to a registered DigiLocker user. The received documents are stored in a central repository, and citizens can share them using a uniform resource locator (URL) link.

Issuers are another essential user group of the DigiLocker facility. They can issue electronic documents to citizens instead of printing them, with plans for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) results to be issued on DigiLocker in the future.

Requestors also find value in the DigiLocker scheme. Government departments providing services to citizens can request the necessary documents to process any requests efficiently.

Benefits Of DigiLocker

Cost Reduction For Government: DigiLocker helps the government save money on administrative expenses by eliminating the need for extensive recruitment, supplies, and physical storage space for documents.

Time Savings: Applying for government documents or services becomes quicker with DigiLocker. Online applications can be made, and the relevant authority can request documents directly from DigiLocker, streamlining the process.

Fraud Prevention: DigiLocker's secure platform minimizes the risk of fraud and document misuse since documents cannot be shared without the user's explicit permission.

Secure E-sign Requirement: All user-uploaded documents require an e-sign, ensuring document validity and providing an additional layer of security.

Digital Accessibility: There's no need to carry physical documents everywhere; DigiLocker allows users to access and share their documents digitally, promoting convenience and reducing the risk of loss or damage.

Structure Of DigiLocker Scheme:

My Certificates:

Digital Documents: Contains URLs of documents received from government departments and agencies.

Uploaded Documents: Stores documents uploaded by the user, limited to a file size of 10MB.

My Profile: Displays the user's complete profile gathered from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) database.

My Issuer: Lists all issuers who have issued documents to the user. Displays the number of documents issued by the user to each issuer.

Directories: Displays registered issuers and requestors under the DigiLocker scheme. Useful when availing services from government agencies.

My Requestor: Displays requestor names and the number of documents requested and received by the user. Once a user registers for the DigiLocker facility, they gain access to a secure electronic storage area with these sections for organized document management.

How Does It Work: To get started, users need to sign up using their mobile phone number and link their DigiLocker account with their Aadhaar. After completing this step, they can upload documents and add an electronic signature (e-sign). Once all the documents are e-signed, users can begin sharing them as needed.

How To Create A DigiLocker Account: To get a DigiLocker account, all you need is your mobile number. Simply download the DigiLocker app from the Google Play Store and register using your phone number. After entering the phone number, authenticate it by receiving and entering the One-time Password (OTP). Next, choose a username and password for your DigiLocker account. Once created, you can sync it with your Aadhaar card for additional information.