The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will discontinue issuing physical migration certificates for Class 10 and Class 12 students starting with the **2025 board examinations**. All migration certificates will now be provided digitally through the Digilocker platform. This move aims to streamline document access and promote paperless governance.
CBSE has confirmed that digital migration certificates accessed via Digilocker will be fully valid for admissions into higher education institutions across India. This policy aligns with a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC), which advised all universities and colleges to accept Digilocker-issued academic documents as authentic proof.
Digital Migration Certificates via Digilocker
From the **2025 examinations** onwards, students completing their Class 10 and Class 12 board exams will receive their migration certificates exclusively in digital format. These certificates will be directly uploaded to the student’s individual Digilocker account by CBSE. Digilocker is a secure cloud-based platform for the issuance and verification of documents and certificates digitally.
The transition to digital-only certificates means students will no longer be charged a fee for their migration certificate. The fee previously associated with issuing physical copies has been abolished for these digital versions, making the process more accessible and cost-effective for students.
Validity for Higher Education Admissions
The validity of Digilocker documents for higher education admissions is a critical aspect of this policy change. The UGC previously issued a directive urging all universities and colleges to recognize and accept degree certificates, marksheets, and other educational records provided through Digilocker. This ensures that students using the digital migration certificate will face no hurdles during their application processes for colleges and universities.
This directive reinforces the authenticity and legal standing of digital documents. Institutions are now mandated to consider these digital records from Digilocker as equivalent to their physical counterparts, simplifying the admissions journey for students transitioning from school to higher education.
Accessing Digital Certificates
Students can access their digital migration certificates by logging into their individual Digilocker accounts. These accounts are typically created using Aadhaar numbers or mobile numbers linked to previous academic records. Once logged in, students can navigate to the ‘Issued Documents’ section to find and download their CBSE Migration Certificate.
The platform provides a secure and verifiable way to store and share academic records. Each document on Digilocker comes with a unique identification number, ensuring its authenticity and preventing tampering. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Digilocker platform ahead of the 2025 examinations.
Transition Period and Physical Copy Requests
During a specified transition period, CBSE acknowledges that some students may still require a physical copy of their migration certificate. For these cases, students can apply for a duplicate physical copy through the Duplicate Academic Document System (DADS) available on the official CBSE website.
This option serves as a temporary measure. The board’s primary focus remains on the digital distribution. CBSE noted that in previous Class 12 examinations, a small fraction of students, specifically 38,386 out of 1,704,367 candidates, applied for a hard copy of the migration certificate. This low demand for physical documents influenced the decision to move to an entirely digital system.
Benefits of the Digital Shift
This digital initiative is a key part of CBSE’s broader strategy to promote paperless governance and ensure easy, secure access to verified academic documents. The benefits extend beyond environmental impact, including:
- Reduced administrative burden: For both schools and the board in terms of printing, dispatching, and storing physical documents.
- Enhanced security: Digital certificates are less prone to loss, damage, or fraudulent alteration compared to physical copies.
- Instant access: Students can access their certificates anytime, anywhere, facilitating quicker application processes for higher education.
- Environmental sustainability: Less paper usage contributes to environmental conservation.
The move represents a significant step towards modernizing academic documentation processes, aligning with India’s digital transformation initiatives.