Say goodbye to paper certificates, athletes go digital

Athletes in country to be issued digital certificates, says Anurag Thakur

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday announced that the government will issue digital certificates to registered athletes across the country, a move which would ensure a transparent account of their participation and performance.

The digital certificate will have dates of the athletes' participation in competitions and serve as proof 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'.

The ministry has directed all National Sports Federations (NSFs) to only release merit and participation certificates through the DigiLocker.

The minister had first announced his plan to simplify things for athletes and National Sports Federations (NSFs) during the National Sports Day on August 29 last year.

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 said the digital certificates will add a new aspect to sports administration and management of sportspersons.

"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.

"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.

Enumerating the benefits of issuing sports certificates through DigiLocker, Thakur said it will make access and sharing of certificates easy, eliminate the need for physical copies, provide a secure environment for storing and verifying documents and ensure their integrity and authenticity.

This, he said, would streamline the certificate issuance process and reduce administrative burden.

"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.