Published: Post Date – 11:59 PM, Sunday – November 20
The smart chip feature in certificates will complement the existing functionality, which includes a unique code for each certificate.
Hyderabad: The Telangana State Higher Education Commission (TSCHE) and state universities are planning to embed smart chips in certificates, especially in tamper-resistant memos of marks, to step up efforts to curb the threat of fake certificates.
This high-end security feature in certificates will be in addition to existing features, which include unique codes, logos, watermarks and paper thickness for each certificate. Despite current security features, criminals are still being seen tampering and creating fake credentials for school and job purposes.
The new smart chip functionality will be embedded in the credentials of graduating students and will be applied to all undergraduate, graduate, diploma and certificate programs offered by the state university. To move forward with the initiative, officials decided to seek the support of Telangana’s Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department.
Given the fake certificates being created, it was necessary to propose new security features in certificates issued by universities, a senior official noted.
Furthermore, TSCHE, which recently launched the Student Academic Verification Service (SAVS) portal, has decided to make the system more robust and dynamic. Steps are being taken to automatically synchronize the University’s foundation with the portal to ensure that information is readily available on the portal as the University issues certificates to students.
SAVS is a request-based service designed to deter fake threats and help recruiters, businesses and educational institutions, including foreign universities, verify the credentials of students graduating from state universities. Information can be verified in two formats – instant verification and full verification. After entering basic details such as university, course, year and hall ticket number on the portal, a student’s qualifications including name, father’s name, university and total marks can be verified instantly and free of charge.
In the case of full verification, soft copies of credentials submitted online by recruiting agencies or institutions of higher education will be physically verified against University records. Verified details will be made available to customers online. A fee of Rs 1,500 will be charged for full certificate verification. Currently, the portal has information on 2.5 million students who graduated from 15 universities in the state between 2010 and 2021.
