National Academic Depository
National Academic Depository (NAD) is a free, 24×7 repository where educational institutions lodge and publish academic awards digitally.
What National Academic Depository is
National Academic Depository (NAD) is a free, 24×7 repository where educational institutions lodge and publish academic awards digitally. Records can include degrees, diplomas, certificates, mark sheets and evaluation reports. Students retrieve issued awards through DigiLocker without separate NAD registration, using the web or mobile app. With student consent, employers, banks and other verifiers can check authenticity. Institutions register with an official email, identify an authorised senior official and complete verification before uploading records. They prepare award data in zipped CSV format or through a secure API, select a standard template and publish awards. Legacy records may be uploaded, but institutions must digitise them and ensure accuracy. NAD does not allow custom certificate templates or branding. The service states that digital awards are legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and that authenticity, integrity and confidentiality are maintained. Its ecosystem includes students, institutions, boards and verifying organisations. Support is available by email and through customer-support video conferencing.
Good
- Free digital award repository
- DigiLocker student access
- Consent-based verification
- Secure API and CSV uploads
- Supports multiple award types
Watch out
- No custom certificate designs
- Institutions responsible for record accuracy
- Students need DigiLocker access
- Verification requires student consent
Who it suits
NAD suits students retrieving official awards, institutions publishing records and organisations verifying credentials with consent. It is designed for India’s academic-award ecosystem.
Verdict
NAD centralises academic awards for student access and consent-based verification. Its standardised institutional workflow and template limits are important for organisations publishing records.
The facts
Each one read from National Academic Depository's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Availability
- The site says students can access DigiLocker on the web and mobile app.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Award integrity
- The site says NAD maintains the authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality of academic awards.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Award types
- The repository supports degrees, diplomas, certificates, mark sheets, and evaluation reports.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Data responsibility
- The academic institution is responsible for ensuring that its academic records are accurate.checked 9 Oct 2026
- For whom
- Its ecosystem includes students and award recipients, academic institutions and boards, and verifying entities such as banks, employers, and government bodies.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Institution data input
- Institutions can submit bulk academic data through a secure API; the FAQ also describes CSV uploads.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Institution requirements
- An academic institution must register using its official email, identify an authorized senior official, and have its submitted details verified before using the service.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Institution workflow
- Institutions register, prepare and upload award data in a zipped CSV format, select a standard template, and publish awards for students.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Issuing awards
- Academic institutions can lodge and publish academic awards in digital format through NAD.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Legacy records
- Institutions can upload legacy award records, and digitizing that data is the institution’s responsibility.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Legal status
- The site states that digital awards are legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- NAD is a 24×7 online repository for academic awards issued by educational institutions.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- NAD says it maintains the authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality of academic awards.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security and privacy
- The privacy policy says the service uses technology, security features, and policy guidelines to protect personal information from unauthorized access and improper use or disclosure.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Student access
- Students can retrieve their lodged academic awards through DigiLocker.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Student registration
- Students do not need to register separately on the NAD portal and can access issued certificates through DigiLocker.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site lists NAD support at [email protected] and provides a customer support page with video conference support.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Technical features
- The institution manual describes dashboards, standardized certificate templates, upload and publication status, and the ability to restart an upload process.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Template limit
- Institutions cannot modify NAD’s predefined certificate templates or add their own certificate designs.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Verification
- Employers and other verifiers can check an award’s authenticity with the concerned student’s consent.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Verification integration
- The verifier page directs users to register on API Setu.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Who it serves
- The stated ecosystem includes students and award recipients, academic institutions, and verifying entities such as banks and employers.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Headquarters
- New Delhi, Indiachecked 28 Sep 2026
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