Two pieces of national infrastructure are quietly rewiring how academic records work in India: DigiLocker, the verified digital document layer, and the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), NEP 2020's portable credit ledger. Together they change what institutes must do at admission, during the program and at graduation.
DigiLocker: documents that verify themselves
DigiLocker holds issuer-signed digital records — board marksheets, degree certificates, identity documents — that verify cryptographically. For institutes this replaces the weakest admission step: instead of sighting and photocopying originals (which UGC norms bar you from retaining), verification runs against the issuing authority's own record.
ABC: credits that travel with the student
The Academic Bank of Credits gives every student a national credit account:
- Credits deposited by institutions as courses complete.
- Multiple entry and exit — certificate, diploma or degree recognitions along the way.
- Credit transfer between institutions without paper battles.
- One ABC ID identifying the student across the system.
For universities, this makes credit recording a routine digital obligation — and makes historical archives like the National Academic Depository part of one continuum of digital records.
What changes at each stage for an institute
| Stage | Old process | With DigiLocker + ABC |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Collect & hold originals | Verify digitally, return originals same day |
| Enrollment | Manual record creation | ABC ID captured in the application form |
| During program | Credits in internal ledgers | Credits deposited to ABC each term |
| Exit / transfer | Migration certificates, delays | Portable credits, verified instantly |
Getting operationally ready
- Capture ABC ID at application — one field in the online admission form, validated at entry.
- Verify documents digitally — uploaded documents checked against DigiLocker records; AI-powered document verification handles scale.
- Feed credits from your exam system — results from online exams and onscreen evaluation flow to credit records without re-entry.
- Stop touching paper — custody risk gone, compliance by design.
See how ePravesh handles digital documents and records across the admission cycle, or book a free demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)?
A national digital repository under NEP 2020 where students' earned academic credits are deposited, stored and transferred — enabling multiple entry/exit, credit transfer between institutions and flexible degree pathways. Students register once and get an ABC ID.
How does DigiLocker relate to the Academic Bank of Credits?
DigiLocker is the government's digital document platform and the access layer for ABC — students hold verified marksheets, certificates and their credit record digitally, and institutions verify them without handling paper.
How do institutes use DigiLocker during admissions?
By verifying uploaded documents against DigiLocker's issuer records instead of demanding originals — faster verification, no custody of certificates (which UGC norms prohibit anyway), and a clean audit trail.
Is ABC ID mandatory for students?
Regulators have progressively required ABC IDs for students in higher education, and institutions are expected to upload credits to the ABC — making integration part of routine academic administration.