Union Edu Minister to launch Blockchain-powered digital degrees system at NIT Rourkela's convocation on August 13

National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela is organising its 19th Convocation on Saturday, August 13, 2022. The Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan will grace the occasion as the chief guest. The event is being held at Bhubaneshwar Behera Auditorium of the institute from 10 am onwards.

As per a press note released by the institute, NIT Rourkela will be the first NIT institute and second institute — after IIT Kanpur — to implement the issue of certificates digitally by Blockchain-based. This method is implemented now to commemorate the institute’s Diamond Jubilee year along with celebrating the 75th year of India’s Independence — Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. As it is the Diamond Jubilee year, the convocation is being marked as the Diamond Jubilee Convocation.

Additionally, it is with the assistance from the IIT Kanpur’s C3i Innovation Hub that the institute will be awarding these digital degrees. This was headed by Padma Shri Prof Manindra Agrawal and his team comprising Prof Sandeep Shukla, Prof Tanima Hajra and a start-up, CRUBN, incubated at C3i Innovation Hub. This hub is a part of the National Blockchain Project which helps in implementing futuristic technology into academic endeavours.

Also, this will ease the verification process of documents through swift receipt of an OTP (one-time password) to avail login. Explaining the importance of this futuristic technology, Prof Manish Okade, HoD, Computer & Informatics Centre (CIC), NIT Rourkela, said, “Degree certificates of the students will now be accessible from anywhere in the world using smartphones, laptops, desktops and tablets since it is stored in a digital wallet for life. This digital wallet provides a secure, tamper-proof environment that the students can share with their prospective employers.

It could be verified instantly, saving the laborious verification process carried out by third parties, which easily takes 2 to 3 weeks currently”. “When the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan presses a button during NIT Rourkela’s XIX Annual Convocation, the digital portal https://digitaldegree. nitrkl.

ac. in/ will be activated. Here the student will enter their roll number and an OTP will be sent to the graduating student’s registered mobile number as well as email id.

With this OTP, the student will be able to get their degree certificates from the Blockchain,” stated the press note. According to the note, 6 institute gold medals, 5 endowment gold medals, 5 endowment awards, 70 branch topper medals and 1 endowment cash award shall be given to graduands. Additionally, a total of 11 alumni will be conferred with the Distinguished Alumnus Award–2021.

A total of 1,555 students (859 undergraduates, 608 postgraduates and 88 PhDs) will be awarded degrees. As the convocation is coinciding with the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign on August 13, many events like a painting competition, a marathon with the said central theme, a street play by students, a cycle rally by NCC and NSS cadets, and an institute parade function involving security staff, NCC cadets and campus school children are planned. Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Sundargarh, Odisha and Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Sundargarh, Jual Oram, and Member of the Legislative Assembly Rourkela and Chairman of District Planning Board, Sundargarh, Sarada Prasad Nayak, will also attend the event.

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