AGARTALA, July 11 (TIWN): Addressing a national level review meeting of NAD held at Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura the experts from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Securities Depository Limited explained the process of getting registered with NAD and outlined its advantages to students, employers and academics. The meeting organized under the directives of UGC / MHRD, was preceded by the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Tripura University with the Registrar of the University, witnessed participation from various universities of Tripura and Mizoram including NIT-Agartala, NIT-Mizoram, ICFAI University, MBB University, Tripura Board of Secondary Education, Mizoram State Council for Technical Education among others. In this program, the CoE, Prof. K. N. Jena, Registrar, Prof. M. K. Singh and Prof. Sukanta Banik and Prof. C. B. Majumder were also present with the representatives of UGC/NAD and Securities Depositories. The CoE welcomed all the dignitaries by offering flower bouquet on the dais. Dr. Nikhil Kumar, Education Officer UGC explaining the nitty-gritty of NAD stated that the NAD is established by the Government of India as an endeavor to bring administrative and academic reforms. It is a 24X7 online storehouse of all academic certificates, diplomas, degrees and mark sheets etc, which are digitized and lodged by academic institutions. It not only ensures easy access to and retrieval of an academic award but also validates and guarantees its authenticity and safe storage. The experts pointed out that students were no longer required to carry their original certificates and mark sheets everywhere for job interviews and recruitments. Hence, they urged educational institutions to come forward and take advantage of NAD.

The Vice-Chancellor, Tripura University also addressed the participants and pointed out that technological advancement is the only way for improving the efficiency of the Universities. Information-automation will provide strength and ability to bring transparency in the system, said Prof. V. L. Dharurkar, Vice-Chancellor, Tripura University. The VC Tripura University also stated that the University will take lead to provide information and guidance to all the Universities in North-East in this venture with efforts to make Tripura University as model University. The academic leadership depends upon knowing man, idea and institute which can only be possible by the use of Technology Prof. Dharurkar further said. Speed, transparency and efficiency are three benefits of information-automation and Reform, Perform and Transform can be possible by following new technology in a systematic manner.

There is a need to develop islands of quality education he added. Data Analyst, UGC-NAD Shri Abhinav Sharma narrated the statistics of the institution wise data on the NAD portal. The Modus operandi & functionality of NAD portal was explained by Sudipto Sankar Bagchi from NSDL Database Management System Ltd (NDML). The Universities already on-boarded were insisted to upload 100% data on to the NAD portal from 2018-19 immediately along with the legacy data. Many of them are registered very fresh and they are, therefore, busy implementing its students' life cycle and test data lodging component including student’s registration, data template approval, programme master and data file testing etc to operationalize NAD. The ICFAI University, Aizawl, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and SIPARD, Agartala were identified which are yet to on-board NAD. The participants pointed out the need for wider student awareness and institutional capacity building for effective implementation of NAD as digital India initiatives of the Government.