New Delhi

In a major boost for Indian students aspiring to study abroad, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has partnered with the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) to launch 'AAERI Verify'.

Integrated directly with DigiLocker, this digital platform will enable secure, paperless, and consent-based verification of academic, identity, and financial documents for students applying to Australian universities. The platform was officially unveiled during the AAERI Annual Convention in New Delhi on August 7, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said in a release.

Launched by AAERI in collaboration with NeGD, AAERI Verify is a source-verified authentication platform designed to streamline student credential checks for Australian higher education institutions. By integrating DigiLocker with the AAERI Verify platform, students can securely share authentic, issuer-verified digital documents directly from trusted sources, reducing dependence on physical documents and manual verification processes.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the newly launched digital workflow replaces slow, manual document verification with a secure, two-stage strategic framework. Under Stage 1, a student check is conducted seamlessly before the university application process begins. This is followed by Stage 2, where a sponsor check is initiated immediately after a student receives an admission offer to verify financial authenticity.

With the explicit consent of the student, DigiLocker will provide Australian universities direct access to digitally signed records from original issuing authorities. This eliminates the risk of fraud, ensures absolute data privacy, and cuts down application processing times drastically, the Ministry said.

Highlighting the impact of the initiative, JL Gupta, Director, NeGD, stated, "This collaboration demonstrates how India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is solving real-world global challenges. By integrating DigiLocker with AAERI Verify, we are providing a secure, paperless, and trusted framework that simplifies the entire international admission process for our students."

Gupta also gave a detailed presentation showcasing NeGD's foundational role in orchestrating India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Operating as an independent business division established under MeitY in 2009, NeGD supports macro project management, framing policies, and tech appraisals. NeGD manages an expansive network of technology platforms that "join the dots" across the Indian government ecosystem.

The platform supports public workflows across diverse statutory organisations. These include the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), NITI Aayog, etc.

DigiLocker is a flagship DPI initiative under MeitY's National e-Governance Division (NeGD). It provides citizens with a secure, consent-based wallet to store, share, and verify authentic digital documents issued directly by authorised organisations.

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Developed under the flagship Digital India programme, DigiLocker currently serves over 72 crore registered users and enables secure issuance, storage, sharing and real-time verification of digitally signed documents issued by authorised institutions. This partnership marks a pivotal step in expanding India's domestic digital success into the global education ecosystem.