The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through its National e-Governance Division (NeGD), kicked off the first episode of the ‘Ask Our Experts’ series, an interactive live program aimed at fostering direct engagement between citizens and government officials. The inaugural session focused on DigiLocker, India’s flagship e-Governance platform for secure digital document storage and verification.
The ‘Ask Our Experts’ series, streamed weekly on Digital India’s YouTube channel, provides a platform for citizens to pose questions directly to subject matter experts, demystifying key Digital India initiatives. Thousands of viewers from across India tuned in to learn more about DigiLocker’s features, with nine standout participants recognized as Digital India Question Ninjas for their insightful questions.
During the telecast of this episode, Durga Prasad Dash, Additional Director of NeGD, highlighted the advanced capabilities of DigiLocker, emphasizing that it is “beyond just Google Drive.” He explained, “DigiLocker connects issuers and requestors, centrally the citizens control their own data. For instance, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issues driving licenses and vehicle RCs, which are stored in DigiLocker as issued documents.”
Dash further elaborated on the distinction between issued and uploaded documents in DigiLocker. “Authorities directly issue documents to individual lockers, categorized under the issued section. Additionally, citizens have 1GB of space to upload scanned documents, known as uploaded documents, in formats like PDF, JPEG, and PNG.”
One of the key features which the expert explained was the address update on any government document which streamlines processes for citizens. “Without visiting any government office, individuals can update their address by simply selecting the address update facility on DigiLocker,” said Dash, adding that this service integrates Aadhaar data with other databases.
Another important aspect of the DigiLocker platform is the nominee feature, allowing users to designate individuals who will gain access to their documents after their demise. “In the event of a person’s death, nominated family members can access crucial documents and go to insurance companies or banks to claim benefits,” Dash explained.
DigiLocker also allows users to share selective information, a feature that can enhance privacy. Dash noted, “If a third party requires only the name and date of birth for identity verification, there’s no need to provide an entire document, which may include additional sensitive details. Citizens can share only the necessary information using DigiLocker.”
Nirmit Mehrotra, General Manager at NeGD, MeitY also demonstrated the registration process for opening a DigiLocker account and accessing documents stored in the digital wallet.
As the ‘Ask Our Experts’ series continues, it aims to further clarify and simplify the use of various e-Governance tools under the Digital India initiative, while rewarding citizen participation with special Digital India gift hampers.
