FAQs on Digital Locker Authority
1. What is Digital Locker?
Digital lockers enable online sharing of electronic documents. Real time access to dematerialised documents issued by various Government and Private Agencies can be achieved through Digital Lockers. The Digital Locker ecosystem comprises multiple service providers who provide services such as Digital Locker Portals and Repository services for providing access to Documents issued electronically by Issuer Organisations and sharing these documents with Requester agencies.
2. What are the benefits of using Digital Locker?
Digital Locker provides following key benefits:
- Digital Locker eliminates the need to submit physical copies of certificates/documents for availing services offered by various organizations. It facilitates online access to electronic certificates/documents issued by various departments to residents who have registered with one or more Digital Locker Service Provider
- Residents can share these electronic certificates/documents online with other organizations registered on the Digital Locker for availing various services provided by them.
3. How can a resident avail Digital Locker Service?
A resident can register with any of the Digital Local Service Providers licensed by the Controller of Digital Locker Authority (DLA)
4. What are the components of Digital Locker and how it functions?
Citizens, Issuer Organisations, Repositories, Requestor Agencies and Digital Locker Service Providers are the main components. The ecosystem works on a standard set of interoperable Application Programming Interfaces (API)
5. Who can be a Digital Locker Service Provider?
A Digital Locker Service Provider (DLSP) is an intermediary, including a body corporate or an agency of the appropriate Government, licensed by the Digital Locker Authority, to provide Digital Locker Service in accordance with the Digital Locker Rules.
6. What are the functions of the Digital Locker Authority?
Digital Locker Authority (DLA) is designated by the Government for the licensing of Digital Locker Service Providers (DLSP) and management of Digital Locker System. DLA ensures compliance of DLSPs with specified standards, Rules under the IT Act and issued guidelines. The guidelines include, but are not limited to, those for data retention and migration, audit, security and privacy
7. How many Digital Locker Service Providers have been licensed by the Digital Locker Authority?
Digital Locker Authority is in the process of inviting applications from the prospective DLSPs and will issue licences, subject to the applicants’ meeting the specified criteria. The advertisement for licensing of DLSPs has been published in newspapers on March 8th, 2017
8. What is last date for applying for a licence to become DLSP?
As of now, there is no last date for receiving applications for grant of licence from potential DLSPs.
9. Is there any chance of rejection of application for Licence to become a DLSP?
The applicant entities need to mandatorily satisfy the eligibility criteria specified. In case non-compliances are observed during audit in respect of the Digital Locker Technology Framework or the Audit and Compliance Framework, DLA may ask the applicant to address these non-compliances, following which grant of licence may be re-considered.
10. As an issuer what should I do to be part of Digital locker?
Issuer organisations are required to be on-boarded to the DLSP(s) for which guidelines are available on DLAs web site. The Repository of the Issuer is required to be audited as per the prescribed guidelines. On being on-boarded by a licensed DLSP, the Issuer organisation will be listed in the website of DLA.
11. Is there any fee for citizens and requestors for availing Digital Locker service?
The fees for accessing Digital Locker services will be market driven. However, if required in the future, it may be prescribed by the Government.