In a momentous step towards embracing digital technology, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced its integration with the DigiLocker platform, a flagship initiative under the Digital India programme.
The formalization of this collaboration took place at Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan, on April 26, 2024, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the IAF and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The integration with DigiLocker marks a significant milestone in the IAF’s journey towards digital transformation. It signifies a departure from traditional paper-based document management systems towards a secure, efficient, and accessible digital ecosystem.
Under this initiative, authorized departments and divisions within the IAF will have the capability to upload digital records, certificates, and important documents directly to the national DigiLocker repository.
This ensures secure storage and easy accessibility of documents, facilitating seamless verification processes.
IAF officers, both serving and retired, will benefit from direct access to essential documents such as the Certificate of Service (COS) and Service Book Officers (SBO) through their personal DigiLocker wallets. This empowers officers to conveniently retrieve and verify documents, enhancing operational efficiency and accessibility.
The integration with DigiLocker will streamline various administrative processes within the IAF, including recruitment procedures.
For instance, the Agniveer Vayu recruitment process will now include digital verification of candidates’ academic documents, promoting transparency and credibility in the recruitment process.
The MoU signed between Air Vice Marshal Phillip Thomas, ACAS (PO), Indian Air Force, and Shri Akash Tripathi, President & CEO, NeGD, MeitY, represents a collaborative effort towards digital empowerment and modernization.
Shri S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, hailed this initiative as a “watershed moment in India’s digital transformation journey,” underscoring its role in catalyzing governance through technological empowerment.
With over 269 million registered users and 6.73 billion issued documents, DigiLocker has emerged as a national standard for digital document exchange platforms.
The integration of the IAF with DigiLocker signifies India’s commitment to leveraging technology for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and security across various sectors, including defense.
This integration heralds a new era of digital empowerment within the armed forces and reinforces India’s position as a leader in the digital domain. It underscores the IAF’s relentless pursuit of innovation and modernization to meet the evolving challenges of the 21st century.
