Digilocker: All You Need to Know

In an age where digital transformation is reshaping how we store and share information, DigiLocker has emerged as a game-changing initiative by the Government of India. Designed to eliminate paperwork and simplify access to important documents, DigiLocker serves as your personal digital vault for storing, verifying, and sharing official records securely and instantly. Whether it’s your Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving license, or academic certificates, DigiLocker makes document management paperless, hassle-free, and government-verified all within a few clicks. Continue reading to learn about digilocker in detail.

What is Digilocker?

Digital lockers enable the online exchange of electronic documents. Digital Lockers enable real-time access to dematerialised documents issued by a variety of government and private agencies. The Digital Locker ecosystem includes a number of service providers who offer services such as Digital Locker Portals and Repository services for gaining access to documents issued electronically by Issuer Organisations and exchanging these documents with Requester Agency.

Features of DigiLocker

Now as you know what digilocker is, let’s check key features of DigiLocker. Some of them are mentioned below:  

• It is a digital locker system that stores and maintains machine-readable, printed, shareable, and verified records. 
• It contains two sections: Issued Documents and Uploaded Documents. The URLs of government-issued papers available on your DigiLocker dashboard can be found under the Issued papers section. The Uploaded Documents area contains the documents that you have uploaded to DigiLocker.  
• DigiLocker gives you a storage space of 1GB.
• DigiLocker allows for document transfers from issuing departments and authorities, as well as cross-agency document sharing.  
• Documents saved in DigiLocker can be accessed at any time and from any location using a mobile or desktop application.  
• DigiLocker prevents unauthorized access to citizen accounts with automatic session terminations.  
• DigiLocker documents are regarded as authentic and legal equivalent to the original copy. Documents can only be shared with the account holder's authorization.
• Citizens can digitally sign their uploaded records using the E-Sign facility.

Benefits of Digilocker 

Digilocker offers different benefits for citizens as well as agencies. Some of the benefits are mentioned below-

Benefits to Citizens

• Important documents can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
• Authentic documents, legally equivalent to originals.  
• Digital document exchange with the citizen's consent.  
• Faster service delivery for government benefits, employment, financial inclusion, education, and health.

Benefits to Agencies

• Reduced Administrative Overhead: Focused on the concept of paperless government.  It minimizes administrative costs by reducing the use of paper and shortening the verification procedure.  
• Digital Transformation: Provides trustworthy issued documents. DigiLocker provides real-time access to issued documents straight from the issuing agency.  
• Secure Document Gateway: Provides a secure document exchange platform, similar to a payment gateway, between a trusted issuer and a trusted Requester/Verifier with the citizen's consent.  
• Real-Time Verification: Provides a verification module that allows government entities to validate data directly from issuers after receiving user approval.

ALSO READ: https://stablemoney.in/blog/how-to-download-aadhar-card 

Components of Digilocker

As you have explored different benefits of the digilocker. Now explore its key components mentioned below-

Home - This is your DigiLocker account's home screen, from which you can browse to other sections.  This includes a summary of issued papers as well as a link to documents from DigiLocker-integrated partners.

Issued Documents - This section displays a list of URIs (links) for digital documents or certifications issued by government departments or agencies that are integrated with DigiLocker.  

DigiLocker Drive- This part displays all documents submitted by you. You can change the document type and distribute the submitted documents.  

Activity - This part logs all of your DigiLocker account activities.  The log contains information about various activities such as file uploading, downloading, and sharing.

Browse Documents - This section lists DigiLocker's registered departments and agencies as Issuers.  If these departments have issued you a document or certificate, it will appear as a URI (link) in your Issued Documents section.

Is Digilocker Safe​? 

DigiLocker is fully safe and secure for use. The following practices have been implemented to ensure data security:  

Standard Practices:  

DigiLocker adheres to standard software development procedures, including standardized coding standards, guidelines, and reviews.  Prior to deployment, each version is internally evaluated and tested for security and penetration vulnerabilities. DigiLocker uses 2048 bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption for any data transmitted during any activity.

Multifactor Authentication based Sign Up and Sign in: 

DigiLocker authenticates users and grants access to the platform with multifactor authentication, which includes signup and signin via mobile OTP (one time password) or biometric identification, as well as PIN validation.  The application is hosted on a data hosting facility that is ISO 27001 certified.  

Data Redundancy: 

Proper multi-zone redundancy ensures secure backups.  

Timed Logout:  

To protect citizens' accounts from unwanted access, our system is programmed to immediately terminate sessions if prolonged inactivity is detected.

Security Audit: 

The DigiLocker system is audited by CERT-IN accredited agencies, and external third-party application security audit certificates are obtained on a regular basis.  

How Can I Sign up for DigiLocker?  

You can sign up for a digilocker account with just your mobile or Aadhaar number.  Your mobile/Aadhaar number will be authenticated by sending an OTP (one-time password) and entering your security PIN for two-factor authentication. This will create a DigiLocker account.

How to Use DigiLocker?

The major goal of DigiLocker for Indian nationals is to upload and store documents.  Uploading can be done in the following ways:  

• Sign in to DigiLocker with your username and password.  
• On the desktop dashboard, select "Drive" from the left side panel.  
• If you use the DigiLocker mobile app, tap on the "Documents from Drive" option at the bottom of the page.  
• The DigiLocker drive will open.  
• Go to the folders section and click the "Documents" tab.  
• Click on "Upload Files" on the new page that displays, choose the document you wish to upload, and click the "Open" button.  

The document is successfully uploaded to DigiLocker.

How to Upload Issued Documents to DigiLocker

You can easily upload issued documents to digilocker, below are the steps outlined for the same- 

• Open digilocker
• Now login to the digilocker
• Click on the search option
• Next enter the document name for example, birth certificate
• Choose your state 
• Your name, date of birth and gender will be displayed
• Enter the registration number and then click on the checkbox for consent
• Next click on the get document option. 

The document will get uploaded on the digilocker account.

You can also add your own documents by just following these simple steps- 

• Open digilocker app 
• Click on drive option on the home screen 
• Now, click on new
• Choose the document like aadhaar card, diving license, PAN card, etc you want to upload and confirm

The document will get uploaded on the digilocker account. 

​Conclusion

DigiLocker is more than just a digital document storage solution providing citizens with instant access to verified documents. DigiLocker has made document management smarter and more transparent. Whether you’re applying for a job, filing taxes, or verifying your identity, DigiLocker ensures that your important documents are just a few clicks away. As India continues to embrace digital governance, DigiLocker stands as a cornerstone of convenience, security, and trust in the digital era.