Do away with accepting attested documents: UGC to varsities

In what may come as a big relief to students, UGC has asked all universities to do away with the requirement of submitting attested documents and accept self-certification of mark sheets, birth certificates and other important papers.
In its communication to vice chancellors of universities across the country, it has requested them for initiating "urgent steps" for implementing the measures, giving them a week's time to comply with the directions.
"It is requested that the process of abolition of affidavits and adoption of self certification may be complied with at the earliest and compliance report be sent to UGC with a week of the issue of the letter," the Commission said in its communication on September 26.

The move would come as a boon for students sitting for entrance tests or seeking admissions.
Getting attested from gazetted officers certificates such as mark sheets, birth certificates, domicile certificates often involve a lot of hassles.
The measure posed more difficulty for students in rural areas scouting for a gazetted officer, officials said.

Accepting self-attestation is in line with the recommendation of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission for adoption of self-certification provision for simplifying procedures.
Under this method, original documents are required to be produced at the final stage of admission.
According to the commission, self-certification is citizen friendly and obtaining either an attested copy or affidavit not only costs money to the poor citizen but also involves wastage of time of citizens and government officials.

Several universities have already started accepting self-attested documents and the communication is intended to set a time-line for the rest to follow it, said HRD Ministry officials.