New Delhi, Jul 23 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi government to take immediate steps in order to create a protocol for issuance of degrees, marksheets and transcripts online with security features including digital signatures.

A single judge bench of the high court presided by Justice Prathiba M Singh observed that it was clear that the process of issuing the degree certificates is taking time due to the delay in convocation,

The court said that there is a delay in sending of data and degree certificates for several years and the same have not been given to the students by Delhi University (DU).

The observations were passed while hearing, through video conferencing, a petition by five doctors who graduated their MBBS course from Lady Hardinge Medical College, which is a part of Faculty of Medical Sciences, DU.

The court also issued notice to National Academic Depository (NAD), a digital database of academic awards provided by the Central government, directing one of its senior officials to join the proceedings on the next date.

"Since the NAD is a unique feature and to act as a national depository for academic records to make it easily accessible to the students, the same should be utilised effectively by the DU and immediate steps be taken by the DU for transferring all the existing data relating to the students to the NAD," the judge said.