On Saturday, the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Rourkela became the second centrally-run higher education institution in the country (after IIT-Kanpur) to award blockchain-based digital degrees to all its graduates.
Over 1,500 students received their degrees in this format in addition to the traditional hard copy of the certificate.
How is the blockchain-based degree different from a regular digital degree certificate that a student can receive by email and share with employers and higher education institutions electronically? We explain:
Q. First, what is blockchain technology?
“Blockchain is like a ledger which stores information digitally, in a very secure way. The data is connected as blocks and exist in a distributed manner (across a network of computer systems)”, says Prof. Manish Okade, Head of the Computer & Informatics Centre (CIC) at NIT-Rourkela. He explains that since the data is not stored in one place, nobody can tamper or hack the system.
Q. Why is this technology being used to issue educational degrees and certificates?
Blockchain technology is useful for educational institutes because it helps preserve original documents and store them digitally and securely.
“Blockchain acts as an unalterable ledger for information. Any information once entered in the blockchain, cannot be erased”, says Professor Manindra Agarwal, co-founder of the National Blockchain Project and former deputy director of IIT-Kanpur. The National Blockchain Project, started by IIT Kanpur, is funded by the National Security Council to develop e-governance solutions using blockchain technology.
Continue reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/all-you-need-to-know-what-is-blockchain-based-higher-education-degree-how-is-it-different-from-a-regular-digital-degree-8088965/
Over 1,500 students received their degrees in this format in addition to the traditional hard copy of the certificate.
How is the blockchain-based degree different from a regular digital degree certificate that a student can receive by email and share with employers and higher education institutions electronically? We explain:
Q. First, what is blockchain technology?
“Blockchain is like a ledger which stores information digitally, in a very secure way. The data is connected as blocks and exist in a distributed manner (across a network of computer systems)”, says Prof. Manish Okade, Head of the Computer & Informatics Centre (CIC) at NIT-Rourkela. He explains that since the data is not stored in one place, nobody can tamper or hack the system.
Q. Why is this technology being used to issue educational degrees and certificates?
Blockchain technology is useful for educational institutes because it helps preserve original documents and store them digitally and securely.
“Blockchain acts as an unalterable ledger for information. Any information once entered in the blockchain, cannot be erased”, says Professor Manindra Agarwal, co-founder of the National Blockchain Project and former deputy director of IIT-Kanpur. The National Blockchain Project, started by IIT Kanpur, is funded by the National Security Council to develop e-governance solutions using blockchain technology.
Continue reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/all-you-need-to-know-what-is-blockchain-based-higher-education-degree-how-is-it-different-from-a-regular-digital-degree-8088965/
