To issue an e-certificate that anyone can verify, sign each certificate so a third party can check it, and publish the information for that check where the public can reach it without asking you. In India there are three established routes: the open standard Open Badges 3.0 [1], the government DigiLocker issuer route [4], and a digital signature certificate (DSC) applied to a PDF [6]. For a club or fest, the least effort route is a platform that issues certificates from your own template and offers public online verification. Unifesto does this on its Pro plan.
What makes a certificate verifiable
The Open Badges 3.0 specification says a credential needs at least one proof mechanism, plus the details needed to check that proof, before it counts as verifiable [1]. The specification also expects a verifier to trust the specific issuer to recognise the achievement. Your organisation's name and reputation therefore carry real weight [1]. The issuer's key and status information should be published too, so a verifier can check a certificate without contacting you [2].
That leaves three things to get right. Each certificate needs a signature or other proof. The public needs a place to check that proof. And you need a way to show whether a certificate has been revoked or has expired. Most failures happen at the second and third points, not the first.
Three routes compared
| Route | Who can issue | How a verifier checks it | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Badges 3.0 | Any organisation; no government registration needed [1] | Checks the signed proof and issuer details [1] | It is a specification, not a hosting service, so you need signing and hosting set up [3] |
| DigiLocker issuer | Organisations that pass onboarding [4] | QR code or the Verify Document feature checks the signature against the issuer's certificate [5] | Vetting, a verification call and testing come before go-live [4] |
| Digital signature certificate on a PDF | A named person holding a licensed certificate [6] | The signature is checked through a chain of trust that leads to the Root CA [7] | The certificate belongs to a person, not the club [6] |
The right route depends on who will sign, how many certificates you issue, and whether you need a public check page or just a signed document.
Open Badges 3.0 in practice
Open Badges 3.0 is a 1EdTech standard. Each credential is digitally signed by its issuer and built to the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model v2.0 [1]. The 1EdTech implementation guide includes a signed JSON-LD sample. It shows the required fields, such as the issuer profile, the credential type and validity dates [1]. A third-party implementation summary reports that version 3.0 is a final release, document version 1.4.5, dated 29 June 2026 [3].
The spec does not give you anywhere to host credentials. You need a signing and hosting setup, which may mean a platform or an in-house developer [3]. A vendor summary says the public IMS Open Badges Validator can check a badge's metadata and display its details through a shareable link [15]. We did not open the validator ourselves, so treat that as a vendor claim until you test it.
A university governance guide gives a practical checklist. The verification URL should open without any login. Revoked and expired credentials should be tested. Every status change should be logged [8]. Revocation has to be designed in from the start, not added after the first complaint [8].
Open Badges suits organisations that want a standard, machine-readable credential and have someone who can maintain the signing setup. It is a poor fit for a one-off fest where the main need is a PDF that a sponsor can check.
The DigiLocker issuer route
DigiLocker is run by MeitY. Issuers can push documents that arrive digitally signed and show a verified status [4]. Recipients can check a document by scanning its QR code, or by using the Verify Document feature on digilocker.gov.in. That feature checks the digital signature against the issuer's certificate [5].
The bar to become an issuer is high. DigiLocker's partner guidance says eligible organisations must be registered, authorised to issue documents, have a functional website, digital signatures and an official domain email ID [9]. The onboarding FAQ says an organisation must submit a request with a detailed use case [10]. Onboarding covers registration, vetting, a verification call, acceptance of the Terms of Use and testing before go-live [4]. Partner registration needs an authorised representative, an authority letter, organisation PAN, GST certificate and certificate of incorporation, depending on the category [4].
DigiLocker names CBSE, banks and the Income Tax Department as examples of issuers [12]. A student body is not on that list. The route seems meant for bodies that already have formal authority to issue a particular document. The sources do not state a rule for student organisations, though. If your club is not yet a legal entity, our guide on starting a club in college in India explains why registering a society is a separate step.
One point is often misunderstood. A scan you upload to DigiLocker is a personal file and does not carry verified-issuer status [11]. Only a document pushed by an onboarded issuer does.
Digital signature certificates on PDFs
Under the IT Act, 2000, a digital signature made with a valid DSC is legally recognised. For most purposes it carries the same weight as a handwritten signature [6]. Only Certifying Authorities licensed by the CCA can issue a DSC [6]. Identity checks apply at issuance, and Class 3 certificates need in-person or eKYC-based identity checks [13].
A Rajasthan e-governance guideline explains the verification logic. A DSC is verified through a chain of trust that leads to the Root CA, and the issuing authority cannot disown content it has signed [7]. The same guideline cites more than 16 lakh DSCs issued and seven CAs licensed to issue to end users. The count of licensed CAs differs between sources, so check the current CCA list before you rely on a number [7].
The DSC is issued to a named person, so one signer would sign each batch of certificates. The sources do not say whether organisations can hold DSCs. Confirm that with a licensed CA before you plan around it.
A signed PDF suits a single letter of recommendation or a sponsor report. It suits hundreds of certificates poorly. Each one still needs a human signer, and the check depends on the reader verifying the signature. If the certificate is part of a sponsor deal, our sponsorship proposal guide covers what sponsors usually want in writing.
Issuing on a platform with public verification
Most organisers will find this the simplest route. On Unifesto, certificates come from your Space's own template and carry public online verification. That feature is on the Pro plan. Certificates are tied to the Space, so the record stays with the club or fest when the team changes. You can see how this fits your setup on the organiser page.
Decide the certificate wording and the signing name before the event. The timing sits at the end of the fest plan, which our college fest checklist covers.
Our view
Our view: for a student club, start with a platform that offers public verification and keep the DSC for one or two signed letters. Applying to DigiLocker asks for formal issuing authority and a detailed use case, which a student body may not be able to show. We would not start there unless you already have that authority.
Where this advice falls short
The sources were strong on the standards and weak on the everyday case. We found no source describing a simple PDF-plus-QR verification page for a small organiser, so we cannot say how that compares on effort or reliability. We also did not find DigiLocker fees or the current cost of Open Badges hosting in India, so cost comparisons are missing. We did not open the IMS validator directly. One source notes that verifiable credentials have had security questions raised in the COVID-19 certificate context, and that usability is a concern [14]. Verification is also only as strong as the issuer relationship. A verifier should check who issued a certificate, not only the wallet or app that displays it.
FAQ
Can anyone check a certificate without logging in?
They should be able to. A governance guide recommends that the verification URL open without any login [8]. Check that your platform or setup meets that test before you issue anything.
Does a copy of my certificate in DigiLocker count as verified?
Not by itself. An uploaded scan is stored as a personal file and does not carry verified-issuer status [11]. Only documents pushed by an onboarded issuer do.
Do I need government registration to issue verifiable certificates?
Not for Open Badges 3.0, which needs no government registration [1]. DigiLocker requires onboarding with vetting and testing [4].
What happens when a certificate is revoked?
You need a status record that a verifier can check. Revocation has to be designed in from the start, and every status change should be logged [8].
Sources
- Open Badges Specification: https://www.imsglobal.org/spec/ob/v3p0
- Open Badges and Verifiable Credentials Architecture: https://coldai.org/industries/education/verifiable-credentials-open-badges/
- Open Badges 3.0 implementation: what the spec leaves to you: https://creuto.com/open-badges-3-0-implementation
- DigiLocker: https://www.digilocker.gov.in/web/partners/partner-faq
- DigiLocker Documents: Easy Access & Verification Guide 2026: https://www.malayalamin.com/digilocker-documents-access-verification-guide/
- Digital Signature Certificate In India: https://rannlab.com/digital-signature-certificate-india-guide
- Guidelines for Usage of Digital Signatures in e-Governance Version 1.0: https://doitc.rajasthan.gov.in/Files/DOITCWEB/WriteReadData/PoliciesGuidelinesOrders/202109080102473023051Guidelines_for_Usage_of_Digital_Signatures_in_e-Governance_-_v1[1]0_revised_sent_by_DIT.pdf
- Open Badges 3.0 evidence, revocation, and governance: https://www.longsight.com/guides/open-badges-3-governance/
- DigiLocker on X: "Updated Onboarding Process for #DigiLocker Partner Organizations: Eligible organizations must be registered, authorized to issue documents, have a functional website, digital signatures, and official domain email IDs. https://t.co/w3Q16Yaml7 #Partner #onboarding #digitalindia https://t.co/YvdPfj1A1l" / X: https://x.com/digilocker_ind/status/1799024651714416883
- FAQs (During Video Conference with Entities/Partners/Organizations): https://www.digilocker.gov.in/assets/FAQ%20DL%20EL_onboarding.pdf
- How to Set Up DigiLocker for Academic and Government Document Verification: https://www.primebook.in/blog/how-to-set-up-digilocker-for-academic-and-government-document-verification
- DigiLocker: https://wb.digilocker.gov.in/web/partners/introductions
- IDENTITY VERIFICATION GUIDELINES Version 2.6 16.06.2026: https://cca.gov.in/sites/files/pdf/guidelines/CCA-IVG.pdf
- Verifiable credentials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verifiable_credentials
- What Are Open Badges 3.0? A Simple Guide: https://certifier.io/blog/open-badges-3-0