Users need to possess an Aadhaar number to use DigiLocker. During registration, user identity is verified using a one-time password (OTP) sent to the linked mobile number.[3]
The beta version of the service was rolled out in February 2015,[4] and was launched to the public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015.[5][6] Storage space for uploaded legacy documents was initially 100 MB.[7] Individual files are limited to 10 MB.
In July 2016, DigiLocker recorded 2.013 million users with a repository of 2.413 million documents. The number of users saw a large jump of 753,000 new users in April when the central government urged municipal bodies to use DigiLocker to make their administration paperless.[8]
From 2017, the facility was extended to allow students of the ICSE board to store their class X and XII certificates in DigiLocker and share them as required.[9] In February 2017, Kotak Mahindra Bank started providing access to documents in DigiLocker from within its net-banking application, allowing users to electronically sign and share them.[10] In May 2017, over 108 hospitals, including the Tata Memorial Hospital were planning to launch the use of DigiLocker for storing cancer patients' medical documents and test reports. According to a UIDAI architect, patients would be provided a number key, which they could share with other hospitals to grant them access to their test reports.[11]
As of December 2019, DigiLocker provides access to over 372 crore authentic documents from 149 issuers. Over 3.3 crore users are registered on the platform and 43 requester organisations are accepting documents from DigiLocker.[12] In 2023, Government of India integrated Passport Application Form with Digilocker.[13]
There is also an associated facility for e-signing documents. The service is intended to minimise the use of physical documents and reduce administrative expense, while proving the authenticity of the documents, providing secure access to government-issued documents and making it easy for the residents to receive services.
Structure of DigiLocker
Each user's digital locker has the following sections.[14]
My Certificates: This section has two subsections:
Digital Documents: This contains the URIs of the documents issued to the user by government departments or other agencies.
Uploaded Documents: This subsection lists all the documents which are uploaded by the user. Each file to be uploaded should not be more than 10MB in size. Only pdf, jpg, jpeg, png, bmp and gif file types can be uploaded.
My Profile: This section displays the complete profile of the user as available in the UIDAI database.
My Issuer: This section displays the issuers' names and the number of documents issued to the user by the issuer.
My Requester: This section displays the requesters' names and the number of documents requested from the user by the requesters.
Directories: This section displays the complete list of registered issuers and requesters along with their URLs.
Amendments to IT Act for Digital Locker
DigiLocker is not merely a technical platform. The Ministry of Electronics and IT, has notified rules concerning the service.[15] Amendments made to the Information Technology Act, 2000 in February 2017 state that the documents provided and shared through DigiLocker are at par with the corresponding physical certificates.[16]
According to this Rule, – (1) Issuers may start issuing and Requesters may start accepting digitally (or electronically) signed certificates or documents shared from subscribers’ Digital Locker accounts at par with the physical documents in accordance with the provisions of the Act and rules made thereunder.(2) When such certificate or document mentioned in sub-rule (1) has been issued or pushed in the Digital Locker System by an issuer and subsequently accessed or accepted by a requester through the URI, it shall be deemed to have been shared by the issuer directly in electronic form.[17]
Important Notifications from Government Departments Regarding DigiLocker
