Gujarat Digital Certificates Cross 1 Lakh in Four Months

GANDHINAGAR: More than one lakh citizens have skipped government office visits and obtained essential certificates from their homes in just four months, as Gujarat’s ‘Sugam Digital Gujarat’ initiative gains strong public response.

The State Government has placed seven key certificates online, including caste, income and EWS certificates, allowing citizens to apply digitally and receive e-Signed documents after verification.

The initiative, launched under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State Manishaben Vakil, is aimed at making citizen services faster, transparent and accessible.

Officials said the Sugam Digital Gujarat portal currently facilitates seven certificates: Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC), Non-Creamy Layer, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Eligibility, Unreserved Category, Religious Minority, Nomadic and Denotified Tribes, and Income certificates.

The digital system is expected to particularly benefit students and young people seeking government jobs. Certificates required for college admissions, scholarships and recruitment can now be applied for online and, after document verification, issued with an e-Sign.

“Citizens no longer need to visit government offices for these important certificates. They can apply from home and access digitally issued documents online,” officials said.

The government plans to make the certificates available through platforms including WhatsApp and DigiLocker, allowing citizens to securely store and retrieve them when required.

The initiative is also expected to reduce paperwork and administrative delays while improving transparency in the delivery of welfare, education and employment-related services.

Director of Developing Castes Welfare Vikramsinh Jadev urged citizens to make maximum use of the digital facility.

“The overwhelming response shows that citizens are ready to embrace convenient digital services. People should use the Sugam Digital Gujarat portal instead of visiting government offices for these certificates,” Jadev said.