Blockchain based E certification

In this advance digitalize world, there are still some practices which are a bit tedious, one among those is certificate verification. As we know that each year the number of students graduating from universities is increasing but the degree verification system is still manual. The certificates are

Project Title

Blockchain based E certification

Project Area of Specialization

Blockchain

Project Summary

In this advance digitalize world, there are still some practices which are a bit tedious, one among those is certificate verification. As we know that each year the number of students graduating from universities is increasing but the degree verification system is still manual. The certificates are stored in a centralized manner and verified manually. A major problem regarding manual system is certificate forgery; as the number of degree holder increases, the number of fake certificates is also becoming an issue. It became such a big issue that some companies are spending large sums of money just to check the verification of certificates. Educational certificates hold sensitive information to an individual but it can be easily accessed by others in manual systems. To solve these problems a technology is needed that can assure the security and genuineness of certificates. There is a high need for a mechanism that can guarantee that the information in such documents is original, has originated from authorized source and is not forged.These problems can be addressed by using blockchain.

Blockchain is a distributed database that is widely used for recording distinct transactions. Once a consensus is reached among different nodes, the transaction is added to a block that already holds records of several transactions. Each block contains the hash value of its last counterpart for connection. All the blocks are connected and together they form a blockchain. Data are distributed among various nodes (the distributed data storage) and are thus decentralized.  Furthermore, the data in blocks cannot be modified arbitrarily. Data are stored in different nodes, and anyone who wishes to modify a particular internal datum must request that other nodes modify it simultaneously. Thus, the system is highly reliable. Hence, blockchain is a technology which can ensure the security, validity and confidentiality of official documents. Use of blockchain technology will help to reduce the forgeries of official documents. 

Ethereum is a decentralized platform based on core technology of blockchain. Ethereum can run smart contracts. Smart contracts are applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud, or third-party interference. In simple words, Ethereum is a global network designed to process instructions in a decentralized way, relying on the processing power and storage resources of multiple computers or nodes. So, this technology is best to produce Educational certificates. 

Ethereum blockchain will be deployed on Raspberry Pi; Raspberry Pi is a perfect fit for running an Ethereum node since it can run on its own till the time we decide to stop it. Sure, we could run a node on our computer but there are dedicated computing and storage costs. It is better to have a low cost hardware dedicated to run nodes.    

Project Objectives

We are developing a decentralized application that can produce educational certificates digitally based on blockchain. This technology was selected because it is incorruptible, encrypted, and track-able and permits data synchronization. By integrating the features of blockchain, the system improves the efficiency of operations at each stage. The system saves on paper, cuts management costs, prevents document forgery, and provides accurate and reliable information on digital certificates.

Project Implementation Method

          We are making a decentralized application based on Ethereum a technology of blockchain. System will be deployed on Raspberry Pi. Our D-App will have following modules:

• Login:
  • There are two ways to login:
    •  Login as Student
    • Login as Institute.
• Student dashboard:
  • My document: Students can upload their Certificates themselves but these certificates need to be verified by Institute side, only then certificates will appear in my documents section.
  • Give access: Student can allow institute/organization to view their academic certificates.
  • Change Institute: Student can change the access of institute.
• Institute dashboard.
  • Linked accounts: This shows all the linked accounts of students. Institute can upload new certificates to students from here.
  • Pending approvals: Student request for pending approvals appear here.
  • Access rights: It shows all the student accounts to whom institute has access, to view certificates.

Student need to connect their account with their Institute by giving Institute address key. That way student can apply for certificate. Institute will receive student’s request and generate the certificate. This data is first encrypted using SHA family of encryption algorithms and then sent to IPFS for more security. In response it will generate a unique hash and QR code which will be sent to student using E-certification portal. Student can view his/her certificate by using this hash. For more security student can apply fingerprint password to their documents. In that case if student wants to show their document to any other institute or organization they’ll have to give access using their fingerprint. This whole system will be deployed on Raspberry Pi since it is a perfect fit to run Ethereum nodes. Raspberry Pi will work as a dedicated hardware to run our system.

Benefits of the Project

In existing system certificate are stored in centralized manner and verified manually, so it takes too much time to verify. There is no safety to the certificate that is given to any private sector. Our data may be changed, deleted or modified. Certificates are easily hacked and make duplicate of that certificate. There is no security for certificates. Verification process is so slow because it has to pass through different phases manually. Fake certificates can be easily generated. Existing system creates problems for students, university management and even the companies which are hiring new employees. Our purposed system benefits all the involved actors:

• Universities can generate certificates digitally, which certainly requires less manpower and manual work.
• Certificate verification process will be automatic and requires less time.
• Students get their certificate verification without in-person application submission.
• In case of lost documents applying for e-copy is much easier because student’s data is stored on IPFS.
• Students can save their management costs, there is no need to pay to get digital certificate.
• Every student’s record will have a unique hash or QR code generated from his unique registration number, so no one can generate another certificate for same student. It can prevent certificate duplication and forgery issue.
• While applying for a job we can take extra security measures by securing our certificates with fingerprint identification. When company needs to open the certificates, student can allow them by using his fingerprint password. This way only authorized person will see the documents and there is no way his/her personal data will be shared to others.
• Companies will not have to spend large sums of money just to verify the documents, they can trust this technology.
• Users can be rest assured and easily trust the system because purposed technology is immutable, encrypted and track-able.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Blockchain is a distributed database which provides high security to the system. Its distributed nature makes it decentralized. Ethereum is a cryptocurrency of blockchain which is best in writing smart contracts. Smart contracts are applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud, or third-party interference. We are writing smart contracts in Ethereum’s language Solidity. Our project consists of decentralized application. Student will send their request for certificate generation through D-App. Institute will generate educational certificates which are then stored on IPFS. It’ll generate a unique hash or QR code. Educational documents can be accessed by using this unique hash or QR code. Student can add further security by applying fingerprint password. This whole system will be deployed on Raspberry Pi which is best to run Ethereum nodes.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Education

Other Industries

Core Technology

Blockchain

Other Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT)

Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com