Tutorials & Processes
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Still not sure about which DSC to purchase?
Here are a few common questions that arise when you’re trying to know more about Digital Signatures.
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is a legally recognized digital identity that enables individuals and organizations to securely sign electronic documents, ensuring their authenticity and integrity. Issued by licensed Certifying Authorities under the IT Act, 2000, a DSC is widely used for online filings on portals like MCA, GST, Income Tax, and in e-tendering processes. It can also be used to sign contracts, agreements, invoices, and other official documents, making it a vital tool for secure and paperless business operations in today’s digital landscape.
Types of Digital Signature Certificates:
1. By applicant Type:
– Individual DSC: Issued in the name of a person and used by directors, KMPs, professionals, and individuals for filing returns, signing contracts, and legal documents
– Organization DSC: Issued in the name of a business entity or organization and used by authorized signatories for official filings, e-tendering, and encrypted transactions on behalf of the company
2. By Functionality Type:
– Signing DSC: Used to digitally sign documents such as forms, contracts, returns, and invoices, etc. and ensures authenticity and wide acceptance in terms of legal validity
– Combo (Signing + Encryption) DSC: Offers both digital signing and data encryption, is recommended for professionals and organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, such as during e-tendering or financial filings.
3. By Validity period:
– 1 Year period
– 2 Years period
– 3 Years period
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) serves as an electronic means of verifying your identity and ensuring the integrity of your online transactions. It provides a high level of security by enabling you to digitally sign and encrypt data, thereby safeguarding sensitive information during transmission. With a DSC, you can authenticate your identity, ensure that the information remains confidential, and guarantee that the content has not been altered in transit. Additionally, it allows recipients to verify the origin of the message, establishing trust and legitimacy in digital communications.
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) must be renewed upon expiration to ensure continued legal validity, data security, and seamless access to government and regulatory portals. DSCs are typically valid for 1, 2, or 3 years, after which they become inactive and unusable for digital signing or encryption.
Renewing your DSC is essential because:
- It preserves document authenticity and data integrity, preventing misuse or forgery.
- It maintains compliance with statutory requirements on portals like MCA, GST, and Income Tax.
- It ensures uninterrupted access to e-filing, e-tendering, and other official digital platforms.
To view all document requirements. Click here
Yes, digital signatures are legally valid in India.
They are recognized under the Information Technology Act, 2000, which provides the legal framework for electronic governance and digital authentication. According to the Act:
- A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) issued by a licensed Certifying Authority (CA) and used through a secure USB token is considered legally binding.
- Digital signatures can be used to sign contracts, tax returns, MCA filings, GST forms, e-tender documents, and more.
- They ensure authenticity, data integrity, and non-repudiation, making them a trusted substitute for physical signatures.
This means that any document digitally signed using a Class 3 DSC has the same legal status as a handwritten signature on a physical document in the eyes of Indian law.
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To select your Digital Signature Certificate type. Click here
A Registration Authority (RA) is an entity that acts as a trusted intermediary between the applicant and the Certifying Authority (CA) during the issuance of a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC).
Key Functions of an RA:
- Identity Verification:
The RA is responsible for collecting and verifying the applicant’s identity documents and ensuring they meet the guidelines prescribed by the CA and the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA). - Application Processing:
The RA reviews and forwards the DSC application, along with the necessary documents, to the CA for further processing. - Customer Assistance:
RAs provide support to individuals and organizations in selecting the right type of DSC, understanding documentation requirements, and completing the registration process. - Liaison Role:
They help maintain trust by ensuring the legitimacy of requests and preventing fraudulent issuance of digital certificates.
In simple terms, an RA is like a certified facilitator that verifies your identity and helps you get your DSC issued securely through a recognized Certifying Authority such as eMudhra, Vsign, Pantasign, or Capricorn.
To view video verification tutorial. Click here
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) works by using cryptographic technology to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation of electronic documents and transactions.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of how it works:
1. Issuance & Storage
- A Certifying Authority (CA) like eMudhra, Vsign, Pantasign, or Capricorn issues a DSC after verifying the applicant’s identity.
- The DSC contains the user’s public key, digital signature, certificate number, and CA’s digital seal.
- It is securely stored on a USB token, which acts like a digital lock-and-key system.
2. Signing a Document
- When you digitally sign a document (e.g., a PDF, tax return, or MCA form):
- Your DSC’s private key (stored in your USB token) creates a unique hash of the document.
- This hash is encrypted and attached to the document as your digital signature.
3. Verification by the Receiver or Portal
- The recipient or government portal uses the public key embedded in the DSC to:
- Decrypt the hash and compare it with the current hash of the document.
- If the hashes match, it proves the document is untampered and authentically signed by the DSC holder.
Legal Validity
- As per the Information Technology Act, 2000, a valid DSC is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature in India when used as per CCA guidelines.
Summary:
- DSC ensures identity verification
- Documents are securely signed and encrypted
- Receivers can verify the signer and confirm no alterations have occurred
- Legally binding for government and business transactions
It’s a core element in India’s digital governance ecosystem, used across MCA, Income Tax, GST, DGFT, e-Tendering, and more.
To book a bulk Digital Signature Certificate order. Click here
| Aspect | Scanned Digital Signature | Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A handwritten signature scanned and inserted into documents | A cryptographic digital identity issued by a Certifying Authority |
| Security | Not secure; can be easily copied, edited, or misused | Highly secure; uses encryption and stored on a USB token |
| Legal Validity (India) | Not legally binding under the IT Act, 2000 | Legally recognized under the IT Act, 2000 |
| Verification | Cannot be verified or authenticated | Fully verifiable through public key infrastructure (PKI) |
| Tamper Protection | Offers no protection from document alteration | Detects any post-signing changes with tamper alerts |
| Use Cases | Informal or non-compliant documentation | Used for MCA, GST, Income Tax, DGFT, e-Tenders, invoices, contracts, etc. |
| Issuing Authority | Not issued by any legal authority | Issued by CCA-approved Certifying Authorities (e.g., eMudhra, Vsign, Pantasign and Capricorn) |
| Audit Trail | No traceability | Complete digital audit trail and timestamped verification |
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You can simply purchase authentic and quality checked DSCs via any Registered Authority(RA) of CCA approved Certifying Authorities like dsc.complyquick.in where we pride ourselves in providing high quality DSCs with fastest processing and delivery time. Our DSCs come with complete assistance and support throughout the process with no extra cost.
Please feel free to reach out to us at support@complyquick.in or +91-8368817630 (WhatsApp) in case of any query, help, consultation, etc.
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Please feel free to ask more questions related questions by sending us your queries at support@complyquick.in
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