The Information Technology Act, 2000 includes provisions for the use of Digital Signatures on documents which are submitted in electronic form with the objective of maintaining security and authenticity of the documents filed online. A digital signature certificate (DSC) which is issued by a certifying authority is a digital key that authenticates identity of individuals and businesses holding the certificate.
It is possible to create the digital signature certificate online and apply it to online documents. The DSC has successfully replaced physical signature. It can be created and obtained from digital signature certificate providers. Verasys Technologies, a subsidiary company of Alankit Limited is a leading service provider for digital signatures. The company facilitates the digital signature application & related procedures and issues digital signatures based on Aadhaar e-KYC in an extremely convenient manner.
Creating Digital Signature
The digital signature certificate contains user’s name, country, email-id, date of issuance of certificate and name of the certifying authority. A digital signature certificate is required for various purposes that include carrying out secure web-based transactions, signing documents like MS Word, MS Excel and PDFs, eTendering, eProcurement and filing of Income tax returns.
If an individual or entity is asked to digitally sign a document, they can do so with utmost ease by following simple steps. Upon receiving an e-mail containing a link to the document which needs to be digitally signed, here’s what one should do:
Step 1: On clicking the link, the document should open in an electronic signature tool.
Step 2: The user will be asked to agree to electronic signing. After the user confirms agreement, he or she would be required to follow certain instructions to start or sign.
Step 3: On clicking each tag and adhering to the instructions, the user can add the digital signature.
Step 4: The final and important step is to verify one’s identity and follow the instructions to add the digital signature.
DSC registration
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) sets down a step-by-step process for registration of digital signature certificate. Applicants must follow a set of detailed registration instructions to register online. There are different set of instructions for director, manager, secretary and practicing professionals who require registration of DSC.
The role check is performed only after the signatories have registered their DSCs with Ministry of Corporate Affairs. When role check is completed, the system will conduct verification to authenticate if the dsc signature on the e-form filed, is of signatory of the company.
Through its subsidiary, Alankit Limited delivers cost-effective and prompt services, catering to numerous organizations in government and corporate sector. It offers services for online electronic signature which can be linked conveniently with service delivery applications, through an API, to enable a user to digitally sign documents for various authentication and approval purposes. Submitting a duly-filled DSC Application form along with identity proofs are the essential requirements when applying for DSC.
Know More: Digital Signature Certificate-How to get DSC and Benefits