Digital Signature Certificate- Process to Obtain, Charges, and Types of DSC

A digital signature certificate (DSC) is the digital equivalent of a physical or paper certificate. It can be used to prove one's identity, gain access to information or services on the Internet, or digitally sign certain documents. A DSC may be required for e-filing an income tax return, GST-related filing, government online tendering, and other similar purposes. The authorised person attaches a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) to documents submitted in electronic form. It guarantees the security and authenticity of electronic documents.

What is a Digital Signature Certificate?

DSCs are the electronic equivalent of paper certificates. Physical certificates include driver's licences, passports, and membership cards. Certificates are used to prove an individual's identity for a specific purpose; for example, a driver's licence identifies someone who is legally allowed to drive in a specific country. Similarly, a digital certificate can be used to prove one's identity, gain access to information or services on the Internet, or digitally sign certain documents.

What is the process of obtaining of digital signature certificate?

DSC applicants can approach Certifying Authorities (CAs) directly with original supporting documents, and self-attested copies will suffice in this case.
DSCs can also be obtained using Aadhar eKYC-based authentication wherever offered by CA, and supporting documents are not required in this case.
Acceptable is a bank letter/certificate containing the DSC applicant's information as stored in the bank database. A letter/certificate of this type must be certified by the bank manager.

Why is a digital signature certificate required?

Physical documents are manually signed; similarly, electronic documents, such as e-forms, must be digitally signed using a Digital Signature Certificate.

Who issues the digital signature certificate?

A certified Certifying Authority issues the digital signature (CA). A Certifying Authority (CA) is defined in Section 24 of the Indian IT-Act 2000 as a person who has been granted a licence to issue a digital signature certificate.

How to register a digital signature certificate for bank officials?

When a Bank Official first logs into the MCA21 portal, the system prompts the Bank Official to register a DSC before proceeding. During the first login, the bank official can then register the DSC.

Charges

The cost of obtaining a digital signature certificate varies because there are numerous entities that issue DSCs, and their fees may vary.

Types of DSC

The following are the various types of Digital Signature Certificates: Class 2: A person's identity is validated against a trusted, pre-verified database. Class 3: This is the highest level, where the individual must appear in front of a Registration Authority (RA) and prove his or her identity.

What is the validity period of DSC ?

Certifying Authorities are authorised to issue Digital Signature Certificates with a one-year or two-year validity period.