Question

Which among the following are the digital signature certifying authorities in India?

• A. M/s. Safescript
• B. M/s. NCERT
• C. M/s. MTL
• D. All the above

Hint:

The list of licensed Certifying Authorities (CAs) in India is maintained by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA). You can find the current list on the official CCA website (cca.gov.in). It's helpful to be familiar with the names of a few major CAs like eMudhra, Safescrypt, and NIC.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, a Certifying Authority (CA) is a trusted entity licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) to issue, suspend, and revoke Digital Signature Certificates. These certificates are used to create digital signatures.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's examine the options:
- M/s. Safescrypt: Safescrypt is a licensed Certifying Authority in India. It is one of the recognized CAs that provide digital signature certificates to the public.
- M/s. NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training): NCERT is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India that advises the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education. It is not a public Certifying Authority for digital signatures.
- M/s. MTL: This likely refers to MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited). While MTNL did have a CA service called 'Trustline', it is not as universally recognized as other CAs and its services have varied. However, NCERT is definitely not a CA.
Since NCERT is not a Certifying Authority, the option "(D) All the above" is incorrect. The only clear and correct option among the choices is M/s. Safescrypt. Other prominent CAs in India include eMudhra, (n)Code Solutions, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).