Question map
Consider the following statements : A digital signature is 1. an electronic record that identifies the certifying authority issuing it 2. used to serve as a proof of identity of an individual to access information or server on Internet 3. an electronic method of signing an electronic document and ensuring that the original content is unchanged Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
The correct answer is option C (Statement 3 only).
A digital signature is an electronic method of signing an electronic document[1], and authenticated digital signatures provide cryptographic proof that a stated entity signed a document and that the document hasn't been altered[2]. This confirms that statement 3 is correct.
Statement 1 is incorrect because it confuses a digital signature with a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). A digital signature is an electronic method of signing an electronic document whereas a Digital Signature Certificate is a computer based record[3], and it is the certificate, not the signature itself, that Certifying Authorities (CAs) issue for electronic authentication of users in cyber world[4].
Statement 2 is also incorrect as it describes the function of digital certificates or authentication credentials used for identity verification and access control, rather than the primary purpose of a digital signature, which is to sign documents and ensure their integrity. Therefore, only statement 3 accurately describes what a digital signature is.
Sources- [4] https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/02/AR_2022-23_English_24-04-23-1.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Definitional Precision' trap. UPSC exploits the colloquial confusion between a 'Digital Signature' (the mathematical process) and a 'Digital Signature Certificate' (the identity record). The question is fair but demands strict technical clarity over loose usage.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is a digital signature an electronic record that identifies the certifying authority that issued it?
- Statement 2: Is a digital signature used as proof of an individual's identity to access information or servers on the Internet?
- Statement 3: Is a digital signature an electronic method of signing an electronic document and ensuring that the original content has not been altered?
- Explicitly differentiates a digital signature from a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), showing the DSC is a computer-based record while the digital signature is a signing method.
- Implies that identification information (the computer-based record) is associated with the certificate, not the signature method itself.
- States that Certifying Authorities (CAs) issue digital signature certificates, linking identification of issuing authority to the certificate.
- Supports the view that the CA identification is part of the certificate issuance process rather than the signature mechanism.
- Describes Digital Signature Certificates as being endorsed by a trusted Certifying Authority (CA), indicating the CA's role in certifying the certificate.
- Reinforces that the certificate (not the signature) carries the endorsement/identification from the CA.
Lists 'digital signature' among digital public goods alongside e-KYC and digital repositories, implying digital signatures function as part of official digital identification/verification systems.
A student could infer that, like other digital ID tools, a digital signature might carry metadata linking it to an issuing/ certifying authority and then check technical/legal sources for certificate contents.
Explains that an MICR code is a numeric identifier that uniquely denotes a bank and branch — an example of how digital/encoded data can explicitly identify an issuing authority.
By analogy, a student could reason that digital signatures might similarly include an identifier for the certifying authority (as MICR does for banks) and then verify whether certificate formats embed such identifiers.
Describes a central authority (UIDAI) that collects data and issues unique identity numbers, showing the pattern of a central body certifying/issuing digital identity artefacts.
A student could compare the role of UIDAI in issuing Aadhaar to the role of a certifying authority for digital signatures and look for legal/technical descriptions of issuer fields in digital certificates.
Defines 'public record' as an official register made by a public servant, illustrating that authoritative records commonly carry source/issuer information.
One could extend this idea to digital records: expect authoritative digital artefacts (like certificates) to record their issuer; then inspect standards or statutes for confirmation.
Discusses digitisation of land records under a central programme, illustrating a general pattern that digitised official records are designed to improve accessibility and traceability of ownership/issuance.
A student might infer that digital signatures, as part of digitised official workflows, are likely to include traceable issuer information and then consult relevant technical/legal specifications.
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