Digital Signatures and E-Governance Questions and Answers

Q: Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the term 'electronic record' includes which of the following ?I. Data stored in digital formII. Image or sound stored or transmitted electronicallyIII. Information generated in microfilm or computer-generated microficheIV. Information recorded only on paper without electronic processingWhich of the above are correct ?

Statements I, II and III are correct, so the answer is I, II and III.Section 2(1)(t) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 defines 'electronic record' as data, record or data generated, image or sound stored, received or sent in an electronic form, or micro film or computer generated micro fiche. That covers digital data (I), electronically stored or transmitted images and sound (II), and microfilm and computer-generated microfiche (III).Statement IV is the odd one out. Information recorded only on paper, with no electronic processing at all, is an ordinary document, not an electronic record, so any option that includes IV is wrong.

Q: Important concept(s) introduced in IT Act, 2000

All three concepts were introduced, so the answer is All of the above.The Information Technology Act, 2000 gave legal recognition to electronic records and to digital signatures (later widened to electronic signatures), so that contracts and filings could be made electronically. It also created a system of Certifying Authorities, licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities, to issue the digital signature certificates.Since each of the three is a concept the Act introduced, choosing any one alone would be incomplete.

Q: With regard to S. 18 of the IT Act, 2000, which deals with the functions of the controller of certifying authority, which one of the following statement is incorrect ?

The incorrect statement is that the Controller has to divide and adjudicate the disputes between Certifying Authorities.Section 18 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 lists the Controller's functions, among them exercising supervision over the activities of Certifying Authorities, laying down the standards to be maintained by them, and specifying the conditions subject to which they shall conduct their business. Those are options A, B and D.The section also makes the Controller resolve any conflict of interests between Certifying Authorities and subscribers, but it does not give him a function of adjudicating disputes between Certifying Authorities themselves, which makes option C the incorrect statement.

Q: In the context of S. 38(1) of the IT Act, 2000 dealing with revocation of Digital signature certificate, which one of the following is not the ground for revocation ?

The one that is not a ground under section 38(1) is revocation if the subscriber is punished by a competent court.Section 38(1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 lets a Certifying Authority revoke a certificate (a) on the request of the subscriber or a person authorised by him, (b) on the subscriber's death, and (c) on the dissolution of the firm or winding up of the company where the subscriber is a firm or company. These are options A, B and D.Section 38(2) adds grounds such as a false material fact in the certificate or compromise of the private key, but punishment by a court is not among the grounds of section 38(1).

Q: Which of the following recognized the legal validity under Section 10(A) of Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008 ?

Section 10-A recognises the validity of e-contracts.Section 10-A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, inserted by the 2008 amendment, provides that where the formation of a contract, including the communication of proposals and acceptances, is expressed in electronic form or by means of an electronic record, the contract shall not be deemed unenforceable solely on that ground.Electronic and digital signatures are recognised by sections 3, 3-A and 5, and electronic records generally by section 4, so they are not the subject of section 10-A.

Q: Section 50 of the Information Technology Act - "A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Chairperson of the Tribunal unless he is, or has been, or is qualified to be, a Judge of a .............. .

The answer is a Judge of a High Court.Section 50 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, before the Finance Act, 2017 merged the Cyber Appellate Tribunal into TDSAT, provided that a person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chairperson of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal unless he is, or has been, or is qualified to be, a Judge of a High Court.A Supreme Court judge would be an unusually high requirement for the post, and district or city civil court judges were not the qualifying standard.

Q: Which section of IT Act deals with the legal recognition of electronic records ?

Legal recognition of electronic records is in Section 4 of the IT Act.Section 4 provides that where any law requires information to be in writing or in typewritten or printed form, that requirement is satisfied if the information is in electronic form and is accessible so as to be usable for later reference. It is the foundation of e-governance and electronic contracts in India.Section 3 deals with authentication of electronic records by digital signature, section 6 with the use of electronic records and signatures in government, and section 8 with publication of rules and notifications in the electronic Gazette.

Q: Every application for the issue of an electronic signature Certificate shall be accompanied by such fee not exceeding

The fee may not exceed twenty-five thousand rupees.Section 35(3) of the IT Act provides that every application for an electronic signature certificate shall be accompanied by such fee, not exceeding twenty-five thousand rupees, as the Central Government may prescribe, payable to the Certifying Authority.Twenty thousand, thirty thousand and thirty-five thousand are not the ceiling the section sets.

Q: The key of a key pair used to verify a digital signature and listed in the Digital Signature Certificate is

It is the public key.The IT Act defines the public key as the key of a key pair used to verify a digital signature and listed in the Digital Signature Certificate. Its partner, the private key, is the key used to create a digital signature and is kept secret by the subscriber. Anyone can check a signature with the public key published in the certificate, but only the holder of the private key could have made it.So the private key is never listed in the certificate, and the key described cannot be 'either' or 'neither'.

Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the term 'electronic record' includes which of the following ?

I. Data stored in digital form
II. Image or sound stored or transmitted electronically
III. Information generated in microfilm or computer-generated microfiche
IV. Information recorded only on paper without electronic processing

Which of the above are correct ?

A.I, II and III
B.II, III and IV
C.I, II, III and IV
D.I and II

Exam Year(s)

AIBE - 2026,

Answer: A

Statements I, II and III are correct, so the answer is I, II and III.

Section 2(1)(t) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 defines 'electronic record' as data, record or data generated, image or sound stored, received or sent in an electronic form, or micro film or computer generated micro fiche. That covers digital data (I), electronically stored or transmitted images and sound (II), and microfilm and computer-generated microfiche (III).

Statement IV is the odd one out. Information recorded only on paper, with no electronic processing at all, is an ordinary document, not an electronic record, so any option that includes IV is wrong.

Discuss in Forum

Important concept(s) introduced in IT Act, 2000

A.Electronic Record
B.Digital Signature
C.Certifying Authority
D.All of the above

Exam Year(s)

MPPSC State Service - 2022, MPPSC Forest Service - 2022,

Answer: D

All three concepts were introduced, so the answer is All of the above.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 gave legal recognition to electronic records and to digital signatures (later widened to electronic signatures), so that contracts and filings could be made electronically. It also created a system of Certifying Authorities, licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities, to issue the digital signature certificates.

Since each of the three is a concept the Act introduced, choosing any one alone would be incomplete.

Discuss in Forum

In order to safeguard the secure use of the electronic medium and for promotion of e-governance and e-commerce, which of the following authority has been empowered to prescribe the modes or methods for encryption u/s 84A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 ?

A.The controller of certifying authority
B.The adjudicating officer appointed by Central Government
C.The Ministry of Information and Technology in consultation with Department of Telecommunication
D.Central Government

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2020, SET Exam - 2020,

Answer: D

The power to prescribe modes or methods of encryption under section 84A belongs to the Central Government.

Section 84A, inserted in the Information Technology Act by the 2008 amendment, provides that the Central Government may, for the secure use of the electronic medium and for the promotion of e-governance and e-commerce, prescribe the modes or methods for encryption.

The Controller of Certifying Authorities licenses and regulates certifying authorities, and the adjudicating officer decides compensation claims under section 46; neither prescribes encryption methods, nor does any ministry other than through the Central Government's rule-making power.

Discuss in Forum

With regard to S. 18 of the IT Act, 2000, which deals with the functions of the controller of certifying authority, which one of the following statement is incorrect ?

A.Controller has to exercise supervision over the activities of Certifying Authority
B.Controller has to laid down the standards to be maintained by Certifying Authority
C.Controller has to divide and adjudicate the disputes between Certifying Authority
D.Controller has to specify the conditions subject to which the Certifying Authorities shall conduct their business

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2021, SET Exam - 2021,

Answer: C

The incorrect statement is that the Controller has to divide and adjudicate the disputes between Certifying Authorities.

Section 18 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 lists the Controller's functions, among them exercising supervision over the activities of Certifying Authorities, laying down the standards to be maintained by them, and specifying the conditions subject to which they shall conduct their business. Those are options A, B and D.

The section also makes the Controller resolve any conflict of interests between Certifying Authorities and subscribers, but it does not give him a function of adjudicating disputes between Certifying Authorities themselves, which makes option C the incorrect statement.

Discuss in Forum

In the context of S. 38(1) of the IT Act, 2000 dealing with revocation of Digital signature certificate, which one of the following is not the ground for revocation ?

A.A Certifying Authority may revoke the Digital Signature Certificate if the subscriber or any other person authorised by him makes a request to that effect
B.A Certifying Authority may revoke the Digital Signature Certificate upon the death of the subscriber
C.A Certifying Authority may revoke the Digital Signature Certificate if subscriber is punished by the competent court in India
D.A Certifying Authority may revoke the Digital Signature Certificate upon the dissolution of the firm or winding up of the company where the subscriber is a firm or a company

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2023, SET Exam - 2023,

Answer: C

The one that is not a ground under section 38(1) is revocation if the subscriber is punished by a competent court.

Section 38(1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 lets a Certifying Authority revoke a certificate (a) on the request of the subscriber or a person authorised by him, (b) on the subscriber's death, and (c) on the dissolution of the firm or winding up of the company where the subscriber is a firm or company. These are options A, B and D.

Section 38(2) adds grounds such as a false material fact in the certificate or compromise of the private key, but punishment by a court is not among the grounds of section 38(1).

Discuss in Forum

Which of the following recognized the legal validity under Section 10(A) of Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008 ?

A.Electronic Signature
B.e-Data
C.Digital Signature
D.e-Contract

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2024, SET Exam - 2024,

Answer: D

Section 10-A recognises the validity of e-contracts.

Section 10-A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, inserted by the 2008 amendment, provides that where the formation of a contract, including the communication of proposals and acceptances, is expressed in electronic form or by means of an electronic record, the contract shall not be deemed unenforceable solely on that ground.

Electronic and digital signatures are recognised by sections 3, 3-A and 5, and electronic records generally by section 4, so they are not the subject of section 10-A.

Discuss in Forum

Section 50 of the Information Technology Act - "A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Chairperson of the Tribunal unless he is, or has been, or is qualified to be, a Judge of a .............. .

A.High Court
B.Supreme Court
C.District and Sessions Court
D.City Civil Court

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2024, SET Exam - 2024,

Answer: A

The answer is a Judge of a High Court.

Section 50 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, before the Finance Act, 2017 merged the Cyber Appellate Tribunal into TDSAT, provided that a person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chairperson of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal unless he is, or has been, or is qualified to be, a Judge of a High Court.

A Supreme Court judge would be an unusually high requirement for the post, and district or city civil court judges were not the qualifying standard.

Discuss in Forum

Which section of IT Act deals with the legal recognition of electronic records ?

A.Section 3
B.Section 4
C.Section 6
D.Section 8

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

Legal recognition of electronic records is in Section 4 of the IT Act.

Section 4 provides that where any law requires information to be in writing or in typewritten or printed form, that requirement is satisfied if the information is in electronic form and is accessible so as to be usable for later reference. It is the foundation of e-governance and electronic contracts in India.

Section 3 deals with authentication of electronic records by digital signature, section 6 with the use of electronic records and signatures in government, and section 8 with publication of rules and notifications in the electronic Gazette.

Discuss in Forum

Every application for the issue of an electronic signature Certificate shall be accompanied by such fee not exceeding

A.twenty-five thousand
B.twenty thousand
C.thirty-five thousand
D.thirty thousand

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: A

The fee may not exceed twenty-five thousand rupees.

Section 35(3) of the IT Act provides that every application for an electronic signature certificate shall be accompanied by such fee, not exceeding twenty-five thousand rupees, as the Central Government may prescribe, payable to the Certifying Authority.

Twenty thousand, thirty thousand and thirty-five thousand are not the ceiling the section sets.

Discuss in Forum

10.

The key of a key pair used to verify a digital signature and listed in the Digital Signature Certificate is

A.public key
B.private key
C.can be either public or private key
D.neither public or private key

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: A

It is the public key.

The IT Act defines the public key as the key of a key pair used to verify a digital signature and listed in the Digital Signature Certificate. Its partner, the private key, is the key used to create a digital signature and is kept secret by the subscriber. Anyone can check a signature with the public key published in the certificate, but only the holder of the private key could have made it.

So the private key is never listed in the certificate, and the key described cannot be 'either' or 'neither'.

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