Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) – 3 Year (Signing & Encryption)
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is an electronic equivalent of a physical signature, issued by a government-authorised Certifying Authority (CA).
A 3-Year DSC (Signing & Encryption) enables users to digitally sign documents and also encrypt sensitive data. It is widely required for MCA filings, GST submissions, e-tenders, online contracts, income tax filings, and secure digital authentication.
What is a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)?
A Digital Signature Certificate is a secure digital key issued by a Certifying Authority to verify the identity of the certificate holder. It works using public-key cryptography, ensuring that digital transactions are authenticated, tamper-proof, and legally valid.
Each DSC contains the holders:
- Name
- Address & pin code
- Country
- Email ID
- Date of issue
- Name of the issuing Certifying Authority
DSCs generally remain valid for 1 to 2 years and can be renewed before expiration.
Advantages of a Digital Signature Certificate
1. Authentication
DSCs help verify the identity of individuals and organisations while conducting online business or statutory filings.
2. Saves Time & Cost
Documents can be signed digitally instead of printing, signing, scanning, and emailing. This enables remote authorisation without physical presence.
3. Data Integrity
Documents signed using DSC cannot be altered, ensuring complete protection against tampering.
4. Document Security & Trust
Digitally signed files assure recipients that the document is genuine and comes from a verified source.
Importance of DSC for Statutory Compliance
- Using a DSC is mandatory for:
- Companies whose accounts are audited (for e-filing income tax returns)
- All filings on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal
- GST registration, amendments, and return filing
- Customs filings, patent/trademark filings, e-tenders, and other government applications
Types of DSCs
1. Sign Certificate: Used only for digital signing of documents such as PDFs, MCA forms, GST returns, and tax filings. It ensures integrity and authentication of the signed document.
2. Encrypt Certificate: Used to encrypt files and confidential data. Ideal for e-tenders, legal documents, and secure communication.
3. Sign & Encrypt Certificate: A combined usage certificate for both signing and encryption — commonly used for MCA filings, GST processes, and government applications.
Classes of DSC
- Class 1: Issued to individuals to verify name and email ID.
(Very limited use today.) - Class 2: Earlier used for MCA/IT/GST filings, but discontinued from 1 January 2021.
- Class 3: Now the standard and mandatory class for:
- MCA filings
- GST filings
- Income tax filings
- e-Tenders and e-Auctions
- Trademark & patent filings
How to Obtain a Digital Signature Certificate
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Visit a Certifying Authority’s official portal.
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Select Class 3 DSC and choose validity (1 or 2 years).
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Fill in the application with:
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Applicant details
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Address
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Contact information
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GST and ID details (if applicable)
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Upload photograph and e-sign the declaration.
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Complete KYC through document upload or Aadhaar-based eKYC.
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Make payment and submit the application.
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The CA verifies the details and issues the DSC electronically.
How to Download a Digital Signature Certificate
General DSC Download Steps:
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Plug in the USB token.
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Install the token driver/utility provided by the CA.
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Log in using the application number and passcode received on your registered mobile/email.
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Enter the token password.
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Select the certificate and click Download to install it into the token.
- (Specific instructions for e-Mudhra, Capricorn, PantaSign, (n)Code, and IDSign involve similar steps: login → verify → select token → download → complete installation.)
How to Check DSC Validity
- Open your USB token utility.
- Log in with your token PIN.
- Select your DSC.
- Open the Details tab to view expiry date, serial number, and certificate information.