Main Content
हिंदी 
Accessibility Options
Zoom the page
Increase Text 
Decrease Text
Grey scale
High Contrast
Low contrast
Light background
Link's underline
Readable font
Reset Document Detail
Title: To all
Reference No.: IRDA/SUR/MISC/CIR/244/11/2012
Date: 20/11/2012
ISLMS- Digital Signature of Corporate Surveyors
This is further to our earlier circulars on implementation of a web based licensing system for surveyors which would facilitate online submission of application by individuals and corporates for grant of fresh/renewal surveyor license.
The said licensing system would also enable corporate surveyors to submit online documents, forms and other returns as prescribed in the IRDA Regulations, 2000, for grant of fresh/renewal/modified license, in soft form with the digital signature of the director/partner authorized to do so.
In view of the above, all Corporate Surveyors (partnership firms/companies incorporated under Companies Act), holding valid surveyor license issued by IRDA, are therefore required to make necessary arrangements to procure digital signatures of their directors /partners, from any of the agencies approved by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
The details relating to procurement of digital signature, cost and other related information is provided as Annexure I of this circular. For the purpose of filing the returns / applications IRDA expects the signing authorities to have Class-II / Class III digital signatures procured from certification agencies. If signing authorities of the corporate surveyors already possess these digital signatures procured for the purpose of filing the income tax returns, MCA-21 etc., the same can be used for the purpose of filing IRDA returns application. The corporate surveyors may also ensure that digital signatures of the signing authorities are renewed periodically with the respective certification agency in order to ensure its validity.
All Corporate Surveyors are therefore required to strictly comply with the above requirement and the confirmation on the same may be communicated to sudha.r at irda dot gov dot in
by 30th November, 2012.
Suresh Mathur
Senior Joint Director – Intermediaries
Digital Signature
A digital signature is an electronic method of signing an electronic document. The Information Technology Act, 2000 provides for use of Digital Signatures on the documents submitted in electronic form in order to ensure the security and authenticity of the documents filed electronically. This is the only secure and authentic way that a document can be submitted electronically.
Digital Signature uses the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI technology, which is a sophisticated, mathematically proven method of encrypting and decrypting information). Information can be decrypted only when both a private key and a public key match each other.
The certificate contains information about a user~s identity (for example, their name, email address, the date the certificate was issued and the name of the Certifying Authority that issued it.).
In the BAP application process usage of Digital Signatures for ensuring
1. User Authentication – (Ensuring the identity of the signer)
2. Data Integrity – (If the data is tampered, Signature validity is lost)
3. Non-Repudiation (In case of Dispute, Signed Data can be used in court of Law)
Obtaining Digital Signature Certificate
Digital Signatures can be obtained from a Certifying Agency. The user is free to buy signature from any of the Digital Signature Providers recognized by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Recognized vendors (Source: Ministry of Corporate Affairs http://www.mca.gov.in/MCA21/certifying-new.html)
1. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS)
2. National Informatics Centre (NIC)
3. Institute for Development & Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT)
4. MTNL
5. (n)Code Solutions Ltd., (A division of Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company Ltd.)
6. SafeScrypt from Sify Communications (Satyam)
7. E Mudhra ( 3i Infotech)
Further details about CA and Cost of signatures as published on the MCA website are given below.
Certification Agencies:
Certification Agencies are appointed by the office of the Controller of Certification Agencies (CCA) under the provisions of IT Act, 2000. There are a total of seven Certification Agencies authorised by the CCA to issue the Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs). The details of these Certification Agencies are available on the portal of the Ministry www.mca.gov.in
Costing/ Pricing of Digital Signatures:
It includes the cost of medium (a UBS token which is a onetime cost), the cost of issuance of DSC and the renewal cost after the period of validity. The company representatives and professionals required to obtain DSCs are free to procure the same from any one of the approved Certification Agencies as per the web site. The issuance costs in respect of each Agency vary and are market driven.
However, for the guidance of stakeholders, the Ministry has obtained the costs of issuance of DSCs at the consumer end from the Certification Agencies. The costs as intimated by them are as under:
Note : These costs are only indicative. The actual can be obtained from the specific vendor.
Prices for Issuance of Class-II Digital Signature at the Consumer End
|
Sr. No.
|
Name of Certification Agency (CA)
|
Cost of USB Crypto token
|
Cost of DSC with one year validity
|
Renewal Charges for DSC with one year validity
|
Cost of DSC with two year validity
|
Support charges
|
|
1.
|
MTNL CA
|
Reference of USB crypto token which the user can procure is provided on www.mtnltrustline.com.
|
Rs. 300/- ( for MTNL phone subscriber) and Rs. 450/- for others (Taxes extra)
|
Rs. 300/- ( for MTNL phone subscriber) and Rs. 450/- for others (Taxes extra)
|
Rs. 400/- ( for MTNL phone subscriber) and Rs. 600/- for others
( Taxes extra) |
Inclusive
|
|
2.
|
TCS
|
Rs. 750 (Inclusive of 4% Sales Tax). Any other applicable Taxes Extra.
|
Rs. 1245 (Inclusive of 12.24% Sales Tax.) Any other applicable Taxes Extra.
|
Rs. 1000/- (Inclusive of 12.24% Sales Tax) Any other applicable Taxes Extra
|
Rs. 1900/- (Inclusive of 12.24% Sales Tax) Any other applicable taxes Extra
|
Not Provided by CA
|
|
3.
|
IDBRT
|
Not provided by the CA. The user can procure the token from market directly and get his DSC loaded into it
|
Rs. 750/- (Rs. 500/- towards administrative expenses and Rs 250/-for Certificate)
|
Rs. 750/-
|
Rs. 1500/-
|
Inclusive
|
|
4.
|
SAFESCRYPT (SATYAM)
|
Rs. 1000/-
Taxes extra |
Rs. 995/-
(No service tax applicable) |
Rs. 995/-
(No service tax applicable) |
Rs. 1650/-
(No service tax applicable) |
Rs. 500/- per site visit payable directly to the Authorised Partner.
|
|
5.
|
nCODE Solutions
|
Rs. 900/-
(Inclusive of VAT/Sales Tax) |
Rs. 1090/-
(No service tax applicable) |
Not Finalised
|
Rs. 1650/-
(No service tax applicable) |
Inclusive
|
|
6.
|
NIC
|
Certificate provided in Smart card. Cost of Card Rs. 400/-. For DSCs on USB token, the subscribers have to bring NICCA approved USB token
|
All certificates provided with 2 years validity
|
NIL
|
NIL for Government Rs. 150/- for PSU, Autonomous & Statutory Bodies
|
Training Charges: Rs. 500/- per participant (optional)
|
|
7.
|
Central Excise & Customs
|
Does not issue DSCs to person other than those from the Department
|
||||
|
8.
|
e-Mudhra (3i Infotech Consumer Services Limited)
|
Rs 700/-
• Exclusive of VAT / Sales Tax / Courier charges |
Rs. 899/-
• Service tax not applicable |
Rs. 899/-
• Service tax not applicable |
Rs. 1149/-
• Service tax not applicable |
Inclusive of Telephonic or Web support
|
Class of DSCs:
Different Types of Digital Signature and usage:
• Class 2:
• Here, the identity of a person is verified against a trusted, pre-verified database.
• Primarily used in MCA21 (Ministry of Corporate Affairs e-governance project) , ROC, Income Tax e-filing, sign a word or excel file, sign e-mail sent through Outlook
• Class 3:
• This is the highest level where the person needs to present himself or herself in front of a Registration Authority (RA) and prove his/ her identity.
• Primarily used for e-tendering or e-procurement or e-bidding
Validity of Digital Signatures:
The DSCs are typically issued with one year validity and two year validity. These are renewable on expiry of the period of initial issue.
*****************
