35.
Certifying Authority to issue Digital Signature Certificate.
(1)
Any person may make an application to the Certifying
Authority for the issue of a Digital Signature Certificate
in such form as may be prescribed by the Central Government
(2) Every such application shall be accompanied by such
fee not exceeding twenty-five thousand rupees as may
be prescribed by the Central Government, to be paid
to the
Certifying Authority: Provided that while prescribing
fees under sub-section (2) different fees may be prescribed
for different classes of applicants'.
(3)
Every such application shall be accompanied by a certification
practice statement or where there is no such statement,
a statement containing such particulars, as may be specified
by regulations.
(4)
On receipt of an application under sub-section (1),
the Certifying Authority may, after consideration of
the certification practice statement or the other statement
under sub-section(3)
and after making such enquiries as it may deem fit,
grant the Digital Signature Certificate or for reasons
to be recorded in writing, reject the application:
Provided that no Digital Signature Certificate shall
be granted unless the Certifying Authority is satisfied
that—
(a) the applicant holds the private key corresponding
to the public key to be listed in the Digital Signature
Certificate;
(b)
the applicant holds a private key, which is capable
of creating a digital signature;
(c)
the public key to be listed in the certificate can
be used to verify a digital signature affixed by the
private key held by the applicant:
Provided further that no application shall be rejected
unless the applicant has been given a reasonable opportunity
of showing cause against the proposed rejection.
36.
Representations upon issuance of Digital Signature Certificate.
A
Certifying Authority while issuing a Digital Signature
Certificate shall certify that--
(a) it has complied with the provisions of this Act
and the rules and regulations
made thereunder,
(b) it has published the Digital Signature Certificate
or otherwise made it available to such person relying
on it and the subscriber has accepted it;
(c)
the subscriber holds the private key corresponding to
the public key, listed in the
Digital Signature Certificate;
(d) the subscriber's public key and private key constitute
a functioning key pair,
(e)
the information contained in the Digital Signature Certificate
is accurate; and
(f) it has no knowledge of any material fact, which
if it had been included in the Digital Signature Certificate
would adversely affect the reliability of the representations
made in clauses (a) to (d).
37.
Suspension of Digital Signature Certificate.
(1)
Subject to the provisions of sub-ection
(2),
the Certifying Authority which has
issued a Digital Signature Certificate may suspend such
Digital Signature Certificate,—
(a)
on receipt of a request to that effect from—
(i)
the subscriber listed in toe Digital Signature Certificate;
or
(ii) any person duly authorised to act on behalf
of that subscriber,
(b)
if it is of opinion that the Digital Signature Certificate
should be
suspended in public interest
(2)
A Digital Signature Certificate shall not be suspended
for a period exceeding
fifteen days unless the subscriber has been given an
opportunity of being heard in the
matter.
(3)
On suspension of a Digital Signature Certificate under
this section, the
Certifying Authority shall communicate the same to the
subscriber.
38.
Revocation of Digital Signature Certificate.
(1)
A Certifying Authority may revoke a Digital Signature
Certificate issued by it—
(a)
where the subscriber or any other person authorised
by him makes a
request to that effect; or
(b) upon the death of the subscriber, or (c) upon
the dissolution of the firm or winding up of the company
where the
subscriber is a firm or a company.
(2)
Subject to the provisions of sub-section
(3)
and without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section
(1), a CertifyingAuthority may revoke a Digital Signature
Certificate
which has been issued by it at any time, if it is of
opinion that—
(a)
a material fact represented in the Digital Signature
Certificate is false or
has been concealed;
(b) a requirement for issuance of the Digital Signature
Certificate was not satisfied;
(c) the Certifying Authority's private key or security
system was compromised in a manner materially affecting
the Digital Signature Certificate's reliability;
(d)
the subscriber has been declared insolvent or dead
or where a subscriber
is a firm or a company, which has been dissolved,
wound-up or otherwise ceased to exist
(3)
A Digital Signature Certificate shall not be revoked
unless the subscriber has been given an opportunity
of being heard in the matter.
(4)
On revocation of a Digital Signature Certificate under
this section, the Certifying Authority shall communicate
the same to the subscriber.
39.
Notice of suspension or revocation.
(1)
Where a Digital Signature Certificate is suspended or
revoked under section 37 or section 38,
the Certifying Authority shall publish a notice of such
suspension or revocation, as the case may be, in the
repository specified in the Digital Signature Certificate
for publication of such notice.
(2) Where one or more repositories are specified, the
Certifying Authority shall publish
notices of such suspension or revocation, as the case
may he. in all such repositories.