Aadhaar number is a 12-digit number issued by the government of India in partnership with UIDAI Authority to all the Indian residents. This number is exclusive for all individuals and it helps in the identification of people. A person who is willing to enrol himself provides his or her demographic and biometric information during enrolment procedures free of cost. Registering for an Aadhaar card is voluntary for individuals, however, if you have an Aadhaar card, you will be entitled to get various benefits.
An Aadhaar card can be seen in two different forms. First being the physical Aadhaar card and the second option is an e-Aadhaar. Again, an e-Aadhaar also can be obtained in two different forms, one is the Regular e-Aadhaar and the second one is a Masked aadhaar. After you download your regular e-Aadhaar online, you will be able to see a question (‘?’) mark on the digital signature space in your downloaded Aadhaar card in pdf version. The probable question which will come to your mind will be, how to validate the digital signature in aadhaar card. Well, you need not be concerned about the same as UIDAI has a specific set of procedures as to how to validate the digital signature in Aadhar card. Before we go to the process of how to validate the aadhaar signature, let us see in brief what is an e-Aadhaar and a Masked Aadhaar.
What is an e-Aadhaar and a Masked Aadhaar?
An e-Aadhaar is a password protected digital form of Aadhaar and is digitally signed by the respective Authority of UIDAI. Whereas in a masked Aadhaar, you are allowed to hide the first 8-digits of your Aadhaar number and the other 4 digits will be visible. The masked Aadhaar will also be signed digitally by UIDAI and you need not be anxious about whether it will be accepted or not. You can always decide to have a Masked Aadhaar Card as a substitute for your regular Aadhaar Card for security purposes.
Here, we will take you through as to how to validate the digital signature in Aadhar card and will make it simpler for you to understand the process.
How to validate the digital signature in Aadhar card via mobile?
Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number with some characters like “XXXX-XXXX” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible. Masked Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number with some characters like “XXXX-XXXX” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible. Masked Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number with some characters like “XXXX-XXXX” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible. Masked Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first 8 digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “XXXX-XXXX” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible.
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UIDAI has given the facility of downloading your e-Aadhaar through mobile applications as well and it is with this facility by which you will be able to validate the signature in mobile for your e-Aadhaar. The name of the application is mAadhaar which you will be able to download on your Smartphone and can use the same. You can also download in an Android phone via Google Play Store and also in an iPhone via the Apple Store. You need to register yourself by giving the required details and can easily download your e-Aadhaar and then validate the signature. You need to follow the below steps as mentioned below:
- You need to visit the Google Play application and download mAadhaar app
- The next step is to install the said app in your mobile
- You will receive an OTP- One-Time Password on your mobile number that has been registered with your Aadhaar
- Enter the OTP in the relevant space and download mAadhaar app in your mobile
- You will be asked to create your profile with the necessary details
- Fill in your 12-digit Aadhaar number
- Scan the secure QR-Code
- After scanning the QR-Code, you will be able to see your demographic information on your mobile
- You will be able to download your e-Aadhar and the same will be digitally signed
A good to know information: QR Code previously there on Aadhaar print-letter and e-Aadhaar consisted only of your demographic information. UIDAI has introduced a safer and a new Secure QR Code that has your demographics data with your photograph as well. Data in the QR Code is protected, safe and tamper-proof, as the same is digitally signed by UIDAI.
The new digitally signed secured QR code may be read utilizing UIDAI’s custom application and authenticate it against UIDAI digital signatures on a real-time basis. Thus, any forgery, if at all attempted on your Aadhaar card will be easily spotted by way of QR Code scanner
What is Secure QR CODE?
Secure QR code is a graphical code having demographics and photographs of the Aadhaar holder which is digitally signed by UIDAI. Data warehoused in QR Code are the Ref ID, Name, DOB, Gender, Mobile Number, Email Address, Photograph and 2048-bit digital signature. Hence, when you are downloading your e-Aadhaar by way of the mAadhaar app, you need not verify the signature digitally.
How to validate the digital signature in an Aadhar card in Adobe reader?
The process of validating the signature in your e-Aadhaar is very simple and easy to follow. Mentioned below the necessary steps for your reference:
- Download your e-Aadhaar from https://uidai.gov.in/in pdf version
- You can download your e-Aadhaar wither by your Aadhaar number, or by Enrolment ID (EID) or Virtual id (VID) as shown below
- You can now open your e-Aadhaar Letter through Adobe Reader which you have downloaded from the UIDAI Resident Portal
- The next step is to click on the “validity unknown” icon and click on “Validate Signature”. The image of “validity unknown” will be like below as shown
- You will be able to see the window of signature validation status and you need to click on “Signature Properties”
- Next is, click on “Show Certificate”
- Confirm that there is a certification path named ‘NIC sub-CA for NIC 2011, National Informatics centre’. This recognizes ‘NIC sub-CA for NIC 2011, National Informatics centre’ as the proprietor of the digital certificate that is being used while signing the said document
- Spot the certification path termed ‘NIC sub-CA for NIC 2011, National Informatics centre’ and then click on the “Trust” tab after which you need to then go and tick on “Add to Trusted Identities”
- Remember to reply with an “ok” for any security query that shows on the page
- Check (✔) the field as shown below for ‘Use this certificate as a trusted root’ and then click ‘OK’ two times to close this window and the next window
- Tick “Validate Signature” to perform the authentication and makes sure the process is complete
A good way to know information for you is once ‘NIC sub-CA for NIC 2011, National Informatics centre’ has been as a Trusted Identity, any succeeding documents with the option of having digital signatures from CCA will be also be authenticated automatically when you will open the document.
Benefits on Aadhaar e-signature
Considering the advantages of being digital and the related online facilities, the benefits of e-signature can be listed as below.
Security
As per the Controller of Certifying Authority- CCA, the service providers are qualified for giving this facility. They usually have a license for providing this procedure under the IT act. The keys of the operators are established on the Hardware Security Module and are completely destroyed after the same is used once thereby preventing the misuse of users’ Aadhar data.
Suitability
An e-Signature has been able to make the registration process very easy, hassle-free, fast and real-time for clienteles by removing the need to be physically present to the register Aadhaar card for signature thereby also preventing human mistakes and unavoidable delays that are the portion of any manual procedure. By Aadhaar card e-signature, the system has been able to remove the hardware tokens that are an essential part of the procedure.
Benefit of Flexibility
Aadhaar e-Signature registering can be completed in more than one manner, depending on the device that is getting used by the service provider. Biometric verification is one way that involves iris scan and fingerprint authentication. The second one is through mobile via a One Time Password or OTP. You will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number as a part of the authentication method.
Distant support
Aadhar electronic signature is acomputer-generated virtual service where people need not be present in person at the time of verification. The whole process may be directed remotely, which helps to save time thereby removing unwanted errors and unnecessary delays. Additionally, the usage of hardware tokens can also be removed.
Confidentiality
Only certain precise data is involved in the whole procedure so that complete information is not available to the service providers and this is the way the privacy or the confidentiality of the signatory is maintained.
From the above discussion, you can rest assured that all your data in your Aadhaar or e-Aadhaar is completely safe and secure. And now that you know how to validate the signature in Aadhar, you can go ahead and do so easily without any challenge.
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