Digital signatures and authentication – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and D correctly describe digital signatures, while C confuses them with mere images. Digital signatures rely on cryptographic keys to verify both the sender and the integrity of the document. They are widely used in e-governance workflows to legally sign electronic forms. Graphical images of signatures do not provide cryptographic security, so C must be excluded from the correct set.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes A, B and D, which all reflect authentic properties and uses of digital signatures. It properly leaves out C, which treats digital signatures as simple pictures with no cryptographic basis. This option therefore matches the technological and legal understanding of digital signatures.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete because it selects only A and B and omits D. While A and B are true, ignoring the practical use of digital signatures in e-governance systems underestimates their institutional role. Since D is also correct, this combination does not list all the true statements.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it combines B, which is true, with C, which is false. C equates digital signatures with pasted images, ignoring the essential role of cryptographic algorithms and keys. Any option that includes this misunderstanding cannot be accepted as correct.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes that all four statements are correct and thus accepts C. Since C misrepresents digital signatures as non-cryptographic images, the presence of C makes this combination invalid.