Renewal of a certifying authority licence requires an application in the prescribed form, accompanied by a prescribed fee not exceeding five thousand rupees. The application must be filed at least forty-five days before expiry of the licence's validity period. These requirements combine mandatory form, fee-limit, and advance-filing conditions for licence renewal.

Applications for a licence must be made in the form prescribed by the Central Government and accompanied by a certification practice statement, applicant-identification procedures, the prescribed fee subject to the statutory ceiling, and other prescribed documents.

Electronic signature certificate licensing is available upon application to the Controller, subject to prescribed requirements relating to qualifications, expertise, manpower, financial resources and infrastructure. Licences are valid for the prescribed period, are non-transferable and non-heritable, and remain subject to regulatory terms and conditions.

Section 20 concerning the Controller's role as repository has been omitted. Before omission, the Controller was required to retain all Digital Signature Certificates issued under the Act, use hardware, software and procedures secure against intrusion and misuse, observe prescribed standards protecting digital-signature secrecy and security, and maintain a computerised database of public keys accessible to every member of the public.

Recognition of foreign Certifying Authorities is subject to regulatory conditions and restrictions, prior governmental approval, and notification in the Official Gazette. A recognised foreign Certifying Authority may function for statutory purposes, and its electronic signature Certificates are valid for those purposes. Recognition may be revoked upon contravention of attached conditions or restrictions, provided written reasons are recorded and revocation is notified in the Official Gazette.

Section 18 empowers the Controller to supervise Certifying Authorities, certify public keys, prescribe operational standards, and regulate their business conditions, employee qualifications, electronic signature Certificates, advertising materials, accounts, and auditors. The Controller may regulate electronic systems and subscriber dealings, resolve conflicts of interest, lay down duties, and maintain a publicly accessible database of prescribed disclosure records for every Certifying Authority.

Section 17 empowers the Central Government to appoint a Controller of Certifying Authorities, along with Deputy Controllers, Assistant Controllers, officers and employees, through notification in the Official Gazette. The Controller functions under governmental control and direction, while Deputy and Assistant Controllers perform assigned functions under the Controller's superintendence. Service qualifications and conditions are prescribed by the Central Government, which also determines the locations of head and branch offices. The Office of the Controller is required to have a seal.

Section 16 empowers the Central Government to prescribe security procedures and practices for secure electronic records and secure electronic signatures. The prescription must take account of commercial circumstances, the nature of transactions, and other related factors considered appropriate when determining applicable procedures and practices.

Secure electronic signature status arises where signature-creation data is under the exclusive control of the signatory when the signature is affixed, and is stored and affixed in the prescribed exclusively controlled manner. For a digital signature, signature-creation data means the subscriber's private key.

Secure electronic record status attaches where a security procedure is applied to an electronic record at a specific point in time. The record is deemed secure from that point until verification, defining the temporal period during which the secure-record classification operates. The classification is linked to application of the security procedure and its continuation until verification.

Despatch occurs when an electronic record enters a computer resource outside the originator's control. Where the addressee has designated a computer resource, receipt occurs on entry into that resource; where the record is sent to another computer resource of the addressee, receipt occurs upon retrieval. Electronic records are deemed dispatched at the originator's place of business and received at the addressee's place of business, irrespective of the physical location of the computer resource.

Where the originator makes receipt of acknowledgment a condition for the electronic record to be binding, failure to receive acknowledgment results in the record being deemed never sent. Where no such condition is stipulated, the originator may, after non-receipt within the applicable period, notify the addressee and prescribe a reasonable further period. If acknowledgment remains outstanding, the originator may treat the electronic record as never sent.

Attribution of an electronic record to its originator arises where the originator personally sends it, where it is sent by a person authorised to act for the originator in relation to that record, or where an information system programmed by or for the originator automatically transmits it.

Central Government rulemaking power for electronic signatures permits prescription of the types of electronic signature, the manner and format in which they are affixed, and procedures facilitating identification of the person affixing an electronic signature. Rulemaking may also establish processes ensuring the integrity, security and confidentiality of electronic records or payments, and address matters necessary to give legal effect to electronic signatures.

Electronic governance provisions do not create an enforceable entitlement to require governmental ministries, departments, authorities, or publicly controlled or funded bodies to use electronic records. Such bodies cannot be compelled to accept, issue, create, retain, or preserve documents electronically, or to conduct monetary transactions in electronic form. Electronic governance is enabled without imposing mandatory electronic acceptance or transaction processing on public bodies.

Electronic Gazette publication satisfies a legal requirement for publication in the Official Gazette. Rules, regulations, orders, bye-laws, notifications and other matters may be published in either the Official Gazette or the Electronic Gazette. The deemed publication date is the date of the Gazette first published in any form.

Electronic retention satisfies a statutory retention requirement where information remains accessible for subsequent reference, is preserved in its original or accurately reproducible format, and includes details identifying its origin, destination, and despatch or receipt timing. Automatically generated transmission information is excluded from the identification-details requirement. The framework does not apply where a law expressly provides for retention in electronic-record form.

Statutory requirements for filing documents with government offices or agencies, obtaining licences, permits, sanctions or approvals, and receiving or paying money may be satisfied through electronic forms prescribed by the appropriate Government. Rules may govern the manner and format for filing, creating or issuing electronic records, and the method for payment of related fees or charges.

Legal recognition of electronic signatures applies where a law requires authentication by signature or requires a document to be signed or bear a person's signature. Such requirements are satisfied when authentication is effected through an electronic signature affixed in the manner prescribed by the Central Government.

Legal recognition of electronic records under Section 4 applies where any law requires information or another matter in writing, typewritten or printed form. Such a requirement is deemed satisfied, notwithstanding anything inconsistent in that law, if the information or matter is rendered or made available in electronic form and is accessible so as to be usable for subsequent reference purposes.