Terms & definitions
From Aadhaar eSign to WORM storage.
The vocabulary of execution, identity, stamping and evidence — defined simply.
- Aadhaar eSign
- An electronic signature method using Aadhaar-based OTP authentication, recognised under the IT Act, 2000. No hardware needed.
- Audit Trail
- A tamper-evident, time-stamped log of every action taken on a document — who did what, and when.
- Bill of Exchange
- A signed negotiable instrument recording a party's commitment to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a set date.
- CEMMS
- Contract Execution, Management & Monitoring System — the core IOUX system for end-to-end contract execution.
- CKYC / CERSAI
- Central KYC Registry maintained by CERSAI, storing standardised KYC records to avoid repeat verification.
- CLM
- Contract Lifecycle Management — managing a contract from creation through execution, obligations and renewal.
- Court-admissible
- Evidence that meets the legal conditions to be accepted by a court, including the requirements for electronic records.
- DDE Report
- Digital Document Execution report — an advocate-certified, court-admissible record of how a document was executed.
- DigiLocker
- A government platform that stores and shares issuer-verified digital documents with user consent.
- DSC
- Digital Signature Certificate — a certificate-based digital signature, often used by authorised signatories.
- eKYC
- Electronic Know Your Customer — online verification of a person's or entity's identity against trusted sources.
- eSign
- An electronic signature; in India, commonly Aadhaar-based, DSC or OTP-based signing recognised under the IT Act, 2000.
- eStamp Paper
- A digitally-generated, tamper-evident substitute for physical non-judicial stamp paper.
- e-Stamping
- Paying stamp duty digitally and generating a verifiable e-stamp certificate, instead of buying physical stamp paper.
- IT Act, 2000
- The Information Technology Act, 2000 — the law that recognises electronic records and electronic signatures in India.
- Judicial Stamp Paper
- Stamp paper used for court fees, distinct from non-judicial stamp paper used for agreements.
- KFS
- Key Fact Statement — a standardised summary of key loan terms required in certain regulated lending.
- Master Credit Agreement
- An overarching agreement setting the terms under which credit or payment commitments are made between parties.
- NeSL
- National e-Governance Services Ltd — an Information Utility that stores financial and contractual information.
- Non-Judicial Stamp Paper
- Stamp paper used for agreements, affidavits and deeds — what most contracts require.
- Notarisation
- Attestation of a document by a notary public; distinct from stamping and registration.
- Registration
- Recording a document with the sub-registrar, making it part of the public record; compulsory for some leases and transfers.
- Section 65B
- A provision of the Indian Evidence Act setting conditions for the admissibility of electronic records.
- Stamp Duty
- A state tax payable on certain documents; the amount varies by document, value and state.
- Video KYC
- Identity verification conducted over a recorded video interaction, used to capture consent and confirm identity.
- WORM Storage
- Write-Once-Read-Many storage — records that cannot be altered after they are written, supporting evidentiary integrity.