Where the Hash Values Fit (MATCH / MISMATCH)

Hash values are the part of the certificate that makes integrity checkable rather than merely asserted. A cryptographic hash is a fixed-length fingerprint of a file's contents; change a single byte and the fingerprint changes completely. By recording the hash of each exhibit in Part A, the certificate lets anyone re-compute the same value later and compare. If every byte is identical the result is MATCH and the file is unchanged; if anything differs the result is MISMATCH and the file has been altered or corrupted. This is the same verifiable core described in our evidence integrity certificate article — the Section 63 / 65B certificate simply wraps those values in the court-prescribed Part A / Part B form along with the device and acquisition story.

P26) follows the Schedule form set out in the statute, organised into Part A and Part B. Part A is filled by the party producing the electronic record and describes the record, the source device, how the record was identified and produced, the period the device was in regular and proper use, and the integrity or hash values. Part B is filled by an expert and records their details and opinion. The certificate is dated and signed. Always read the current text of the Schedule to the BSA for the exact prescribed wording and fields.

Is the Section 65B certificate the same as Section 63 BSA?
They serve the same purpose. Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 governed the admissibility of electronic records and required an accompanying certificate. The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA) replaced the Evidence Act, and the equivalent provision is now Section 63, with the certificate set out in a Schedule to the BSA in Part A and Part B form. Practitioners often still say "Section 65B certificate" out of habit, but for matters under the BSA the correct reference is Section 63 and its Schedule.

Who signs Part A and Part B?
Part A is completed and signed by the party producing the electronic record, that is, the person responsible for or familiar with the device and the way the record was produced. Part B is completed and signed by an expert who examines the record and gives an opinion. Who exactly must depose and how depends on the facts of the matter and the current provision, so verify against the Schedule and take legal advice where the stakes warrant it.

Is a Section 65B certificate mandatory?
Where a party seeks to rely on an electronic record as evidence, the statute requires an accompanying certificate in the prescribed form, so in practice it is treated as essential for tendering such records. The precise requirement, timing and any exceptions are matters of law that turn on the current provision and the facts of the case. e-Dex helps you produce a well-structured, integrity-backed certificate, but it is a tool, not legal advice, and it does not guarantee admissibility.

Can I generate a Section 65B certificate online or offline?
You can generate the certificate offline. e-Dex runs fully on your own Windows machine and produces the certificate in the Part A / Part B Schedule form locally, so your evidence files never leave your computer. You can optionally PAdES-sign it with a Digital Signature Certificate and apply an RFC-3161 trusted timestamp; only the timestamp step needs an internet connection. Generating the certificate itself does not require going online.

Conclusion

The Section 65B / Section 63 BSA certificate is not as intimidating as it first looks: it is a Part A about the record and its source, a Part B from an expert, and a set of hash values that make integrity provable. Once you can see where each field goes — as in the worked example above — filling it becomes a matter of recording what you already know about the device and the acquisition. You can produce one in the literal Part A / Part B form, offline, on a single Windows machine with e-Dex — the Digital Evidence Integrity Suite. Download it free and generate a clean, integrity-backed certificate, then read the current Schedule to the BSA to finalise the exact wording.