[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"post:question-mark-in-digital-signature-how-to-remove-it":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"excerpt":7,"imageUrl":8,"tags":9,"createdAt":14,"updatedAt":14,"wordCount":15,"readingMinutes":16,"html":17,"toc":18,"related":69,"prev":70,"next":84},"aefh99XB8pVCnAH1HwXr","question-mark-in-digital-signature-how-to-remove-it","Question Mark in a Digital Signature: How to Remove It","The yellow question mark on e-Aadhaar, birth certificates and e-PAN is a picture stored in the PDF. Why it appears, and how to get a copy with the green tick.","https:\u002F\u002Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com\u002Fv0\u002Fb\u002Fnarenkram-672cc.firebasestorage.app\u002Fo\u002Fblog-images%2F1791918506156-cover-signvalid-question-mark.png?alt=media&token=536a3026-f633-4c44-b3d9-0225db3b8bd0",[10,11,12,13],"signvalid","digital signature","aadhaar","how-to","2026-10-13T19:07:24.834Z",1444,7,"\u003Cp>Download your e-Aadhaar, a birth certificate, an income certificate or an e-PAN, open it, and there it is: a yellow question mark in the signature box with "Signature Not Verified" beside it. Open the same file in Adobe Reader and it says "Validity Unknown". Many of the people who find \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002F\">SignValid\u003C\u002Fa>, the free signature validator I built for Indian documents, arrive searching for how to remove it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The honest answer has two parts. You cannot remove the question mark from the original file without breaking its signature. What you can do is check the signature properly and get a copy that shows the green tick in its place, on any phone, in any browser and on paper. This post explains why the question mark is there, why it is not a bad sign, and how to get that green tick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"why-there-is-a-question-mark-in-the-digital-signature\">Why there is a question mark in the digital signature\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#why-there-is-a-question-mark-in-the-digital-signature\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The signature box on a government PDF looks like a stamp, but it is really a small layered picture: a symbol, the signer's name and a status line. The portal that issued your document saved that picture in its "not checked yet" state, the yellow question mark, because it cannot know which viewer will open the file later or whether that viewer will finish the check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the question mark is not a warning your phone came up with. It is part of the document, exactly like the text and the logo. What you see then depends on where you open the file:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Your phone's PDF viewer, Chrome, Google Drive and the preview inside messaging apps\u003C\u002Fstrong> draw the picture as it is stored, so they always show the question mark. They do not check the signature at all.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Printouts\u003C\u002Fstrong> always show the question mark, because paper gets the stored picture.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Adobe Reader\u003C\u002Fstrong> checks the signature and swaps the picture while the file is open. But its list of trusted certificate authorities does not include India's root, run by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), so on most computers it cannot finish the check and shows "Validity Unknown".\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>SignValid has a longer explanation of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fguides\u002Fthe-question-mark-is-drawn-inside-the-pdf\">why the question mark is drawn inside the PDF\u003C\u002Fa>, if you want the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"is-a-question-mark-a-bad-sign\">Is a question mark a bad sign?\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#is-a-question-mark-a-bad-sign\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>No. The question mark means "nobody has checked this yet", not "this is fake". It appears on every genuine e-Aadhaar and every genuine e-District certificate, and it would appear just as happily on a forged one. A red cross with "Signature Invalid" in Adobe Reader is a different message: the check ran and failed, very often because the file was saved again after it was signed. The yellow question mark only says that no check has finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flip side matters too: a green tick that is simply drawn on a page proves nothing either. Anyone can draw a tick on a forged document in a PDF editor. Only reading the signature data inside the file tells a genuine document from a fake one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-remove-the-question-mark-get-a-verified-copy-with-the-green-tick\">How to remove the question mark: get a verified copy with the green tick\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#how-to-remove-the-question-mark-get-a-verified-copy-with-the-green-tick\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>This is what SignValid does, and it takes a few seconds:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Open \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002F\">www.signvalid.in\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fstrong> in any browser, on a laptop or a phone. Nothing to install, no account.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Choose the original PDF\u003C\u002Fstrong>, exactly as you downloaded it from the portal or DigiLocker. Not a scan, a screenshot or a copy you have edited and saved.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Enter the password if it has one.\u003C\u002Fstrong> For e-Aadhaar it is the first four letters of your name in capitals, followed by your year of birth.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Press Validate.\u003C\u002Fstrong> SignValid checks that the file has not changed since it was signed, that the signer's certificate leads up to India's CCA root through a licensed certifying authority, and that the certificate had not been withdrawn when the document was signed.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Download the verified copy.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If every check passes, the preview turns from the question mark to a green tick with "Signature valid", the way Adobe Reader shows a validated signature, and the download is that copy.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>The tick is drawn only when the check really passed. A document that fails gets a report saying what went wrong, and no copy. There is no way to buy or ask for a tick on a document that does not pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep the original as well. The verified copy is a display copy: it shows the result everywhere, but it carries no signature of its own. When an office asks for "the digitally signed document", send the original download; when someone only looks at the page, such as a landlord, a college admissions desk or an office counter, the verified copy saves you the explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-cannot-just-edit-the-question-mark-out\">Why you cannot just edit the question mark out\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#why-you-cannot-just-edit-the-question-mark-out\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>A digital signature covers the exact bytes of the file. Any app that changes the picture in the signature box has to save the file again, and a re-saved file can no longer be checked by anyone: the signature still sits inside it, but it no longer matches what is around it. You would swap a harmless question mark for a document that fails every proper check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same goes for the tricks people try with good intentions: printing to PDF, opening the file in Chrome and saving it, compressing it, or running it through a password-removal site. All of them write a new file. If you have already done one of these, download a fresh copy from the portal before you check it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"the-question-mark-on-common-documents\">The question mark on common documents\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#the-question-mark-on-common-documents\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"e-aadhaar\">e-Aadhaar\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#e-aadhaar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Every e-Aadhaar downloaded from UIDAI carries the question mark, because it is a signed PDF like any other. It validates normally once you enter its password, and SignValid's page on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fvalidate-aadhaar-signature\">e-Aadhaar signature\u003C\u002Fa> covers its details. e-Aadhaar is also the document people check most on SignValid: 21,899 checks by 14 October 2026. If you would rather not upload it anywhere, the Secure QR code on the e-Aadhaar can be read with UIDAI's own Aadhaar QR scanner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"birth-and-death-certificates\">Birth and death certificates\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#birth-and-death-certificates\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Certificates from the Civil Registration System and from state portals such as Tamil Nadu's e-District are signed the same way. SignValid has pages for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fvalidate-crs-birth-death-certificate-signature\">CRS birth and death certificates\u003C\u002Fa> and for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Ftn-birth-certificate-signature-validation\">Tamil Nadu birth certificate\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"community-income-and-other-state-certificates\">Community, income and other state certificates\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#community-income-and-other-state-certificates\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Tamil Nadu's community, income, nativity and residence certificates have all been checked with real samples, and SignValid lists the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fstate-edistrict-certificate-signature-validation\">certificate portals of every other state and union territory\u003C\u002Fa> with what is known about each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"e-pan-and-gst-certificates\">e-PAN and GST certificates\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#e-pan-and-gst-certificates\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fvalidate-e-pan-signature\">e-PAN\u003C\u002Fa> from the Income Tax Department and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.signvalid.in\u002Fvalidate-gst-certificate-signature\">GST registration certificate\u003C\u002Fa> show the same question mark and validate the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"when-the-question-mark-will-not-go-away\">When the question mark will not go away\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#when-the-question-mark-will-not-go-away\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes the check does not pass, and the green tick does not appear. The usual reasons, in the order I see them:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The file was re-saved or compressed.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The signature is still there but can no longer be checked. Download a fresh copy from the portal and try again.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The file is a scan or a photo.\u003C\u002Fstrong> There is no signature in it to check. Go back to the digital original.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Validity unknown on a fresh government download.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The portal may have started signing under a certifying authority SignValid has not added yet. That is my job to fix, so report it.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>My other post on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.narenkram.com\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-validate-signature-in-pdf\">how to validate a signature in a PDF\u003C\u002Fa> walks through every result and what to do about each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-the-question-mark-means-in-hindi-and-tamil\">What the question mark means, in Hindi and Tamil\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#what-the-question-mark-means-in-hindi-and-tamil\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In Hindi, "Signature Not Verified" is "हस्ताक्षर सत्यापित नहीं" and "Validity Unknown" is "वैधता अज्ञात". In Tamil they are "கையொப்பம் சரிபார்க்கப்படவில்லை" and "செல்லுபடித்தன்மை தெரியவில்லை". In every language the meaning is the same: the check has not been done yet. It does not say that the document is fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently asked questions\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"will-the-person-i-send-the-document-to-see-the-green-tick\">Will the person I send the document to see the green tick?\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#will-the-person-i-send-the-document-to-see-the-green-tick\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Only if you send them the verified copy. The original file stores the question mark, so their phone or browser shows it, and Adobe Reader on their computer shows "Validity Unknown" too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"can-i-remove-the-question-mark-on-my-phone\">Can I remove the question mark on my phone?\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#can-i-remove-the-question-mark-on-my-phone\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Yes. Open signvalid.in in your phone's browser, choose the file from your Downloads, validate it and download the verified copy. The steps are the same as on a laptop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"is-signvalid-free\">Is SignValid free?\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#is-signvalid-free\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Yes. It is paid for by Google ads, which never see your documents, and files are checked in memory and not kept. There is a fair-use limit of 30 checks per 10 minutes per browser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"does-signvalid-change-my-original-file\">Does SignValid change my original file?\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#does-signvalid-change-my-original-file\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>No. Your original stays exactly as it was on your phone or computer. SignValid gives you a second file, the verified copy, beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",[19,23,26,29,32,35,39,42,45,48,51,54,57,60,63,66],{"id":20,"text":21,"level":22},"why-there-is-a-question-mark-in-the-digital-signature","Why there is a question mark in the digital signature",2,{"id":24,"text":25,"level":22},"is-a-question-mark-a-bad-sign","Is a question mark a bad sign?",{"id":27,"text":28,"level":22},"how-to-remove-the-question-mark-get-a-verified-copy-with-the-green-tick","How to remove the question mark: get a verified copy with the green tick",{"id":30,"text":31,"level":22},"why-you-cannot-just-edit-the-question-mark-out","Why you cannot just edit the question mark out",{"id":33,"text":34,"level":22},"the-question-mark-on-common-documents","The question mark on common documents",{"id":36,"text":37,"level":38},"e-aadhaar","e-Aadhaar",3,{"id":40,"text":41,"level":38},"birth-and-death-certificates","Birth and death certificates",{"id":43,"text":44,"level":38},"community-income-and-other-state-certificates","Community, income and other state certificates",{"id":46,"text":47,"level":38},"e-pan-and-gst-certificates","e-PAN and GST certificates",{"id":49,"text":50,"level":22},"when-the-question-mark-will-not-go-away","When the question mark will not go away",{"id":52,"text":53,"level":22},"what-the-question-mark-means-in-hindi-and-tamil","What the question mark means, in Hindi and Tamil",{"id":55,"text":56,"level":22},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",{"id":58,"text":59,"level":38},"will-the-person-i-send-the-document-to-see-the-green-tick","Will the person I send the document to see the green tick?",{"id":61,"text":62,"level":38},"can-i-remove-the-question-mark-on-my-phone","Can I remove the question mark on my phone?",{"id":64,"text":65,"level":38},"is-signvalid-free","Is SignValid free?",{"id":67,"text":68,"level":38},"does-signvalid-change-my-original-file","Does SignValid change my original file?",[],{"id":71,"slug":72,"title":73,"excerpt":74,"imageUrl":75,"tags":76,"createdAt":81,"updatedAt":81,"wordCount":82,"readingMinutes":83},"A4T7XyNjhY7uRewPqmbW","what-to-look-for-in-an-open-interest-analysis-tool","What to Look For in an Open Interest Analysis Tool","What to look for in an open interest analysis tool for NIFTY and SENSEX, from the person who built OIData: change in OI, build-ups, history, alerts and price.","https:\u002F\u002Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com\u002Fv0\u002Fb\u002Fnarenkram-672cc.firebasestorage.app\u002Fo\u002Fblog-images%2F1791918508067-cover-oidata-tool.png?alt=media&token=9015f83c-a39f-4007-badd-68dc7bf4b05b",[77,78,79,80],"oidata","open interest","options trading","saas","2026-10-13T19:06:24.834Z",1325,6,{"id":85,"slug":86,"title":87,"excerpt":88,"imageUrl":89,"tags":90,"createdAt":92,"updatedAt":92,"wordCount":93,"readingMinutes":94},"1l74fiNhyc7xkmhamQej","how-to-validate-signature-in-pdf","How to Validate a Signature in a PDF (Free, on Phone or Laptop)","How to validate the digital signature on a PDF for free, on a phone or a laptop: what the check proves, the five steps, and what each result means.","https:\u002F\u002Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com\u002Fv0\u002Fb\u002Fnarenkram-672cc.firebasestorage.app\u002Fo\u002Fblog-images%2F1791918504835-cover-signvalid-validate.png?alt=media&token=2faacb3f-04c7-45a9-b4b8-65fe016ac849",[10,11,91,13],"pdf","2026-10-13T19:08:24.834Z",1727,8]