Public Key Encryption
Full Form of PKE
What is PKE?
Public Key Encryption (PKE) is a cryptographic system that uses a pair of keys—a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption—to secure digital communications and transactions. In the Indian context, PKE underpins the security of critical digital infrastructure such as the Aadhaar authentication system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) processes. It ensures that sensitive data like biometrics, financial credentials, and personal identifiers remain confidential during transmission over public networks. PKE is widely employed in digital signatures, email encryption, and secure socket layer (SSL) certificates used by Indian government portals and e-commerce platforms. The system relies on mathematical algorithms like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography, making it computationally infeasible for attackers to derive the private key from the public key. In India, the adoption of PKE has been accelerated by the National Cyber Security Policy and the push for Digital India initiatives. For competitive exams such as the UPSC or banking exams, questions often test the distinction between symmetric and asymmetric encryption, with PKE being a classic example of the latter.
PKE का फुल फॉर्म
सार्वजनिक कुंजी एन्क्रिप्शन
Example
When you transfer money via UPI, the app uses PKE to encrypt your PIN and prevent interception by malicious actors.