IT Committee tables report in Parliament advocating enactment of data protection bill

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill is set to be tabled in the ongoing session of the Parliament

The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and IT on August 1 tabled a report on the data protection bill in the Parliament, even though Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar had clarified that the bill had not been referred to the committee. The report advocated for its immediate enactment into law.

"Delaying the implementation of such a comprehensive framework could potentially expose  individuals to various risks and compromise the privacy rights of citizens. Hence, the Committee strongly advocates for the immediate action of enacting this crucial legislation to protect the interests and rights of citizens in the digital age," the report "Citizens' Data Security and Privacy' read.

As Chandrasekhar explained earlier, and as opposition members of the committee such as John Brittas have maintained, a parliamentary committee cannot formally study a bill until it has been tabled in Parliament. The DPDP Bill has not yet been tabled in Parliament.

Also read: Do not table IT Committee report on Data Protection Bill, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas tells Dhankar, Birla

The report tabled in the Parliament discussed the "Significance of Consent in the Draft Bill", "Certain exemptions (Legitimate Uses) to Maintain Public Order", "Accountability and Deterrence Mechanism under the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill", "Flexibility and evolvability of the provisions of the draft Bill".

"The rushed report of the Standing Committee on IT on the subject of, "Citizen's Data Security and Privacy" is an obvious attempt to endorse the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 without any express reference," Apar Guta, founder director at Internet Freedom Foundation said.

The committee's report said, "The Committee, in no uncertain words stress the urgent necessity for the early enactment of a robust and all encompassing legislation that effectively safeguards citizens' data and privacy."

"As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, such legislation would serve as a crucial protective measure, ensuring the secure and responsible handling of personal information while instilling public confidence in the digital ecosystem," the report read.