PM Narendra Modi says data protection bill will increase India's reputation globally, ahead of Monsoon session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ahead of the beginning of the Monsoon session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the data protection bill, which is to be tabled in Parliament, will increase India's reputation globally when it becomes law.

"This session is very important due to the nature of bills that are going to be introduced. They directly impact citizens. Our younger generations are completely in the digital world (Hamare yuva peeri jo puri tadha digital world k saath ek prakaar se netritva kar rahi hai). The data protection bill will provide trust to every citizen of the country. The bill will also increase the country's reputation in the world," Modi said.

The law has been sought by various sections of society ever since the Supreme Court deemed the Right to Privacy as fundamental in 2016, with reasonable restrictions.

The draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was released last year, after its predecessor, Personal Data Protection Bill was withdrawn by the Indian government citing compliance-related reasons.

The bill has undergone several rounds of consultations, after which changes were incorporated and it finally received the cabinet’s approval, clearing the way for it to be tabled in the Parliament.

Once the bill is tabled in the Parliament, it can be passed by both houses and enacted into law. There is a possibility that the bill will be further studied by a parliamentary committee before it goes for voting.