Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 introduced in Lok Sabha amidst opposition

On Thursday, Union Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, in the Lok Sabha. The bill aims to regulate the processing of digital personal data while ensuring individuals' right to protect their data and the need to process it for lawful purposes.

However, the introduction of the bill faced strong opposition from the members of the opposition, who raised concerns about its potential violation of the fundamental right to privacy. They demanded that the bill be sent to the standing committee for thorough scrutiny, citing the withdrawal of a similar bill on data protection by the government last year.

In response, Minister Vaishnaw clarified that the bill is not a money bill and assured the opposition that all issues raised will be addressed during the debate on the bill.

MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar shed light on the significance of Digital Personal Data Protection via his official X (formerly Twitter) account. He claims that the Bill is a crucial step towards achieving the vision of global standard cyber laws for India's $1 trillion digital economy and IndiaTechade.

According to Chandrasekhar, the bill was formulated after extensive consultations led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with all stakeholders.

Chandrasekhar explained that once passed by Parliament, the bill will protect the rights of all citizens, foster an innovative economy, and grant lawful and legitimate access to the government in matters of national security and emergencies, such as pandemics and earthquakes.

He described the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill as a global standard, contemporary, future-ready, yet simple and easy to understand, ensuring India's position at the forefront of the digital world.

Chandrasekhar also released a video explaining the benefits of the new Digital Personal Data Protection bill.