In a key move, the Union Cabinet has given its nod to the Personal Data Protection Bill.
Through this Bill, the government aims to lay down a framework that will include processing of personal and private data by public and private entities, among others.
The law will look into broad guidelines on collection, storage and processing of personal data, consent of individuals, penalties and compensation, code of conduct and an enforcement model.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in either house of the Parliament in this Winter Session, which is scheduled to conclude on December 13, 2019.
Earlier in 2018, the Indian government had introduced a draft personal data protection bill to regulate the use of individual’s data by the government and private companies. The draft bill, titled The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018, was prepared by a high-level expert group headed by former Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna. The draft, mostly in line with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), was released in July 2018 for public consultation, after nine months of deliberation and consultation.
