Personal Data Protection Bill Finalised: IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Prasad acknowledged that "some degree of data movement was important in the digital world", but noted that it would be based upon reciprocity and understanding.

Published: June 15, 2019 12:04 AM IST

By India.com News Desk

Electronics and Information Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Photo Courtesy: IANS
Electronics and Information Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Photo Courtesy: IANS

Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said that the much-awaited Personal Data Protection Bill has been finalised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and will next be taken to the Cabinet for approval before it is presented in Parliament.

The Personal Data Protection Bill would ensure the protection of an individual’s personal data and would also regulate the collection, usage, transfer and disclosure of the said data by the government and private entities.

“We have finalised the data protection law. I will take it to the Cabinet. We have had 3-4 rounds of consultation,” Prasad said while addressing the CII’s National Council meeting.

Emphasising on data security and the country’s hold over its data, the Minister said, “India will uphold its data sovereignty. It will not be negotiable. India is a huge country producing a lot of data.”

Prasad acknowledged that “some degree of data movement was important in the digital world”, but noted that it would be based upon reciprocity and understanding.

The draft Personal Data Protection Bill, submitted to the government by the Justice BN Krishna Committee in July last year, sets out how the personal data of individuals should be processed by the government and private entities incorporated in India and abroad.

Prasad said that along with data security, the focus should also be on data availability, utility, innovation and localisation.

He also emphasised on the need for data anonymity. Giving an analogy, Prasad, who also holds the telecom and law portfolios, said, “To have due research in a particular financial area, we must have objective data, but the occupant and owners of that data must be kept out of public gaze.”

With Inputs From IANS

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