IT Parliamentary Committee tables report; Ashwini Vaishnaw says data bill not referred to committee

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Parliament the 48th report on Citizens' Data Security and Privacy on Tuesday. ET has reviewed a copy of it. As reported by ET on Friday, the conclusion of the report says, «The Committee, in no uncertain words stresses 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 says. It is referring to the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB) which was cleared by the Cabinet last month and is likely to be tabled in the Parliament this week. Delaying the implementation of such a comprehensive framework could potentially expose individuals to various risks and compromise the privacy rights of citizens, it further reads.

«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 says. ET had reported earlier that several opposition MPs had concerns regarding the report and had stage a walked out over it. Meanwhile, talking about the report, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the bill was not referred to the committee.