Centre withdraws Personal Data Protection Bill, JPC proposes 81 amendments

NEW DELHI: The central government has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill. The government withdrew the bill after the Joint Parliamentary Committee proposed 81 amendments.

Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw moved the motion for withdrawal of the bill in Lok Sabha.

"The Data Protection Bill 2021 as reported by the Joint Committee may be withdrawn," he said. The House adopted the motion.

The minister later said that Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament and 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem.

"Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw 'The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019' and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework," he said.

The Government had July 31, 2017 constituted a "committee of Experts on Data Protection" chaired by Justice BN Srikrishna to examine the issues relating to data protection. The committee examined the issues on data protection and submitted its report on July 27, 2018. The 2019 bill sought to bring a strong and robust data protection framework for India and to set up an Authority for protecting personal data and empowering the citizens' with rights relating to their personal data ensuring their fundamental right to "privacy and protection of personal data". The bill was sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament which gave its report on December 16, 2021.