PM Modi: Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules Emphasize Citizen-Centric Governance in India
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New Delhi, Jan 7 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, underscore India's commitment to citizen-centric governance as they seek to protect personal data while fostering growth and inclusivity.
The Prime Minister referenced the comments made by Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwani Vaishnaw regarding the draft rules, which are designed to safeguard individuals' personal data and empower citizens.
Union Minister Vaishnaw emphasized that the draft rules illustrate India's leadership in establishing global data governance frameworks.
“In contrast to certain international models that focus heavily on regulation, our strategy is pragmatic and oriented towards growth. This approach ensures that citizens are protected without hindering the innovative drive that fuels our startups and businesses. Small enterprises and startups will encounter reduced compliance burdens,” the Minister pointed out.
“When we envision the global future, it is imperative that human-centric approaches take precedence.”
These remarks from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent United Nations Summit of the Future reflect India's commitment to prioritizing its citizens.
“This philosophy has informed our endeavors in developing the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules. Once finalized, these rules will implement the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, realizing our pledge to protect citizens' rights concerning personal data,” the Minister elaborated.
The rules are crafted with clarity and simplicity, ensuring that every Indian, irrespective of their technical expertise, can comprehend and exercise their rights, he added.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently published the draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, mandating that a Data Fiduciary obtains verifiable consent from a parent before processing any personal data of a child.
This Act was enacted in Parliament in August 2023, and the government is inviting feedback on the draft rules via the MyGov portal until February 18, 2025.
The draft rules state, “A Data Fiduciary must implement suitable technical and organizational measures to secure verifiable consent from the parent before processing any child's personal data and must exercise due diligence in confirming that the individual presenting themselves as the parent is an adult and identifiable.”
The identity verification must occur through government-issued IDs or digital tokens linked to identity services such as Digital lockers.
This initiative aims to protect children's privacy across various social media platforms like Google, Meta's Facebook, WhatsApp, and X.
The rules also require the Data Fiduciary to promptly notify any personal data breach “to each affected Data Principal in a concise, clear, and straightforward manner and without delay.”
Furthermore, the rules indicate that the processing of personal data outside India is subject to the stipulation that the Data Fiduciary complies with the requirements specified by the Central government in relation to making such personal data accessible to any foreign State or any person or entity controlled by or associated with such a State.
