PM Modi Emphasizes Citizen-Centric Governance in Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules

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, aiming to protect personal data while promoting growth and inclusivity.

In his remarks on X, the Prime Minister referenced Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwani Vaishnaw's insights regarding the draft rules, which aim to safeguard individuals' personal data and empower citizens.

Union Minister Vaishnaw pointed out that the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules demonstrate India's leadership in establishing global data governance standards.

“Unlike some international frameworks that are heavily regulatory, our strategy is pragmatic and growth-oriented. This equilibrium ensures that citizens are safeguarded without hindering the innovative drive of our startups and businesses. Small enterprises and startups will experience diminished compliance burdens,” the Minister noted.

“When discussing the global future, human-centric approaches must take precedence,” he added.

These remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent United Nations Summit of the Future encapsulate India's vision of prioritizing people.

“This philosophy has influenced our initiatives in shaping the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules. Once finalized, these rules will activate the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, realizing our commitment to ensuring citizens' right to personal data protection,” the Minister further explained.

The rules are crafted with clarity and simplicity, enabling every Indian, regardless of their technical expertise, to comprehend and exercise their rights, he added.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act on Friday, mandating that a Data Fiduciary must obtain verifiable consent from a parent before processing any personal data of a child.

The 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.

According to the draft rules, “A Data Fiduciary must implement suitable technical and organizational measures to secure verifiable parental consent before processing any child's personal data and must exercise due diligence to confirm that the individual identifying themselves as the parent is an adult who is identifiable.”

This identity verification must occur through government-issued IDs or digital tokens linked to identity services like Digital lockers.

This initiative aims to protect children's privacy across various social media platforms such as Google, Meta's Facebook, WhatsApp, and X.

The rules also require that the Data Fiduciary promptly inform each affected Data Principal of any personal data breach “in a concise, clear, and plain manner and without delay.”

Furthermore, the rules stipulate that the processing of personal data outside India is subject to restrictions, requiring that the Data Fiduciary meets any conditions specified by the Central government regarding the availability of such personal data to foreign states or entities.