On 3 August, the Centre repealed the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and will introduce a new bill.
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented 81 amendments to members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee and made 12 recommendations on a “comprehensive legal framework”.

“Considering the JCP report, a comprehensive legal framework is being developed. Therefore, in this context, it is recommended to withdraw the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and propose a new bill that complies with the comprehensive legal framework.”

JCP report on personal data protection law identifies several issues relevant but beyond the scope of modern digital privacy law.

The Personal Data Protection Bill was initially drafted in 2018 by an expert committee headed by Justice BN Srikrishna. The centre tabled a draft of the bill in Lok Sabha in 2019 and submitted it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee in December of that year. The committee’s report will be presented to parliament in December 2021 after six extensions.

The latest version of the bill includes both personal and non-personal data within its scope, which data protection authorities will process.

The bill’s previous mandate was limited to personal data, and the move to include non-personal data within its scope has been criticised by many.