Data bill sensitive subject, govt will hold extensive consultation

Telecom and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in an interview with CNBC-TV18, on February 22, said the government was not planning to drop the data protection bill and bring in new legislation but there were a few tricky issues that needed to be addressed when the bill would come up in Parliament.

“The government had sought feedback from states on the proposed data protection bill and would go ahead only after wide consultations as the matter was sensitive,” Vaishnaw said. “Subject being sensitive, the government would hold extensive consultations, will work within the framework of maintaining privacy.”

“The exceptions made were in sync with the global practices,” Vaishnaw said about the scepticism on governments misusing the proposed exemptions.

“We need to resolve some six-seven issues which are tricky and they need resolution. The committee has made suggestions,” he said about the parliamentary panel.

CT Bureau