JPC on Personal Data Protection Bill to meet today

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 is meeting under the leadership of BJP MP PP Chaudhary on Monday. The meeting’s agenda is to consider and adopt the draft report of the JPC on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 that deals with privacy and security of the personal data of citizens.

The Cabinet had approved the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 in December 2019.

The members of the JPC have been informed that the deadline for them to submit their dissent, if any, with regards to the proposed amendments is November 24. The JPC, constituted to examine the Bill, last met on November 12.

The Bill was drafted after a Supreme Court ruling that declared ‘Right to Privacy’ a fundamental right in August 2017.

It aims “to provide for protection of the privacy of individuals relating to their personal data, specify the flow and usage of personal data, create a relationship of trust between persons and entities processing the personal data, protect the rights of individuals whose personal data are processed, to create a framework for organisational and technical measures in processing of data, laying down norms for social media intermediary, cross-border transfer, accountability of entities processing personal data, remedies for unauthorised and harmful processing, and to establish a Data Protection Authority of India for the said purposes and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,” as per the draft.

As per this law, the State can utilise individuals’ private data without their consent under the following circumstances:

• For provision of any service or benefit to the data principal from the State; the issuance of any certification, license or permit for any action or activity of the data principal by the State.
• Under any law for the time being in force made by the Parliament or any State Legislature.
• For compliance with any order or judgment of any Court or Tribunal in India.
• To respond to any medical emergency involving a threat to the life or a severe threat to the health of the data principal or any other individual.
• To undertake any measure to ensure safety of or provide assistance or services to any individual during an epidemic, outbreak of disease or any other threat to public health.
• To undertake any measure to ensure safety of, or provide assistance or services to, any individual during any disaster or any breakdown of public order.

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