New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, prioritise India’s commitment to citizen-centric governance as they aim to safeguard personal data while driving growth and inclusivity.
The Prime Minister, in his comments on X, referred to Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwani Vaishnaw’s explanation on the draft rules which seek to protect personal data of individuals and empower citizens.
Union Minister Vaishnaw highlighted that the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules reflect India’s leadership in shaping global data governance norms.
“Unlike some international models that lean heavily towards regulation, our approach is pragmatic and growth-oriented. This balance ensures that citizens are protected without stifling the innovative spirit that drives our startups and businesses. Small businesses and startups will face lower compliance burdens,” the Minister observed.
“When we talk about the global future, then human-centric approaches should be foremost.”
These words by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent United Nations Summit of the Future reflect India’s vision of putting people first.
“This philosophy has guided our efforts in shaping the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules. The rules, after being finalised, would operationalise the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, bringing to life our commitment to safeguarding citizens’ right to personal data protection,” the Minister further stated.
The rules are designed with simplicity and clarity, ensuring that every Indian, regardless of their technical know-how, can understand and exercise their rights, he added.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Friday released the draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act which make it mandatory for a Data Fiduciary to ensure the verifiable consent of a parent before processing any personal data of a child.
The Act was passed in Parliament in August 2023 and the government is seeking feedback on the draft rules through the MyGov portal till February 18, 2025.
According to the draft rules, “A Data Fiduciary shall adopt appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that verifiable consent of the parent is obtained before the processing of any personal data of a child and shall observe due diligence, for checking that the individual identifying herself as the parent is an adult who is identifiable”.
The identity must be established through government-issued IDs or digital tokens linked to identity services like Digital lockers.
This is aimed at ensuring the privacy of a child on various social media platforms such as Google, Meta’s Facebook and WhatsApp and X.
The rules also make it mandatory for the Data Fiduciary to immediately inform any personal data breach “to each affected Data Principal, in a concise, clear and plain manner and without delay”.
The rules further state that the processing of personal data outside India is subject to the restriction that the Data Fiduciary shall meet such requirements as the Central government may, by general or special order, specify in respect of making such personal data available to any foreign State, or to any person or entity under the control of or any agency of such a state.
(IANS)
