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Srikrishna committee: 70 Acts may have to be amended on panel proposals

In what could be one the last meetings of the panel, around 2.5 hours were spent in discussing issues such as classification of data

Bs_logoData privacy: Govt to wait for Srikrishna panel's report before framing law
Kiran Rathee New Delhi
Last Updated : Jul 26 2018 | 7:00 AM IST
The B N Srikrishna committee is likely to recommend that data related to Aadhaar, Right to Information, health care is included under the data protection framework. The move will mean amendments in 70-odd Acts, a source said. The panel on data protection is likely to give its report  to the government in the first week of August.

In what could be one the last meetings of the panel, around 2.5 hours were spent in discussing issues such as classification of data, localisation, and provisions for violations including penalties. 

Three members did not attend the meeting held on Wednesday, sources said. They are likely to send their inputs online.

A person privy to the meeting said Acts including those of Aadhaar, RTI, health care, etc, would need to be amended, as they need to conform to the framework of data protection. 

Regarding classification and localisation of data, the panel is likely to follw a middle path. It may recommend storing critical and sensitive data in India, while other data could be hosted abroad with proper safeguards, said another source.

“There are various methods to protect these (sensitive data). There should be a proper law to safeguard data, whether in India or outside,” said the source.

The members felt there should be a balance that should ensure people’s data is protected and at the same time digital innovations is not hindered. The panel also deliberated the recommendations on data privacy by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). “The proposals by Trai are in line with what we have written in the white paper. The panel agrees to most of the proposals of Trai,” said another source.

Trai recently said users own their data and entities in the digital ecosystem, which store or process such data, are mere custodians and have no primary right over it.

According to sources the final set of Srikrishna panel recommendations will come with dissent notes by few members. One of the members has deliberated around classification of data, suggesting not all financial data is personal. 

The member, sources said, cited that many countries that have such law don’t recognise financial data as personal data. 

The members also seemed to have suggested that there should be penalties for violations as treating a violation as a criminal offence was too draconian. 

The government can accept the recommendations and put the draft in public domain or it can make certain changes before letting the draft out.  

DATA PROTECTION LAW IN THE WORKS
| The B N Srikrishna committee was formed on July 31 last year
|  It will be the first time that India will prepare a law around data protection
|  Most of the Trai proposals on data privacy are likely to be included by panel
|  Dissent notes are also likely to be included in the recommendations
| Around 70 Acts including that of Aadhaar, RTI, health care etc to be amended 

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