After public uproar, IRCTC scraps passenger data monetisation tender

The railway ministry is now likely to wait for the new data protection bill before it takes any further decision on the monetisation plan

After it was summoned by a parliamentary panel over its controversial passenger data monetisation plan on Friday, the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has withdrawn its tender for hiring a consultant to advise on strategies for the Rs 1,000 crore plan.

The tender has been withdrawn “due to the withdrawal of the Personal Data Protection Bill by the Government of India,” according to an exchange filing by the company. Officials in the know had previously also said that criticism from the public and policy experts had triggered the review process for the monetisation plan.

The parliamentary standing committee