President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to Delhi Services Act and Data Protection Act making them laws after Parliament cleared both bills during the recently concluded monsoon session. The Parliament cleared the contentious Delhi Services Bill after the proposed bill was made through Rajya Sabha with 131 votes amid support from fence-sitter parties like BJD and YSR Congress Party. The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 3. The bill was tabled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Upper House to replace an ordinance that was promulgated by the Centre on May 19. It was passed with 131 votes in favour and 102 votes against the motion.
Notably, the Government of India brought the ordinance a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. While discussing the Bill, Shah said the aim was to make sure there was a "corruption-free administration in Delhi" and it doesn't violate the Supreme Court order.
"Earlier, there were no fights over transfer postings in Delhi, no CMs had any problems... In 2015, a govt came up after an 'andolan'... Some people said that the Centre wants to take power into its hands. The Centre doesn't need to do so as the people of India have given us the power and the right," the Union Home Minister said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB), 2023
On the other hand, the Parliament cleared the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB), 2023 on Wednesday (August 9). The bill was passed in the Upper House by a voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition. The Bill comes six years after the Supreme Court (SC) declared that the "Right to Privacy" was a fundamental right.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that the DPDPB laid down several obligations on private and government entities on the collection and processing of every citizen's data.