Govt Withdraws Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 After 81 Amendments Proposed

The central government on Wednesday told the members of a Joint Parliamentary Committee that it will withdraw the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and introduce a new Bill.

The Bill was opposed by opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress among other political parties that said the data privacy legislation violated the fundamental rights of citizens. Representative image: Getty

The central government on Wednesday told the members of a Joint Parliamentary Committee that it will withdraw the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and introduce a new legislation. The proposed Bill that sought to regulate how a user's data can be used by companies and the government was withdrawn after the Joint Parliamentary Committee proposed 81 amendments to it.

The earlier previous Bill drew intense flak from privacy advocates, industry stakeholders and tech companies.

"The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament. 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem," Union I-T minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was quoted as saying in a statement.

"Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon. Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw ‘The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019’ and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework."

The Bill defined personal data as information that could help in the identification of a person and has characteristics, traits and other features of a person's identity.was sent  The Bill was sent to the panel in 2019. The Bill was opposed by opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress among other political parties that said the data privacy legislation violated the fundamental rights of citizens.