A good beginning: on draft data protection bill
The data protection bill drafted by the Srikrishna panel ticks many boxes
Given the vast(विशाल/लंबा-चौड़ा) amounts of personal data being collected by private companies and state agencies, and their flow across national jurisdictions(न्यायालय/न्याय सीमा), the absence(अनुपस्थिति/अभाव) of a data protection legal framework in India has been a cause for deep concern(चिंता।/मामला). This is even(और भी) more so because in many cases individuals(व्यक्तियों) whose data have been used and processed by agencies, both private firms and state entities(संस्थाओं),are oblivious(बेख़बर/भुलक्कड़) to the purpose(उद्देश्य) for which they are being harnessed(उपयोग /इस्तेमाल). The need for legislation was also underlined last year with the landmark judgment in Justice K.S Puttaswamy v. Union of India that held the right to privacy to be a fundamental right. Against this backdrop, the draft legislation on data protection submitted by a committee of experts chaired(अध्यक्षता) by Justice B.N. Srikrishna to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology after year-long public consultations(विचार-विमर्श/मशवरा) provides(प्रदान करना) a sound foundation on which to speedily build(निर्माण/गठन) India’s legal framework. It seeks to codify(सांकेतिक शब्दों में बदलना/संहिताबद्ध) the relationship between individuals and firms/state institutions as one between “data principals” (whose information is collected) and “data fiduciaries(ज़िम्मेदार व्यक्ति)” (those processing the data) so that privacy is safeguarded by design. This is akin(बराबर/समान) to a contractual(संविदात्मक /समझौते के तौर पर) relationship that places obligations on the entities entrusted(सौंपा गया) with data and who are obligated(बाध्य/मजबूर करना) to seek the consent of the “principal” for the use of personal information. The draft legislation puts the onus(दायित्व/भार )on the “data fiduciary” to seek clear, informed, specific(असामान्य/विशिष्ट) and free consent, with the possibility of withdrawal of data of the “principal” to allow for the use and processing of “sensitive personal data”.
In many ways, the draft legislation mirrors(आईना/प्रतिबिंब) the General Data Protection Regulation, the framework on data protection implemented(कार्यान्वित) in the European Union this May, in providing for “data principals” the rights to confirmation(पुष्टीकरण/सबूत), correction of data, portability and “to be forgotten”, subject to procedure. It envisages(परिकल्पना की गई है/सामना करना) the creation(निर्माण/रचना/निर्मिति) of a regulatory Data Protection Authority of India to protect the interests of “principals” and to monitor the implementation of the provisions(प्रावधानों) of the enabling data protection(सुरक्षा) legislation(कानून ). Taken together, the draft bill and the report mark a welcome step forward, but there are some grey areas. The exemptions(छूट) granted to state institutions from acquiring(प्राप्त) informed consent from principals or processing personal data in many cases appear to be too blanket, such as those pertaining(संबंधित) to the “security of the state”. These are hold-all phrases, and checks are vital(महत्वपूर्ण). The report recommends a law to provide for “parliamentary oversight and judicial approval of non-consensual access to personal data”. Without such an enabling law, the exemptions provided in the bill will fall short of securing accountability(जवाबदेही) from the state for activities(गतिविधियों )such as dragnet(फंदा) surveillance(निगरानी). The grey areas must spark public and parliamentary debate before a final legislation comes to fruition( उपयोग/फलस्वरूप).
Important Vocabulary
1.Oblivious(बेख़बर/भुलक्कड़)
Synonyms: blind, deaf, inattentive, unconcerned, unfamiliar
Antonyms: attentive, aware, concerned, conscious, mindful
2.Vast(विशाल/लंबा-चौड़ा)
Synonyms: ample, big, boundless, broad, colossal
Antonyms: bounded, calculable, ending, finite, insignificant
3.Harnessed(उपयोग /इस्तेमाल).
Synonyms: curb, exploit, mobilize, tackle, tame
Antonyms: allow, detach, disconnect, disjoin, free
4.Consultations(विचार-विमर्श/मशवरा)
Synonyms: appointment, conference, deliberation, dialogue, discussion
5.Contractual(संविदात्मक /समझौते के तौर पर)
Synonyms: constitutional, contractual, fair, juridical, lawful
Antonyms:illegal, illegitimate, invalid, unacceptable, unlawful
6.Specific(असामान्य/विशिष्ट)
Synonyms: clear-cut, definite, definitive, different, distinct
Antonyms: ambiguous, careless, common, commonplace, equivocal
7.Confirmation(पुष्टीकरण/सबूत)
Synonyms: acceptance, admission, affirmation, approval, authorization
Antonyms:denial, disagreement, disapproval, opposition, refusal
8.Pertaining(संबंधित)
Synonyms: connected, referring, related, connected with, relevant
Antonyms: disconnected, unrelated
