New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval to the central government's decision to present the Data Protection law as a money bill. This move will nullify the Rajya Sabha's authority to reject the bill through voting.
However, government officials clarified the bill can still be introduced as an ordinary or non-money bill. In such cases, the Lok Sabha requires Rajya Sabha's approval to pass the bill.
Opposition parties have expressed their concerns about the bill, arguing that it violates the principles of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. They believe the proposed law contradicts the RTI's principles as it states that any information related to personal data cannot be disclosed under RTI.
Congress leader Manish Tewari, meanwhile, questioned the classification of the Digital Data Protection Bill as a financial bill. He said it should be treated as a regular bill and emphasised the need for it to be reviewed by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC).
The bill aims to enhance the accountability and transparency of entities like internet companies, mobile apps, and businesses regarding the collection, storage, and processing of citizens' data, in alignment with the Right to Privacy.
Tewari suggested that if Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla certifies it as such, the Rajya Sabha's ability to vote on it will be restricted. Rajya Sabha would only be able to suggest non-binding changes to Lok Sabha in such a scenario, Tewari highlighted in his Twitter post along with a copy of the presidential order classifying the bill as a money bill.
Tewari criticised the latest version of the bill, stating that it undermines the efforts of the joint committee of parliament on the Data Protection Bill, which was led by two BJP members, P P Chaudhary and Meenakshi Lekhi.
The work on the data protection bill began after the Supreme Court ruled that the Right to Privacy is a fundamental right.
The government had withdrawn the personal data protection bill in August of the previous year, replacing it with a new draft bill in November 2022. The earlier draft had faced criticism for granting the government the authority to exempt entities from various clauses of the bill.
(with PTI inputs)
