International Data Privacy Day is observed annually on 28 January to commemorate the signing of Convention 108 and raise awareness about the importance of protecting personal data in the digital age.
- Convention 108, adopted by the Council of Europe in 1981, is the world’s first legally binding international treaty on data protection, aimed at safeguarding individuals’ personal data from misuse.
India’s Data Privacy Imperative
- India is the world's 3rd-largest digitalised economy.
- India’s expanding Digital Footprint:
- Aadhar Cards (~143 crore), DigiLocker Signups (~14 crore), UPI Transactions (~28 Lakh crore), Broadband Subscribers (~101 crore) .
- Budget Allocation: ₹782 crore (2025–26) for cybersecurity.
Strengthening confidence in India’s evolving digital ecosystem
- Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000: It provides legal foundation for e-governance, cybersecurity, and cyber incident response through CERT-In.
- The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: It lays down due diligence requirements for intermediaries and grievance redressal to ensure platform accountability.
- Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023
- It governs processing of personal data collected through digital means, including data digitised from offline sources and aims at establishing the Data Protection Board of India.
- It follows a SARAL approach: Simple, Accessible, Rational, and Actionable, to ensure clarity, ease of understanding, and practical compliance for all stakeholders.
Note:Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 operationalise the DPDP Act, 2023
As digital public infrastructure increasingly shapes governance, service delivery, and everyday life across the country, protecting personal data is not merely a technical requirement but a democratic imperative.
