Eye on colleges, hospitals, Centre looks to get own house in order ahead of data protection rules

Behind the seeming delay in publishing the draft rules for data protection is the government’s attempts at getting its own house in order. The Indian Express has learnt that a number of its internal discussions have centred on whether some of the institutions it controls—schools, colleges, and hospitals—would be ready to comply with the law or need a longer timeframe.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, was enacted last August but is yet to be made operational as subordinate legislation—at least 25 rules—necessary to add contours to the law are awaited. Thus, the law has not come into force more than a year since it received the President’s assent.