IT Rules To Be Amended In Next Few Days, Says Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The Information Technology Rules, 2021 will see amendments in next few days, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology on September 7.

During an event organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), the minister said, "A series of new legislation will be brought out in the next few months such as a revised bill on data protection, the Digital India Act, and a data governance framework."

He said, "You will see these being rolled out in quick succession over the next 3-4 months. However, they will be subject to intense stakeholder consultation."

"It will be a framework that will make India succeed in the 'techade'. These new laws will supersede current rules. If there are any contradictions with earlier laws, they will be amended or repealed", he added.

Improper working mechanism of current grievance redressal led Centre to propose government-established grievance appellate committees to the IT Rules 2021.

However, later the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology informed that it was also open to the formation of an industry-established self-regulatory body.

According to various reports by financial bodies, apart from grievance appellate committees or a self-regulatory body, the industry with Indian government has been exploring the idea of establishing internal appellate committees at intermediaries.

 During the event Chandrasekhar also said, "Our approach (to technology policy) is very common sensical. It is very much focused on the direction of our country. Technology is going to be a big enabler of expanding the economy. It would be 25 percent of the GDP by 2026".

"The current legislation, which is the IT Act, was enacted in the 2000s. We will enact a new legislative framework that will encourage more start-up, enable more innovation," he added.