"We express our dissent to the final report of the Committee not only because of the Orwellian nature of the provisions contained in the Bill but also the improper functioning of the Committee itself," Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien and Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra wrote in their joint dissent note on the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) report on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019. The landmark JPC report along with Data Protection Bill 2021 was tabled in both houses of the Parliament on December 16 after two years of deliberations, bringing us one step closer to India's first data protection law. The two MPs criticised the excessive powers given to the government on various aspects and the inclusion of non-personal data in the Bill, among other things, and recommended the following changes. Here's our complete guide to the Data Protection Bill, 2021 What changes have the two MPs recommended? Non-personal data should be excluded from the provisions of the bill: The Bill, through clauses 2, 92 and 94, brings the regulations of non-personal data under the Data Protection Act and allows the Government to make rules or issue directions regarding non-personal data under this Act. The MPs have asked for this to be removed. "There is a need for a detailed study and a separate framework for the regulation of non-personal data," the MPs wrote. Exclude "credit scoring" from reasonable purposes: Clause 14 of the Bill allows the processing of personal data for "reasonable purposes" and "credit scoring" is listed as a…
