QUESTION 19
GS3
15 marks
Data security has assumed significant importance in the digitized world due to rising cyber crimes. The Justice B. N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to data security. What, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of the Report relating to protection of personal data in cyber space?
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Srikrishna Committee report on personal data protection.
Give your viewAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Strengths: rights-based law after Puttaswamy; consent as base; data principal rights; fiduciary duty; Data Protection Authority; penalties; sensitive data category≈50 words
- 2Weaknesses: wide exemptions for state use; data localisation cost; weak independence of regulator; dilution of RTI (Section 8(1)(j)); limited right to be forgotten≈50 words
- 3Later: Draft PDP Bill 2018, 2019 Bill withdrawn, DPDP Act 2023≈50 words
- 4Way forward: proportionality test, independent board, privacy by design≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
ContextStrengthsWeaknessesLater lawsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Writing about cyber crime in general instead of the report
- Not giving the report's specific provisions
Draw this
- Two-column table: strengths vs weaknesses
Value addition
- ReportThe committee's July 2018 report 'A Free and Fair Digital Economy' came with the draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018.Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee, 2018
- CaseJustice K.S. Puttaswamy v Union of India (2017): privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21.Supreme Court, 2017
- LawThe Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 allows penalties up to ₹250 crore per breach.Parliament, 2023
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.