21 July 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF
The Hindu Editorial
21-July-2023
Daily Current Affairs For UPSC ,The Hindu Editorial Summary
1. No quick fix: On National Research Foundation Bill
Topic: GS2 – Indian polity.
Context:
- The National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023, is a crucial piece of legislation to be tabled in the current monsoon session of Parliament.
- The NRF draws inspiration from models like the United States’ National Science Foundation and the European Research Council, which are major funding sources for research in their respective regions.
Key provisions of National Research Foundation Bill:
- Establishment of the National Research Foundation (NRF):The NRF would be an apex body to promote research and development in India. It would be responsible for providing strategic direction to research and development, coordinating research activities across different government agencies and departments, and promoting international collaboration in research.
- Funding of research projects:The NRF would be responsible for funding research projects in a variety of fields, including science, engineering, technology, social sciences, and humanities.
- Governance of the NRF:The NRF would be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals from across disciplines. The board would be responsible for setting the overall policies and priorities of the NRF and for approving research projects and fellowships.
- Corpus fund:The NRF would have a corpus fund of Rs. 50,000 crore, of which 14,000 crore would be contributed by the central government and the remaining Rs. 36,000 crore would be raised from the private sector.
- Repeal of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB): The bill proposes to repeal the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body that was established in 2008 to promote basic research in Science and Engineering.
Significance of National Research Foundation Bill:
- The NRF would help to identify and address national priorities in research:The NRF would be able to assess the country’s needs and priorities in research, and would be able to allocate resources accordingly.
- The NRF would help to promote interdisciplinary research: The NRF would be able to bring together researchers from different disciplines to work on common problems. This would help to break down silos and would lead to new and innovative solutions.
- The NRF would help to attract and retain top talent in India:The NRF would be able to offer competitive salaries and benefits to researchers. This would help to attract top talent from India and abroad, and would help to build a strong research and development ecosystem in the country.
Concerns raised over National Research Foundation Bill:
- The lack of transparency in the selection process for the Governing Board:The bill does not specify how the members of the Governing Board will be selected. This has led to concerns that the board may be dominated by government officials and that there will be no independent oversight of the NRF.
- The lack of clarity on the NRF’s role in setting research priorities:The bill does not specify how the NRF will set research priorities. This has led to concerns that the NRF will be too focused on meeting the government’s short-term political goals, rather than on supporting long-term research that is important for the country’s development.
- The lack of clarity on the NRF’s relationship with other research funding agencies: The bill does not specify how the NRF will interact with other research funding agencies, such as the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology. This has led to concerns that the NRF will duplicate the work of these agencies, or that it will fail to coordinate its activities with them.
2. India’s data protection law needs refinement.
Topic: GS2 – Indian polity.
Context:
- India faces the challenge of drafting and conceptualizing a data protection law for its vast population of over 1.4 billion people.
- The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), implemented in 2018, is considered one of the most comprehensive data privacy laws globally.
- Despite its popularity, the GDPR has encountered challenges in its implementation and risks being perceived as ineffective.
- In this context, India must be cautious to avoid enacting a data protection law that lacks teeth and fails to effectively protect the privacy of its citizens.
Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2022:
- The Indian government is expected to table a new data protection law during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament (July 20-August 11).
- The law is known as the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2022, and it is the government’s third attempt at drafting a data protection legislation.
- The DPDP Bill focuses on protecting personal data, which is any data that can directly or indirectly identify an individual.
- The modern data economy: However, in the modern data economy, entities use various types of data, including non-personal data, which can be combined with other datasets to identify individuals and impact user privacy.
- Differences from old legislations: Previous versions of India’s draft data protection Bill in 2018 and 2019 accounted for the risks associated with re-identification of non-personal data but are not included in the latest draft.
- By not addressing these risks, the DPDP Bill is limited in its scope and effectiveness in providing meaningful privacy protection to Indians.
- To address this issue, a simple and effective solution would be to include a penal provision in the Bill that imposes financial penalties on data-processing entities for the re-identification of non-personal data into personal data.
Limited powers to Data Protection Board:
- One major gap in the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill is the lack of authority for the data protection board to initiate proceedings on its own.
- Limitations on board’s Power: Under the Bill, the board is responsible for enforcing data protection laws, but it can only initiate proceedings for adjudication if a complaint is filed by an affected individual or if directed to do so by the government or a court.
- The board’s limited ability to initiate proceedings on its own is concerning because users often have limited control and knowledge over their data transfers and exchanges in the data economy.
- Due to the complexity of data processing, users may not always be aware of violations by entities using their data, making it difficult for them to approach the data protection board individually.
- Allowing the board to initiate complaints on its own, similar to the powers of the Competition Commission of India in enforcing antitrust laws, could be a solution to address this issue.
- While this is not the only gap in the DPDP Bill, finding solutions to such issues is essential to ensure effective implementation and create a more future-proof data protection legislation.
Conclusion:
As the government prepares to table the data protection law in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, it is essential to listen to public feedback and expert opinions to shape a comprehensive and effective framework that not only protects personal data but also addresses emerging challenges in data processing and privacy. By taking these necessary steps, India can establish itself as a leading proponent of data protection, ensuring the welfare and rights of its citizens in the digital age.
Model question: Discuss the key challenges and critical gaps in India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2022, that could impact data privacy rights.. How can the government strike a balance between safeguarding user privacy and promoting data-driven innovation in the digital age? ( 200 Marks)
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