India’s IT and Information & Broadcasting Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressed mounting industry anxiety by clarifying that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act will not weaken journalistic protections. The legislation was crafted following a Supreme Court ruling that established privacy as a fundamental right, alongside extensive consultations across the media and technology sectors. Vaishnaw emphasized that legitimate news reporting must be distinguished from the unauthorized misuse of personal data. To resolve any lingering ambiguities, the government has formally offered to amend the statute based on direct feedback from media professionals.
Key points
Constitutional protections guaranteeing journalistic freedom remain supreme and cannot be…: Constitutional protections guaranteeing journalistic freedom remain supreme and cannot be overridden by statutory data protection measures.
News publishers fear the new data privacy framework could significantly restrict their ab…: News publishers fear the new data privacy framework could significantly restrict their ability to carry out investigative reporting.
The government has confirmed its willingness to amend the law to explicitly safeguard leg…: The government has confirmed its willingness to amend the law to explicitly safeguard legitimate journalistic activities.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
File photo: Union minister for railways, information & broadcasting, and electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw
NEW DELHI: IT & I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Wednesday said the Digital Personal Data Protection Act does not infringe upon press freedom, amid concerns from news publishers that the law could hinder investigative reporting. He said the Constitution’s guarantee of press freedom remains paramount and secure.TOI has learnt that govt would be open to amending the law to explicitly safeguard journalistic work and would also invite editors and other media professionals to have a detailed discussion on their concerns.“Journalistic freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution of India. That freedom is absolutely available. There is not even an intention to affect journalistic freedom,” Vaishnaw told mediapersons. He was responding to questions over the issue in light of a legal challenge by news publishers to the new law’s potential implications for reporting on matters of public interest.Vaishnaw said the enactment of the new Act had followed a Supreme Court judgement recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right and was framed after more than a year…
Prashant Kishor's political outfit dominated fundraising among unrecognised groups during the 2024-25 fiscal year despite suffering a complete wipeout in the primary Bihar assembly contests. The massive financial accumulation, fueled heavily by corporate backing and personal contributions, highlights an extreme concentration of resources within a fledgling regional force that spent less than a tenth of its intake.
Lawmakers are holding up the House-passed measure over safety concerns regarding schoolchildren and commuters traveling in the dark until after 9 a.m. during winter. Opponents also point to past congressional attempts at the change that were quickly repealed due to public backlash. Consequently, leadership does not plan to bring the proposal to the floor this year.
Top defense and economic officials convened to evaluate maritime enforcement operations and prepare strategies for possible major combat following the midterm elections. The administration is navigating an aggressive defense posture alongside indirect diplomatic outreach brokered by Gulf partners. Meanwhile, Tehran maintains strict preconditions before committing to new nuclear negotiations, escalating tensions across the region.