Joint Committee on Data Protection Bill Gets Fourth Extension to Submit Report

New Delhi: The Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Personal Data Protection Bill was on Thursday given extension till the monsoon session to submit its report.

The JCP was constituted in Lok Sabha in December 2019, and was expected to submit its report in the budget session.

Meenakashi Lekhi of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved a motion seeking extension up to the monsoon session of parliament for the 30-member panel to submit its report. Currently there are two vacancies in the committee.

"That this House do extend up to the first week of monsoon session 2021 of Parliament the time for presentation of the report of the Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019," the motion read. It was passed by a voice vote.

Also read: Why India’s Proposed Data Protection Authority Needs Constitutional Entrenchment

This is for the fourth time the committee's tenure has been extended, sources said. Earlier, it was given extension on March 23, 2020, September 23, 2020 and February 9, 2021.

The panel has 19 members from Lok Sabha and nine from Rajya Sabha currently.

The Personal Data Protection Bill seeks to regulate the use of individual's data by the government and private companies.

So far the committee has held meetings with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Google, Airtel, Jio, Ola, Uber, Google, Paytm among other companies.

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