Centre pulls data protection bill that fanned privacy fears

The Narendra Modi government has withdrawn a controversial data protection and privacy bill containing draconian provisions that sought to override an individual’s right of consent before processing his personal data, and alarmed big technology companies by restricting cross-border data flows.

The turnabout came more than eight months after the Centre had thrown out several amendments proposed by

Opposition members in a report submitted by a 30-member joint parliamentary committee last November — and brushed aside their warnings that the bill in its present form would not stand a legal challenge.