Government looks to release Digital India Act first draft by the end of July

The Union government is readying to release the first draft of the new Digital India Act (DIA) by late July or early August, said people aware of the matter.

“We will start pre-draft consultations in the first week of May in which we will invite lawyers, public policy consultants and other experts to submit their views on what should be included in the new Act. We will also give them (stakeholders) 45 days to upload their written submissions,” said a senior government official, who did not wish to be identified.

The electronics and information technology ministry will then study the submissions and may invite government and private legal experts to vet the final draft before it is released for public consultation, said the official.