Jagran Manch writes to PM Modi over data localisation, nationalism & sovereignty 

An affiliate of RSS, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) wrote to PM Modi and asserted that data localisation and digital nationalism are "need of the hour". This came after the group held a meeting in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. They discussed the importance of the sovereignty of data amongst the other things in the meeting. Additionally, they assured PM Modi that they will try to play a positive role in developing data sovereignty quickly.

SJM’s letter to PM  

SJM organisation's co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan in the letter to PM Modi stated, "In the recently held Rashtriya Sabha of Swadeshi Jagran Manch at holy city Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a resolution has been passed for ensuring the sovereignty of data, data localization, and digital nationalism. It is our firm belief that in the present-day world, this is the need of the hour. We Indians are one-sixth of the world, one-fifth of internet users and one-fourth of digital consumers. Along with the owner within the geographical limits of India, there is also a need to compute it within the country. India certainly has the talent to do this”. 

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Adding to the letter Ashwani Mahajan also wrote that data is the "new fulcrum" of the industrial revolution. He said that if the data is processed with a sharp algorithm, it has the potential of doing what the human mind has never envisaged. Lastly, the letter also assured PM Modi that SJM will play a "positive role in ensuring that data localization, data nationalism, and data sovereignty become reality very quickly". 

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Data Protection Bill

Announcing the major decisions taken by the Modi Cabinet, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar last week said that cabinet has approved the Personal Data Protection Bill which will spell out a framework for handling personal data including its processing by public and private entities. The Bill allows exemptions for certain kinds of data processing, such as processing in the interest of national security, for legal proceedings, or for journalistic purposes. It also has a data-localization clause, which states that certain critical personal data must be stored solely within the country.

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It also calls for national-level Data Protection Authority (DPA) to be set up. Recently, data privacy came under scrutiny after it came to light that several WhatsApp users in India have been snooped by the Israel-based tech firm NSO that developed Pegasus spyware to spy on 1,400 users across the world, including 121 Indian journalists, activists. The government has pulled up Whatsapp for the data breach, saying 'Privacy of citizens is paramount'.

(With ANI Inputs)

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