Data Protection Bill among 31 legislations on government's agenda for monsoon session of Parliament

New Delhi: The government has heavy legislative business for the monsoon session of Parliament beginning Thursday with Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, among 31 bills on its agenda.

Apart from the Personal Data Protection Bill, the bill to replace the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, promulgated in May this year is among other key Bills listed for the monsoon session. The ordinance deals with the control of services in Delhi and was promulgated after the Supreme Court verdict on an appeal by the Delhi government. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said after an all-party meeting that there are 31 listed legislative items for the session.

He also said that 34 parties and 44 leaders participated in the all-party meeting convened by the government for smooth conduct of the monsoon session which will continue to till August 11 and will have 17 sittings.

Other bills on the agenda of the government include Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019;  DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019;  Mediation Bill, 2021;  Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 ;  Multi State Cooperative Societics (Amendment) Bill, 2022;  Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022;  Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023; Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023; Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 (with respect to State of Himachal Pradesh); Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022 (with respect to State of Chhattisgarh);  Postal Services Bill, 2023; National Cooperative University Bill, 2023; and Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The list also includes International Monetary Fund and Bank Bill, 2023; Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 18; the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023; National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023; Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023;  Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023;  Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023;   Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023;  Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023.

Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2023; National Research Foundation Bill, 2023; Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023;  Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 are also among the 31 bills on the agenda of the government.

Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, was approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this month. This government had withdrawn Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament in August last and said that it will come up with a fresh bill.  Supreme Court had ruled in 2017 that privacy is a fundamental right and the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, is a crucial pillar of the overarching framework of technology regulations being framed by the Centre.

The previous version of the bill had come after an extensive consultation process with a Joint Parliamentary Committee also examining it. The government has held another round of consultations to frame the new bill.

The bill to replace the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, seeks to establish the National Capital Civil Services Authority, which consists of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Principal Home Secretary of Delhi. The Authority will make recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) regarding transfers and postings of officials and disciplinary matters.

While the government is expected to give push to its legislative agenda, the Opposition parties have planned to raise several issues including Manipur violence, railway safety, unemployment, inflation, India-China border standoff and trade imbalance between the two countries. Pralhad Joshi said the government has sought the Opposition's support in the smooth functioning of the Parliament during the Monsoon Session.

"The government is ready to discuss all issues in the Monsoon Session. We have appealed to the Opposition parties to support in the smooth functioning of the Parliament," Joshi said after the all-party meeting. Congress on Wednesday said that the party will raise Manipur violence during the session.

"Today, in the beginning (of the meeting), I kept my point. Our first issue is the violence in Manipur. Prime Minister should come and answer in Parliament. We will bring adjourment motion over the matter tomorrow," Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary said after attending the all-party meeting.