Aadhaar Law to Align with Data Protection Act

Why in the News ?

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has urged UIDAI to revise the Aadhaar Act to align it with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, ensuring a citizen-centric framework and stronger data privacy regulations under a modern legal system.

Aadhaar Law to Align with Data Protection Act

Background & Context:

  • The Aadhaar Act, enacted in 2016, lacks alignment with the newly passed Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
  • At the time of Aadhaar’s creation, India did not have a comprehensive horizontal privacy law covering all sectors.
  • Now, with the DPDP Act in place and its rules nearing finalisation, the need to revise the Aadhaar law for harmony between the two legislations has emerged.

Government’s Initiative & Minister’s Statement:

  • Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to frame a new Aadhaar law in sync with the DPDP Act.
  • Speaking at the Aadhaar Samvaad event, the Minister emphasised building a modern legal framework that focuses on public convenience and citizen-centricity.
  • Vaishnaw stressed that the UIDAI must evaluate what a “modern Aadhaar Act” should include to serve citizens better.

Upcoming Changes & Future Plans

  • The draft rules for implementing the DPDP Act are in the final consultation stage and expected to be notified soon.
  • The UIDAI was requested to take up this harmonisation effort in a major way going forward.
  • A revamped Aadhaar mobile app was also unveiled and will be rolled out after testing.
  • The goal is to ensure data privacy, penalty provisions for data breaches, and a streamlined, secure digital identity system.