Karnataka Caste Census Forms Cite DPDP Act - What It Means
The self-declaration forms for Karnataka's caste census mention the DPDP Act and Rules, which has implications for the state's citizens.
The Government of Karnataka is undertaking a Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, or the “Caste Census”, where citizens sign self-declaration forms based on the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and its draft rules.
“The DPDP Act is not yet in force, and no commencement notification has been issued. So any ‘consent’ language on these forms that cites the DPDP Act has no statutory footing. It’s merely black ink on a white page, not a legally enforceable right. [Also] references to ‘DPDP Rules’ are wholly misconceived because there is no final, notified set of rules in the public domain,”
Apar Gupta, Founder Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), highlighted the flaws in this consent process in an interview with MediaNama.
Author's summary: Karnataka's caste census forms cite the DPDP Act.