#InRajyaSabha on July 21, 2023
P Wilson, MP asked MeitY about the reported data leaks from the Aadhaar database in the last 3 years and the action taken (investigation & penalty). He also asked if the linked bank account numbers were leaked online.
Ashwini Vaishnaw claimed that there have been no breaches of the Aadhaar card holders’ data in the last 3 years. He also clarified that the Central Identities Data Repository is not linked to any external database, such as bank databases.
However, reports dated June 14, 2022 suggest that Aadhaar data of over 110 million farmers were leaked through the PM-Kisan website.
The recurring leaks of public data make the need for a robust data protection law abundantly clear. The ‘Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023’ is listed in the tentative List of Business & is expected to be taken up in the ongoing session.
We are yet to see the final version of the bill which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament, however, MeitY released a public draft for consultations on November 18, 2022.
Read our public brief on the 2022 version 