Parliament Question: Appointment of Chairperson and Members of Data Protection Board of India

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3960 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 12.08.2026 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF DATA PROTECTION BOARD OF INDIA 3960. SHRI MANISH TEWARI: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Chairperson and Members of the Data Protection Board of India have been appointed, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for the delay considering that the Board was established in November 2025 while applications for the posts of Chairperson and four Members were invited only in May 2026 along with the time by which the appointments are likely to be made; (b) whether any Consent Managers have been registered under the Act and if so, the details thereof, and if not, the reasons for the delay in operationalising the registration framework and the timeline fixed therefor; (c) the number of personal data breach intimations and complaints received by the Government since November 2025 along with the action taken thereon; and (d) the details of steps taken by the Government to create awareness among citizens about their rights as Data Principals particularly among women, senior citizens, rural residents and persons with disabilities? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (d): The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“Act”) provides for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the rights of the individual to protect their personal data and the need to process such personal data for lawful purposes. The Act, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (“Rules”) notified on 13 November, 2025 provide a timeline for phased implementation of its provisions over an eighteen-month transition period, including the establishment of the Data Protection Board (“Board”). The Rules specify the following implementation timelines: ● Phase 1: Establishment and operationalisation of the Data Protection Board of India ○ As notified, the Board is composed of Chairperson and four Members, who are to be appointed through a Search-cum-Selection Committee. The advertisement for recruitment to the posts of Chairperson and Members was published in the Employment News on 6 June 2026. ○ The Board has to function in a digital manner. ● Phase 2 (within one year): Registration and functioning of Consent Managers ● Phase 3 (within eighteen months): Compliance obligations for Data Fiduciaries including data principal rights, security safeguards and breach notification.The Government has taken various measures to promote widespread awareness and adoption of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act by educating citizens on their rights & duties and capacity-building initiatives, including workshops, conferences, expert sessions, and digital outreach campaigns. *******