Governance policy will ensure fair access to non-personal data: MeitY

Draft plan focuses on improving institutional framework for government data sharing and principles on privacy

The National Data Governance Framework Policy (NDGFP) will ensure equitable access to non-personal data as it seeks public consultation, said the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) on Thursday.

The draft policy focuses on improving the institutional framework for government data sharing, promoting principles around privacy and security by design, and encouraging the use of anonymization tools, said the ministry in a statement.

MeitY published the draft policy on May 26 and has invited feedback till June 18. It recently held an interaction with over 250 stakeholders from industry, start-ups, academia, think tanks, international alliances, and government officials on the policy.

The draft includes plans for setting up the India Data Management Office (IDMO) under Digital India Corporation for framing, managing and periodically revising the policy. Industry stakeholders interacting with government officials sought clarity on the operations of the IDMO. They asked for provisions such as access to annotated datasets for AI innovation, collaboration with the private sector and social impact firms to build data capacity.

The ministry said it aims to follow a ‘whole-of-government approach’ towards data governance. It added that it would focus on a collaborative and participative approach in the formation and implementation of the policy.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State (MoS) Electronics and IT, said NDGFP aims to standardise the government's data collection and management while catalsying AI and Data led research and a startup ecosystem.