Expect robust data protection law after panel's suggestions:

Days after the government set up a committee to suggest a framework for securing personal data, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said he expected a robust data protection law to come about after the panel came out with its recommendations.
He said while the benefits of Internet should percolate to all stratas of the society, it was necessary that the world wide web remains a secure tool.
"Information, communication and data are essential. But it is important that a framework is present to safeguard data which can be used for growth and development," he told reporters here.
He said after the committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna, made recommendation he expected a "robust" data protection law to come up. These were his first comments on the proposed framework after the committee was set up on August 1.

The formation of the panel came amid concerns over personal information being compromised with the increasing use of biometric identifier Aadhaar in an array of services--from filing tax returns to availing government doles.
The panel would study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods to address them.
An office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT had said: "The government is cognisant of the growing importance of data protection in India. The need to ensure growth of the digital economy while keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected is of utmost importance."
Prasad also holds the charge of IT and electronics.