Lok Sabha Question No. 297 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP)
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 297

ANSWERED ON 27/11/2024

National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP)

297      Shri Anurag Singh Thakur:

Will  the  Minister  of  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY विज्ञान  और be pleased to state:

प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्री

- (a) whether the Government has evaluated the implementation and impact of the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP) in fostering open access to non-sensitive Government data, and if so, the key findings of such evaluations;
- the  specific  measures  being  taken  to  enhance  data  quality, Government
- (b) interoperability, and integration across different platforms to support effective data sharing;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  collaborating  with  public  and private stakeholders to encourage innovative uses of shared data for research  and  technological  advancement  and  the  details  of  such partnerships; and
- (d) the  efforts  made  to  strengthen  the  data  infrastructure  and ensure secure, real-time data accessibility while maintaining transparency and compliance with privacy regulations?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार)

(डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह)

- (a) to (b): A  robust  Content  Review  Policy  is  put  in  place  for reviewing  the  data  quality  in  Open  Government  Data  Platform (data.gov.in) through routine testing of web pages and the content by Project Management Unit (PMU) of NIC. The Chief Data Officers in respective Ministry/Department ensure quality and correctness of the data. Application Programming Interfaces (API's) facilitate sharing of data  and  interoperability  functions  with  other  applications  and departments.
- (c) Yes.  The  IndiaAI  Application  Development  Initiative  aims  to support  the  development,  scaling,  and  promotion  of  impactful  AI solutions that address real-world challenges. As part of this initiative, IndiaAI  is  running  innovation  challenges,  calling  on  innovators,

startups, academia, think tanks, industry, civil society, and autonomous  bodies  to  collaborate  and  create  population-scale innovative AI solutions. IndiaAI Mission enables the development of indigenous  tools,  frameworks,  and  guidelines  that  are  based  on Indian datasets and contextualized to our social, economic, cultural, and linguistic diversity. A pilot version of Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing  Interface  (GDI)  has  been  developed  by  Indian  Institute  of Science, Bengaluru which enables seamless data sharing, access, and analysis for various applications. Recently, the Department has also  launched  Operation  Dronagiri  to  demonstrate  the  potential applications  of  integrating  geospatial  data  and  technologies  on  a pilot  scale  to  encourage  innovations  involving  public  and  private stakeholders.

- (d) OGD  Platform  is  managed  adhering  to  the  Guidelines  of  the Government and Data security policies. The architecture is scalable and  of  high  availability.  Departments  are  being  provided  with technical advice with respect to preparation of datasets, contribution of datasets, explanation of metadata and the entire workflow of data publishing, feedback management etc. The Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal  data  or  Information)  Rules,  2011  ('SPDI  Rules')  under Information Technology Act, 2000 provides a framework required for application  of  reasonable  security  practices  and  procedures  like informed consent, access control, and auditing processes. Further, for safeguarding the personal data of individuals and ensure that their data  is  shared  only  with  their  consent,  the  Digital  Personal  Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) has been enacted. The DPDP Act is aimed at safeguarding the personal data of individuals, and ensuring processing of personal data for the lawful purposes. The DPDP Act mentions  that  appropriate  technical  and  organisational  measures must  be  implemented  for  processing  of  the  personal  data  and reasonable  security  safeguards  must  be  taken  to  prevent  any personal data breach. The DPDP Act establishes a framework that pushes organizations to modernize their data infrastructure, adopt secure technologies, and implement  data protection-conscious practices.  The  emphasis  on  secure,  real-time  data  access,  and compliance  with  data  protection  principles  creates  a  balanced approach, ensuring both accountability and transparency in processing personal data. These efforts aim to provide individuals with greater control over their personal data while fostering trust in how their information is processed by organizations. The DPDP Act is not yet in force and after the DPDP Act comes into force, Section 43A of the IT Act 2000 will be omitted.

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