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General Studies 2024 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Describe

GS Paper III — Q10

Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

डिजिटल व्यक्तिगत डेटा संरक्षण अधिनियम, 2023 के संदर्भ तथा प्रमुख विशेषताओं का वर्णन कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Context The DPDP Act, 2023 was enacted following the Supreme Court’s Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) judgment affirming privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21. It addresses the limitations of the Information Technology Act, 2000, incorporates the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee’s recommendations, and aligns domestic regulations with global standards like the European Union's GDPR.

Salient Features The Act regulates the processing of digital personal data based on informed consent from Data Principals, alongside specified legitimate uses.

It guarantees individuals the rights to access, correction, erasure, and grievance redressal. Data Fiduciaries must maintain robust security safeguards and obtain verifiable parental consent before processing children's data.

To ensure enforcement, it establishes the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) to adjudicate non-compliance, prescribing penalties up to ₹250 crore for severe breaches. Exemptions are provided for national security, law enforcement, research, archival, and journalistic purposes.

As India's first comprehensive data protection law, it balances individual privacy with legitimate state interests and the ease of doing business.

What "Describe" is asking you to do

Give a full, ordered account of the thing named — its parts, stages or mechanism — in the sequence in which it actually exists or occurs. Most describe questions come from the science optionals, where the marks sit in correct technical detail and, where the stem says so, a labelled diagram.

Structure that answers it

One-line identification of the subject → the parts or stages in their real order, each with its defining detail → labelled diagram where the subject is structural → closing line on function or significance

Where marks are lost

Loose general prose where the examiner is ticking named parts, correct terminology and their sequence; and in the General Studies papers, turning to evaluation before the description is finished.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Situation > Analysis > Measures > Assessment. describe: define > structure or process in order > labelled diagram > significance Full marks: Precise context (Puttaswamy/GDPR) and 4+ specific features (DPB, Fiduciary, Rights).

Key points expected

  • Context: GDPR influence and Supreme Court Puttaswamy judgment
  • Feature: Data Fiduciary obligations and user rights
  • Feature: Data Protection Board of India (DPB) as regulator
  • Feature: Exemptions for government and small entities

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Define the Act's context and list its key structural features. 10 marks · 150 words

    describe— define → structure or process in order → labelled diagram → significance

    Must cover

    • Context: GDPR influence and Supreme Court Puttaswamy judgment
    • Feature: Data Fiduciary obligations and user rights
    • Feature: Data Protection Board of India (DPB) as regulator
    • Feature: Exemptions for government and small entities

    Loses marks

    • Confusing DPDP Act with IT Act 2000
    • Listing generic privacy principles without specific Act features
    • Ignoring the 'context' part of the question

    Earns more

    • Mention of 'consent' as the primary legal basis
    • Reference to extraterritorial application of the law
    • Note on data localization or cross-border transfer rules
    • Mention of specific rights like right to erasure

    Extra mark

    • Reference to specific Section numbers (e.g., Sec 11, 13)
    • Mention of the 2011 Privacy Rules as the predecessor

Practice this exact question

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