Centre working on data protection law, better connectivity

In the wake of continuous cyber threats, the government is working on a law for data protection, Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed Rajya Sabha on Friday.

He stressed on the need for cyber security and clarified that there was no proposal to make internet availability a fundamental right. However, he said that the government is committed to providing easy access of internet to all.

Responding to queries, he said a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna has been set up in this regard.

"We are in the process of framing a data protection law. The paper has been circulated and field hearing is going on and very soon, we will come up with a data protection law," he said.

"We are alive to cyber security and our Prime Minister has said publicly that cyber war is a bloodless law," he added.

The minister said the government is working towards 100 per cent internet connectivity and encouraging competition in the sector to ensure better services.

He said that in 2011, there was a plan to connect every village in the country to internet and optical cable fibre laying, but it did not go anywhere. However, since NDA government came to power, 2.53 lakh kms of optical cable fibre has been laid.