Chief Secretary V. Srinivas stresses the need to ensure cybersecurity in digital governance and protect the privacy of citizens’ data
Jaipur, October 2026: A workshop on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, was organised for senior IAS officers at the Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration (HCM RIPA), Jaipur.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Information Technology and Communication (DOIT&C), with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, participating as the Knowledge Partner. All senior IAS officers of the state attended the workshop.
At the beginning of the programme, Chief Secretary V. Srinivas delivered the keynote address. HCM RIPA Director General Shreya Guha and Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and Communication Ravi Kumar Surpur were also present.
Cybersecurity and data protection essential for digital governance: Chief Secretary
Chief Secretary V. Srinivas said that digital delivery of services is essential for good governance in the 21st century. Therefore, ensuring the cybersecurity of government-operated digital platforms is extremely important.
He said that developing a citizen-friendly data protection framework and strengthening public confidence in government digital platforms regarding the privacy of their personal data should be top priorities for the effective expansion of digital services.
He added that workshops of this nature are important for the effective implementation of laws such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Such initiatives will help ensure effective compliance with the Act and familiarise senior officers with the legal provisions relating to personal data protection. He also referred to various judicial rulings concerning the subject.
Emphasis on purpose-specific use of citizens’ data and cyber hygiene
The Chief Secretary said that, in accordance with the existing legal provisions, the extensive personal data of citizens available through government digital platforms and services should be used only for targeted social security programmes.
He discussed in detail the need to protect government digital platforms used by citizens and government employees, as well as government data centres, from cyberattacks.
Emphasising the importance of ensuring cyber hygiene on these platforms, he called for retaining data only for a prescribed period based on its utility and deleting it in a timely manner. He also stressed the need for changing passwords periodically, taking necessary legal action in cases of data privacy breaches, and developing an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
CMA Nitish Kalra conducts workshop; detailed discussion on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act
The workshop was conducted by Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) Nitish Kalra. Senior IAS officers were given detailed information about the various provisions, relevance and objectives of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).
The importance of the safe, transparent and effective use of citizens’ digital personal data was highlighted. Participants were briefed on how data could be used in accordance with the provisions of the Act to promote good governance, improve administrative services and safeguard citizens’ interests.
The need to maintain the privacy and security of personal data was also discussed in detail.
Question-and-answer session held
A question-and-answer session was organised after the workshop, during which officers discussed various provisions of the Act and issues related to their practical implementation.
At the conclusion, Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and Communication Ravi Kumar Surpur delivered brief remarks and expressed gratitude to all the guests and participants.
