Indian Journal for Research in Law and Management
Advancing Law and Management
ISSN No. : 2583-9896
ISSN No. : 2583-9896
THE EVOLUTION OF CYBER LAW IN INDIA
Abstract
This piece traces the layered development of India's cyber law regime, from the foundational Information Technology Act, 2000 (covering electronic records, digital signatures, and cybercrime) through the CERT-In Cyber Security Directions of 2022 (breach reporting, log retention, KYC/data localisation rules) to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which grew out of the Puttaswamy privacy ruling and establishes Data Principal/Fiduciary obligations under a phased rollout through 2027. It also introduces the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, 2021 and its 2026 Amendment, which expanded regulatory oversight to social media, news content, and OTT platforms. The article frames these instruments as a cumulative, still-evolving architecture responding to India's digital growth.