SAFEGUARDING PERSONAL DATA: AN ANALYSIS OF INDIA'S EVOLVING PRIVACY LAWS

Digital transformation in India has changed how personal information is gathered by various public and private organizations. As digital platforms depend more on personal information to offer their services, issues arising about privacy of information, cyber security and data governance gain meaningful legal implication. Recognizing this need for a solid legislative framework, the parliament enacted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, thus marking an advancement in the way the country addresses the issue of personal information protection. Nevertheless, effective data protection includes not only legal provision, but also the cooperation of constitutional guarantees, institutional accountability as well as technological development. The paper analyses the constitutional basis of the right to privacy in India and studies the rules of the main legislative act on data protection. Moreover, the article assesses the rights and duties stipulated in the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. It also studies the new issues that arise from the use of artificial intelligence, information transfer between countries and cyber security. The paper concludes that even though India has developed a sound legal base for personal data protection, the effectiveness of the legislation depends on the implementation practices, regulatory supervision and creating awareness among the public.