SC to Examine DPDP Act Validity, Declines Interim Stay on Key Provisions

• Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi agreed to examine legal issues but declined an interim stay.
• Petitions filed by Venkatesh Nayak, The Reporters' Collective, and NCPRI challenge Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act, which amends Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
• Petitioners argue the amendment grants a "blanket exemption" on disclosure of personal information, disrupting the balance between privacy, transparency, and free speech.
• The pleas also challenge Section 36 of the Act read with Rule 23 of the DPDP Rules, citing vagueness and potential for excessive access to personal data.