In a landmark development for digital rights and governance in India, the government has formally notified the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, thereby fully operationalizing the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. This crucial step establishes India's first comprehensive legal framework for the collection, processing, and protection of digital personal data. The DPDP Act, which was originally passed in August 2023, aims to create a transparent, citizen-centric, and innovation-friendly ecosystem to ensure the responsible use of personal data in the country's rapidly expanding digital economy.
The newly notified rules outline a phased implementation plan, granting organizations, particularly startups and smaller firms, up to 18 months to comply with the new requirements. Key highlights of the DPDP Rules include clear protocols for personal data breach notifications, mandating Data Fiduciaries to promptly inform affected individuals about the nature of the breach, its potential consequences, and mitigation steps. Special safeguards have been incorporated for children and persons with disabilities, requiring verifiable consent for processing their personal data, with limited exemptions for essential sectors like education, healthcare, and real-time safety.
The framework also mandates that 'Consent Managers,' entities responsible for helping individuals manage data permissions, must be Indian companies, ensuring domestic jurisdiction and accountability. Large firms, designated as 'Significant Data Fiduciaries,' will face additional obligations, including regular data audits and risk assessments. Citizens will now have enhanced rights to access, correct, update, or request the deletion of their personal data, with fiduciaries required to respond within 90 days. Oversight of this framework will be provided by the newly established Digital Data Protection Board of India (DPBI), designed to function as a fully digital adjudicatory body for online complaint filing, tracking, and resolution.
In other significant developments, the Indian government has unveiled a new pension scheme for senior citizens, set to roll out in 2025. This scheme aims to enhance the financial security of the elderly by providing eligible senior citizens with ā¹20,000 every month, ensuring a steady income stream for their daily needs. Detailed guidelines, including specific eligibility criteria beyond being over 60 years old and meeting income thresholds, will be released closer to the official launch.
Furthermore, the government is poised to release the 21st instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme on November 19, 2025. This initiative continues to be one of the world's largest direct benefit transfer programs for farmers, providing ā¹6,000 annually to eligible farm families. Since its launch in 2019, the scheme has disbursed over ā¹3.70 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers, with over 25% of the financial support reaching women beneficiaries. The scheme leverages Aadhaar-enabled, farmer-centric digital infrastructure to ensure transparent delivery of benefits and has been strengthened by digital tools like the PM-KISAN mobile app and an AI-powered Kisan-eMitra chatbot.
Other notable policy discussions and initiatives include the release of the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025 for public consultation, aiming to modernize seed quality regulation and liberalize seed imports. Additionally, the Ministry of Cooperation organized the Cooperative Kumbh 2025, adopting the "Delhi Declaration 2025" to expand Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and launching new digital platforms like Sahkar Digi-Pay and Sahkar Digi-Loan. Financial rule changes effective November 1, 2025, also include updates to banking laws allowing multiple nominees for bank accounts and revised deadlines for pension-related submissions.