32  Data and Governance

Data has become one of the central instruments of governance — informing policy, monitoring service delivery, and creating accountability. The relationship works in two directions: government generates massive datasets, and good governance increasingly depends on how those datasets are managed, shared, and protected.

32.1 What Is Data Governance?

Data governance is the system of decision rights and accountabilities for data assets — who can do what with which data, under what conditions. It includes:

TipSix Pillars of Data Governance
Pillar What it covers
Data quality Accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness
Data security Protection from unauthorised access, leaks, attacks
Data privacy Protection of personal information; consent
Data architecture How data is structured, stored and integrated
Data accessibility Who can access what, and how
Data ethics Fair use, avoiding harm, transparency

32.2 Open Government Data

Open data is data that anyone can freely access, use, modify and share. The Government of India runs data.gov.in — the Open Government Data (OGD) Platform — under the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), 2012.

TipKey Indian Open Data Initiatives
  • data.gov.in — central open data portal (Ministry of Electronics & IT).
  • National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), 2012 — framework for open data.
  • Open Government Partnership — international initiative on transparency.
  • Open Standards Policy for e-Governance — common technical standards.

32.3 Major Indian Public Datasets

TipHigh-Frequency Datasets in NTA Stems
Dataset Owning body What it covers
Census of India Office of the Registrar General Decennial population data
NSSO / NSO surveys Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) Household consumption, employment, etc.
AISHE Ministry of Education Higher education
PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) NSO Labour-market indicators
NFHS (National Family Health Survey) Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Health, nutrition, fertility
SRS (Sample Registration System) Office of the Registrar General Births, deaths, fertility
State of Forest Report Forest Survey of India Forest cover, biodiversity
Niti Aayog SDG India Index Niti Aayog State-level Sustainable Development Goal performance
Aspirational Districts Programme dashboard Niti Aayog District-level indicators

32.4 E-Governance and Digital India

TipWorking Pillars of E-Governance
  • G2C — Government to Citizen services (e.g., passport, PAN, Aadhaar).
  • G2B — Government to Business (e.g., GST portal, MCA21).
  • G2G — Government to Government (inter-agency data sharing).
  • G2E — Government to Employee (HR, payroll systems).
TipMajor Indian E-Governance Initiatives
Initiative What it does
Digital India Umbrella programme launched 2015 for digital infrastructure, services, literacy
UMANG Unified Mobile Application for citizen services
DigiLocker Digital storage and verification of documents
Aadhaar / UIDAI Unique identity for residents
e-Sign Electronic signature service
MyGov Citizen-engagement platform
Bhuvan ISRO geospatial portal
PRAGATI Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation — PMO-led grievance and project monitoring
JAM Trinity Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile — for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
GeM Government e-Marketplace

32.5 Right to Information Act, 2005

The RTI Act 2005 gives every Indian citizen the right to seek information from public authorities. It is anchored in the constitutional right to free speech (Article 19(1)(a)).

TipKey Features of RTI Act, 2005
  • Every public authority must designate a Public Information Officer (PIO).
  • Information must be provided within 30 days (48 hours if life or liberty is involved).
  • A Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions hear appeals.
  • Some matters are exempt: national security, sovereignty, parliamentary privilege, intellectual property, fiduciary information (with public-interest override), Cabinet papers (after the decision).
  • Section 4(1)(b) mandates proactive disclosure — public authorities must publish key information without waiting for requests.

32.6 Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 is India’s primary data-protection law. It regulates the processing of personal data by both government and private entities.

TipKey Concepts of DPDP Act 2023
  • Personal data — any data about an identifiable individual.
  • Data Principal — the individual whose data is processed.
  • Data Fiduciary — the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing.
  • Data Processor — the entity that processes data on behalf of the fiduciary.
  • Consent — must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous.
  • Notice — fiduciaries must inform principals of purpose, rights, etc.
  • Data Protection Board of India — adjudicating body for breaches.
  • Penalties — up to ₹250 crore for severe breaches.
  • Rights of Data Principal — access, correction, erasure, grievance redressal, nomination.

flowchart LR
  DP[Data Principal<br/>Individual] -->|gives consent| DF[Data Fiduciary<br/>Decides purpose]
  DF -->|engages| DPR[Data Processor<br/>Acts on behalf]
  DF -. accountable to .-> DPB[Data Protection Board]
    classDef default fill:#003366,color:#ffffff,stroke:#ffcc00,stroke-width:3px,rx:10px,ry:10px;

32.7 Data-Driven Policy and Niti Aayog

The Niti Aayog (formed 2015, replacing the Planning Commission) increasingly drives policy through evidence-based dashboards.

TipNiti Aayog’s Data-Driven Initiatives
  • SDG India Index — state-level performance on the 17 SDGs.
  • Aspirational Districts Programme — 112 underdeveloped districts tracked on multiple indicators.
  • Composite Water Management Index — state-level water management.
  • Health Index — state-level health system performance.
  • India Innovation Index — state-level innovation performance.

32.8 Data Ethics in Governance

TipFive Working Principles of Data Ethics in Governance
  1. Lawfulness — data is collected and used under legal authority.
  2. Purpose limitation — data used only for stated purposes.
  3. Data minimisation — collect only what is necessary.
  4. Transparency — citizens know what is collected and how it’s used.
  5. Accountability — clear lines of responsibility for harms.

32.9 Data and Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (2015) require monitoring through indicators. India tracks 230+ SDG indicators across the 17 goals through the National Indicator Framework — coordinated by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

32.10 Practice Questions

Q 01 Open Data Easy

The Open Government Data Platform of India is hosted at:

  • Aindia.gov.in
  • Bdata.gov.in
  • Copendata.in
  • Dportal.gov.in
View solution
Correct Option: B
data.gov.in is India's Open Government Data (OGD) Platform.
Q 02 RTI Easy

Under the Right to Information Act 2005, public authorities must respond to a citizen's request within:

  • A7 days
  • B15 days
  • C30 days
  • D60 days
View solution
Correct Option: C
Standard response time is 30 days; 48 hours when life or liberty is at stake.
Q 03 DPDP Act Medium

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data is called:

  • AData Principal
  • BData Fiduciary
  • CData Processor
  • DData Subject
View solution
Correct Option: B
The Data Fiduciary determines purpose and means. The Data Principal is the individual; the Data Processor processes data on behalf of the Fiduciary.
Q 04 JAM Trinity Medium

The "JAM Trinity" of Indian governance refers to:

  • AJan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile
  • BJustice, Aadhaar, Money
  • CJan Aushadhi, Ayushman Bharat, Mid-day Meals
  • DJurisdiction, Authority, Mandate
View solution
Correct Option: A
JAM = Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile — the platform for Direct Benefit Transfer.
Q 05 Niti Aayog Medium

Niti Aayog was formed in 2015, replacing:

  • AFinance Commission
  • BPlanning Commission
  • CNational Development Council
  • DUGC
View solution
Correct Option: B
Niti Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) replaced the Planning Commission in 2015.
Q 06 SDGs Easy

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 number:

  • A8
  • B15
  • C17
  • D20
View solution
Correct Option: C
The UN adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 (replacing the 8 Millennium Development Goals).
Q 07 e-Governance Medium

"DigiLocker" is best described as:

  • AA grievance portal
  • BA digital storage and verification service for citizen documents
  • CA bank account scheme
  • DA cyber-security audit platform
View solution
Correct Option: B
DigiLocker provides citizens with secure cloud storage of identity, education and government-issued documents.
Q 08 Data Pillars Hard

Match the data-governance pillar with its concern:

(i) Data quality (a) Protection from unauthorised access
(ii) Data security (b) Accuracy, completeness, timeliness
(iii) Data privacy (c) Fair use, avoiding harm
(iv) Data ethics (d) Protection of personal information; consent
  • A(i)-(b), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(c)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b)
  • D(i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)
View solution
Correct Option: A
Quality → accuracy/completeness; Security → unauthorised access; Privacy → personal info & consent; Ethics → fair use & harm avoidance.
ImportantQuick recall
  • Six pillars of data governance: Quality, Security, Privacy, Architecture, Accessibility, Ethics.
  • Open data: data.gov.in under NDSAP 2012.
  • Major datasets: Census, NSSO/NSO, AISHE, PLFS, NFHS, SRS.
  • E-governance pillars: G2C, G2B, G2G, G2E.
  • Key initiatives: Digital India (2015), Aadhaar/UIDAI, DigiLocker, UMANG, GeM, JAM Trinity.
  • RTI Act 2005: 30-day response (48 hours for life/liberty); CIC/SIC; PIO; proactive disclosure (Sec 4(1)(b)).
  • DPDP Act 2023: Data Principal, Data Fiduciary, Data Processor, Data Protection Board; consent must be free, specific, informed; penalties up to ₹250 crore.
  • 17 SDGs (UN, 2015). Niti Aayog replaced Planning Commission in 2015.