The Hindu Business Line : ‘Changes in IT Law not comprehensive’

New Delhi, Sept. 8 A Parliamentary Standing Committee has expressed disappointment over the Government not choosing to bring a new exclusive Bill to make IT Law comprehensive, but attempting a ‘short cut route’ making certain changes in existing legislations.

“The IT Act 2000 draws sustenance in respect of several provisions from various sources like the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, the Bankers Book Evidence Act, Reserve Bank of India Act, etc.

Today IT has reduced the world to a global village. The law pertaining to IT should, therefore, be self containing and easily comprehensible to the global village community.

The committee, however, regrets to note that the Government has not acknowledged this underlying principal despite the experience gained in about seven years in the administration of IT law and no effort has been made to bring a new and exclusive legislation,” the Standing Committee on IT said in its latest report on IT (Amendment) Bill.

IPC and CrPC

It noted that representatives of the IT Department had pointed out that experts engaged while drafting the Bill had been of the opinion that IPC and CrPC, from which the principal Act of 2000 draws sustenance in respect of several provisions, had stood the test of time.

“The committee feels that to the extent of their local applicability they are very appropriately worded in the primary and basic Acts. However, when laws pertaining to IT are taken into consideration, the connotations change drastically.

The committee is of the view that the IT laws for their universal application should be self enabling and comprehensive so that a mere reading of the relevant clause is sufficient for any agency or individual concerned sitting anywhere in the world to comprehend the import and culpability,” it added.