The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 has come
into force today. The Rules pertaining to S. 52 (Salary, Allowances and Other
Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members), S. 54 (Procedure
for Investigation of Misbehaviour or Incapacity of Chairperson and Members),
S. 69 (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of
Information), S. 69A (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of
Information by Public), S. 69B (Procedure and safeguard for Monitoring and
Collecting Traffic Data or Information) and notification u/s.70B for
appointment of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team have also been
notified.
With proliferation of information technology enabled
services such as e-governance, e-commerce and e-transactions; data security,
data privacy and implementation of security practices and procedures relating
to these applications of electronic communications have assumed greater
importance and they require harmonisation with the provisions of the
Information Technology Act. Further, protection of Critical Information
Infrastructure is pivotal to national security, economy, public health and
safety, thus it had become necessary to declare such infrastructure as
protected system, so as to restrict unauthorised access.
So, penal provisions were required to be included in the
Information Technology Act, 2000. Also, the Act needed to be
technology-neutral to provide for alternative technology of electronic
signature for bringing harmonisation with Model Law on Electronic Signatures
adopted by United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
Keeping in view the above, Government had introduced the Information
Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2006 in the Lok Sabha on 15th December 2006. Both
Houses of Parliament passed the Bill on 23rd December 2008. Subsequently the
Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 received the assent of President
on 5th February 2009 and was notified in the Gazette of India.
(Source : Internet & Media Reports, 28-10-2009)
