Kerala High Court expects Data Protection Board to be made functional within eight weeks in Digi Yatra PIL
13 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. disposed of WP(PIL) 15/2026, filed by C.R. Neelakandan, on 7 October 2026.
The PIL sought directions to make handling of passenger data at airports comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the DPDP Rules, 2025.
The Union said the Data Protection Board has been constituted but is not yet functional.
The court said it expects the Board to be made functional within eight weeks.
Counsel for the Digi Yatra Foundation submitted that, as of now, Aadhaar and Driving Licence can be considered proof of identity; the court said it expects authorities may also consider accepting Voter ID.
In plain words
DPDP Act Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — The law that governs how personal digital data is processed in India.
Digi Yatra Digi Yatra — A facial-recognition based paperless entry system at airports.
Data Protection Board Data Protection Board of India — The body set up under the DPDP Act to decide data protection complaints.