PCI, 21 press bodies submit memorandum opposing DPDP Act, cite threat to journalistic freedom
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New Delhi: The Press Club of India (PCI), along with 21 other press bodies and over 1,000 journalists and photojournalists from across the country, has submitted a joint memorandum to Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, raising concerns over the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. The memorandum argues that the Act undermines journalists’ fundamental right to work under Article 19(1)(a) and (g) of the Constitution.
In a press release issued on June 25, the PCI stated that the memorandum was drafted after a thorough legal review of the Act’s provisions in consultation with experts in data protection and law. It said that the Act, as it stands, threatens the ability of journalists across print, digital, and electronic platforms to perform their professional duties freely.
The press bodies expressed concern that although journalistic work was excluded at the draft stage of the Bill, the Ministry has now brought it within the Act’s ambit. The memorandum was submitted through Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), by PCI president Gautam Lahiri and secretary general Neeraj Thakur.
“We submitted the memorandum yesterday through the PDG and sought an appointment with the minister for clarification. The PDG’s office confirmed that it has forwarded the document to the minister’s office and has promised to convey our request for a meeting. We await a response and hope the honourable minister will address our concerns and exempt journalistic work from the Act,” Lahiri said.
The memorandum forms part of a signature campaign launched by the PCI in May 2025, demanding amendments to the DPDP Act to prevent disruption to the daily functioning of journalists and photojournalists.
Supporting bodies include:
Press Club of India, Press Club of Hyderabad, State Press Club (Madhya Pradesh), Delhi Union of Journalists, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Association, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Working News Cameramen’s Association, Mumbai Press Club, Press Club Jammu, Kerala Press Club Delhi, Indian Journalists Union, Press Club Kolkata, Press Club Bangalore, Gauhati Press Club, Shillong Press Club, Chennai Press Club, Pink City Press Club Jaipur, Chandigarh Press Club, Press Club Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Arunachal Press Club Itanagar, and Agartala Press Club.
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Mumbai family deaths: FDA finds no watermelon vendor in area to check for affected stock
Mumbai (PTI): The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
