RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN INDIA

Privacy is more than the ability to keep information secret. It gives people room to make personal choices, develop relationships, express opinions and live with dignity without unnecessary observation or interference. In India, the Supreme Court’s decision in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India (2017) recognised privacy as a fundamental right and provided a constitutional foundation for responding to new forms of surveillance and data collection. Since then, digital technologies have made the question more urgent: personal information may be gathered through phones, websites, identity systems, financial services and public platforms, often at a scale that ordinary users cannot easily understand or control. This paper traces the development of privacy in Indian constitutional law, explains the importance of the Puttaswamy judgment, and considers the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025. It discusses consent, government surveillance, data security, automated profiling and unequal access to remedies. It argues that effective privacy protection must be measured not only by the existence of laws, but by whether people can understand their choices, challenge misuse and obtain fair treatment. A humane digital future requires innovation to be accompanied by responsibility, proportionality and respect for every person's dignity.