India Begins Selection Process for Data Protection Board Leadership as MeitY Invites Applications for Key Posts
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has begun appointing the chairperson and members of the Data Protection Board of India under the DPDP Act 2023. The new independent authority will enforce data protection laws, handle breaches, and impose penalties as part of India’s strengthened digital privacy governance framework.
In an official notification, the government stated that the DPBI has been constituted as an independent adjudicatory authority responsible for enforcing India’s new data protection framework. Designed as a “digital-by-design institution,” the board will be empowered to investigate personal data breaches, adjudicate cases of non-compliance, and impose monetary penalties under the DPDP Act and the DPDP Rules, 2025.
The government has invited applications for one chairperson position and four member positions. Eligible candidates must be Indian citizens holding at least a bachelor’s degree and possessing a minimum of five years of professional experience in areas such as data governance, consumer protection law, dispute resolution, information technology, the digital economy, regulatory affairs, or techno-regulation.
For the chairperson post, applicants must have held roles equivalent to Additional Secretary to the Government of India or senior leadership positions in reputed academic, policy, research, or corporate institutions. For member-level appointments, candidates must have held positions equivalent to Joint Secretary rank or comparable leadership roles, with at least one member required to possess expertise in law.
The appointments will be for a fixed tenure of up to two years or until the age of 65 years, whichever occurs earlier. Applicants must be at least 55 years of age at the time of application. The chairperson will receive a consolidated monthly remuneration of ₹4.5 lakh, while members will receive ₹4 lakh per month. The positions will not include official housing or vehicle facilities.
Additionally, the roles will be subject to a post-employment restriction, mandating a one-year cooling-off period before accepting any other employment without prior government approval.
The establishment of the DPBI is viewed as a significant institutional milestone in India’s evolving data governance architecture, especially as technology companies, digital platforms, and enterprises prepare for stricter compliance obligations under the country’s strengthened privacy law framework.
Applications for the positions must be submitted within 30 days from the date of publication of the advertisement in Employment News.

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