Privacy Matters – A Public Conference in Ahmedabad
-
Internet Governance
Annual Conference
Ahmedabad
The conference will focus on the questions and dilemmas posed by privacy in India today, with a concentration on security, national surveillance, prisoners rights and privacy. The right to privacy in India has been a neglected area of study and engagement. Although sectoral legislation deals with privacy issues, India does not as yet have a horizontal legislation that deals comprehensively with privacy across all contexts. The absence of a minimum guarantee of privacy is felt most heavily by marginalized communities, including HIV patients, children, women, sexuality minorities,prisoners, etc. – people who most need to know that sensitive information is protected. Privacy India was established in 2010 with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around privacy challenges and violations in India.
One of our goals is to build consensus towards the promulgation of a comprehensive privacy legislation in India through consultations with the public, legislators and the legal and academic community.
Please confirm your participation with:
- elonnai@privacyindia.org, or
- jsree.t@gmail.com
Agenda
Privacy Matters
March 26th 10:30 – 4:30 pm
Ahmedabad Management Association
Core-AMA Management House
Torrent-AMA Management CentreATIRA Campus, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai MargAhmedabad 380 015, Gujarat, INDIAPhone: +91-79-263086
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:00 to 10:30 | Registration and WelcomePrashant IyengarPrashant Iyengar is a practicing lawyer and lead researcher for Privacy India. He will present who Privacy India is, and the objectives of Privacy India’s research. Lastly he will outline the present scenario of Privacy in India. |
| 10:30 to 11:15 | Keynote AddressUsha RamanathanDr. Usha Ramanathan is an internationally recognized expert on law and poverty. Her research interests include human rights, displacement, torts and environment. Ms. Ramanathan will speak about the coerced decline of privacy. National security, corruption, pragmatism, and the emergence of technologies that often work to establish that privacy is an irrelevant notion. She will look at links not often made between privacy and personal security, between data bases and national security, and the centrality of dislodging privacy in projects of social control are, perhaps deliberate. |
| 11:15 to 11:30 | Tea break |
| 11:30 to 1:00 | Opinions on PrivacyJustice J N Bhatt, Mr. Ajay Tomar, Renu PokharnaIn this session key officials from Gujarat will share their experiences and opinionson privacy in the context of India. Speakers include:Justice J N Bhatt is the former Chief Justice of Gujarat and Bihar, and currentlythe head of the Gujarat State Law Commission. He has had ad successful career including having: joined the Office of the Government Pleader, at Jamnagar in 1976, worked as Central Government Counsel in special matter of Armed Forces and Labour Cases, and has authored more than 50 Articles on Jurisprudence, Constitution, International Law, A.D.R, Legal Aid and Lok Adalat and Judicial Reforms Renu Pokharna, a member of the Chief Minister’s Office, State of Gujarat, has spent her career working towards the betterment of society, especially the poor and the hungry through policy and not charity. For example she is a part of the project “Gujarat Skill Development Mission”. The project tries to achieve convergence of skill training programs to make them more effective.Mr. Ajay Tomar is the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad in Gujarat. He has worked on cracking down on many cases involving national security and surveillance including the “Pepsi Bomber”. |
| 1:00 to 2:00 | Lunch Break |
| 2:00 to 2:30 | Privacy, Minority Identities, and SecurityBobby KuhnuBobby Kuhnu is a lawyer, social activist, and writer. Mr. Kuhnu will examine theideological underpinnings of the discourse on privacy and its bearings on sociallymarginalized identities particularly in the context of the Indian state and theconstitutional right to privacy. |
| 2:30 to 3:00 | Privacy and National SecurityMathew ThomasMathew Thomas is a management consultant and activity leader fordevelopment centers. Mathew has held top positions in the Indian Army, and the Defense Research and Development Organization, where he headed the missile manufacturing facility. His presentation will focus on national security and privacy. |
| 3:00 to 3:15 | Tea Break |
| 4:00 to 4:30 | Open discussion and summary |
Other Distinguished Participants
- Justice Madhukar
Former Judge, Trial Courts, Gujarat
- Kanan Divatia
Lawyer and Professor of Law, L A Shah Law College
- Professor Amal Dhru
Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
- Madhusudan Agarwal
Founder, Ma’am movies
- Gaurang Raval
Drishti Media
- Rahul Chimanbhai Mehta
Independent Candidate, IIT Delhi Alumnus
- Madhusudan Agarwal
Founder, Ma’am movies