DPDP Glossary

Duties of Data Principal

Statutory duties under Section 15, including not impersonating others or registering false or frivolous grievances — distinct from Data Principal rights.

Section 15

What it means

Section 15 sets duties of Data Principals — including complying with applicable law while exercising rights or giving consent; not impersonating another person; not suppressing material information in specified State contexts; not registering false or frivolous grievances; and furnishing verifiably authentic information when seeking correction or erasure. These constrain how rights are exercised; they are not additional rights.

Worked example

A Principal who files repeated knowingly false Board complaints to harass a Fiduciary is not “exercising a right” — Section 15 speaks to that behaviour. A rights portal that labels Section 15 items as “Your rights” mis-teaches the statute.

In practice

Keep rights and duties copy separate in notices, portals and training. Train support teams not to treat duty language as grounds to refuse legitimate Section 11–14 requests without a lawful basis to do so.

Source

Section 15 · Official text (PDF)

Educational summary based on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Rules, 2025. Not legal advice.

Further reading

Data PrincipalThe individual to whom the personal data relates.Right to AccessThe right to obtain a summary of personal data being processed and related processing information under the Act.PenaltyA monetary penalty the Board may impose under Section 33 and the Schedule where it determines a breach is significant.

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