Right to privacy and indian laws: an analysis

Privacy as a concept involves what privacy entails and how it is to be valued. Privacy as a right involves the extent to which privacy is (and should be legally protected). “The law does not determine what privacy is, but only what situations of privacy will be afforded legal protection.” “Privacy” is not a subject in any of the three lists in Schedule VII of the Constitution of India. But Entry 97 of List I states: “any other matter not enumerated in List II and List III” Thus only the Indian Parliament is competent to legislate on privacy since it can be interpreted as any other matter not enumerated in List II and List III. Till date there is no specific enactment on Privacy. But the Constitution of, India has embodied many Rights in Part III, which are called Fundamental Rights. These are enumerated in Article 14-30 of the Constitution. From the above discussion it follows that while no legislative competence is found for the subject of Privacy, yet the Constitution of India has provided for many Rights (Fundamental Rights), which cannot be taken away by the State and are legally enforceable against the State. Even though there is no separate legislation for protection of right to privacy, the same has been protected by Indian Constitution.