From classroom to cloud: Why data privacy must be a core pillar of modern higher education
By Dr Amarnath Mitra, Associate Professor, Information Systems and Analytics, FORE School of Management, New Delhi & Gurugram
As India rapidly digitises its economy and public services, data has emerged as the most valuable resource for the new-age firms. Businesses across digital platforms generate, process, and store vast volumes of proprietary and personal data. In this context, protection of consumer data and data privacy is no longer a peripheral compliance issue; it has become an integral part of business processes, particularly after the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
The DPDP Act, 2023 marks India’s first comprehensive framework for personal data protection. It establishes clear principles such as lawful purpose, data minimisation, consent-based processing, purpose limitation, data accuracy, and accountability. The DPDP Act, 2023 has transformed data protection from a voluntary best practice into a statutory obligation.
Privacy as pedagogy, not just policy
Indian universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) sit at the centre of this transformation. Educational institutions, classified as “data fiduciaries” under the DPDP Act 2023, are now legally responsible for protecting the personal data of students, faculty, staff, and research participants. This shift has profound implications for how education institutions manage technology, design curricula, and innovate pedagogy. They also have a strategic and societal responsibility to help create a skilled workforce by aligning education with regulatory, technological, and ethical demands.
Making privacy a core pillar of education
Recognising this reality, HEI are increasingly embedding data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital governance into academic programmes across disciplines. In Data Science and Computer Science, courses on data governance, privacy-preserving machine learning, anonymisation techniques, differential privacy, and secure data architectures are gaining importance. Students are being trained not only to extract insights from data, but also to design systems that comply with laws like the DPDP Act and global regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In the management and business domain specialised degrees and diplomas are introducing subjects like data ethics, digital risk management, privacy compliance, and technology law for managers. Future business leaders must understand how data protection impacts customer trust, brand value, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border operations. Roles such as Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Privacy Programme Manager (PPM) require strong managerial as well as regulatory expertise.
The law and policy stream has seen particularly strong momentum. Law schools are offering specialised courses and certifications in technology law, data protection law, cyber law, and AI governance. The DPDP Act has created demand for legal professionals who can interpret consent frameworks, advise on data breach response, draft privacy policies, and represent organisations before the Data Protection Board of India.
Beyond these, interdisciplinary programmes are emerging in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Public Policy, Healthcare Informatics, FinTech, and Education Technology. Even social sciences and humanities are engaging with data privacy through courses on digital rights, surveillance studies, and ethics of technology, reflecting the societal impact of data-driven systems.
Career opportunities: Building the privacy profession
From a career perspective, data privacy is one of the fastest-growing opportunity across sectors such as IT services, banking and financial services, healthcare, education, e-commerce, and government. Even start-ups are actively hiring professionals with privacy and compliance skills. Key job roles include Data Protection Officer, Privacy Analyst, Information Security Consultant, Cyber Risk Analyst, Compliance Manager, Legal Counsel (Data Protection), Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Specialist, and Privacy Engineer.
The DPDP Act has further accelerated demand by making compliance mandatory and time-bound. Institutions must appoint responsible officers, conduct data audits, implement grievance redressal mechanisms, and ensure secure processing of children’s data. This regulatory push translates directly into sustained employment opportunities for trained graduates.
For students, data privacy offers a rare combination of technical depth, legal relevance, ethical significance, and long-term career stability. As regulations evolve and technologies like AI and big data expand, the need for professionals who can balance innovation with privacy protection will only grow. Higher education institutions that prioritise data privacy education are therefore not only complying with the law, but also future-proofing their students.
In the era of the DPDP Act, 2023, data privacy is no longer optional knowledge, it is foundational literacy. Modern higher education must treat it as a core pillar, shaping responsible digital citizens and building a future-ready, compliant, and ethically grounded skilled professionals for India’s data-driven future.