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Chapter V · Data Protection Board of India

Section 26: Powers of the Chairperson

Section 26 gives the Chairperson day-to-day control of the Board: administrative superintendence, authority to route incoming matters, and power to allocate proceedings among Members.

Official text
Section 26Powers of the Chairperson
Chapter
Chapter V · Data Protection Board of India
Status
In force
In force since
13 November 2025
Applies to
Data Protection Board
Official citation
DPDP Act, 2023, s.26
Reading time
2 min
Updated
August 2026

At a glance

Section 26 sets out the Chairperson's powers: general superintendence and direction over all administrative matters of the Board [26(a)]; authority to have any officer scrutinise an intimation, complaint, reference or correspondence [26(b)]; and power to authorise individual Members or groups to perform the Board's functions and conduct proceedings, and to allocate proceedings among them [26(c)]. This makes the Chairperson the Board's administrative and case-allocation head. This section is in force since 13 November 2025.

Applies to The BoardChapter Chapter VEffective 13 Nov 2025Read time 2 min

Key takeaways

  • The Chairperson holds general administrative superintendence of the Board [26(a)].
  • The Chairperson can direct officers to scrutinise incoming complaints and references [26(b)].
  • The Chairperson allocates proceedings to individual Members or groups [26(c)].

Who should read this

Read this if you may be party to a Board proceeding: the Chairperson decides how your matter is triaged and which Member or panel hears it.

FoundersLegal / DPOCompliance leadsProduct / engineering

In plain language

Section 26 makes the Chairperson the Board's operational head: running administration, triaging what comes in, and deciding which Member or panel hears which case.

The text of the law

Section 26: Powers of the Chairperson

26 The Chairperson exercises: (a) general superintendence and direction over the Board's administrative matters; (b) authority to have any officer scrutinise any intimation, complaint, reference or correspondence; and (c) power to authorise a Member or group of Members to perform the Board's functions and conduct proceedings, and to allocate proceedings among them.

Wording summarised from the enacted Act. Always confirm against the official Gazette text for authoritative language.

What this means for you

  • Practically, the Chairperson decides how a complaint about your company is triaged and which Member or panel will hear it.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Chairperson do?
Runs the Board's administration, directs scrutiny of incoming matters, and allocates proceedings among Members.
Who decides which Member hears a case?
The Chairperson, who can assign proceedings to individual Members or groups.
Does the Chairperson have more power than other Members?
On administration and case allocation, yes; Section 26 gives the Chairperson those specific powers.

Sources

Related sections
Section 25: Members as public servantsSection 18: Establishment of the BoardSection 19: Composition of the BoardChapter V overview

This is an educational explanation, not legal advice. dpdpactindia.in is an independent resource and is not affiliated with the Government of India.

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