Statutory Text (Official Gazette)
Section 6(3): Every request for consent under the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder shall be presented to the Data Principal in a clear and plain language, giving her the option to access such request in English or any language specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution and providing the contact details of a Data Protection Officer, where applicable, or of any other person authorised by the Data Fiduciary to respond to any communication from the Data Principal for the purpose of exercise of her rights under the provisions of this Act.
What Section 6(3) Means in Plain English
India has over 1.4 billion people speaking hundreds of languages and dialects. Forcing an Indian citizen who speaks Tamil, Gujarati, or Bengali to read an English-only legal disclaimer makes valid informed consent legally impossible.
Under Section 6(3):
Plain Language Required: The consent request must be in “clear and plain language”. Dense legal jargon makes it hard to show that consent was informed, which is what Section 6(1) requires.
Contact Person: The request must include the contact details of your Data Protection Officer (where applicable) or another person authorised to answer questions about the user’s rights.
The 22 Official Languages: The Act says the user must have the option to read the request in English or any of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. It does not say every request must be shown in all 22 at once. The safe approach is a language picker that covers all 22, because you cannot predict which language a user will choose:
| Northern & Western | Southern | Eastern & North-Eastern | Classical & Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | Tamil | Bengali | Sanskrit |
| Gujarati | Telugu | Odia | Urdu |
| Marathi | Kannada | Assamese | Sindhi |
| Punjabi | Malayalam | Maithili | Nepali |
| Kashmiri | Santali | Konkani | |
| Dogri | Manipuri / Bodo |
Technical Implementation for Websites
To meet Section 6(3) requirements:
- Built-in Language Picker: Your consent banner or preference center must include a language dropdown or toggle.
- Accurate Human Translations: Automated browser translation tools often mangle legal terms. Ensure translations use standardized, accurate terminology for “Personal Data”, “Cookies”, “Consent”, and “Withdrawal”.
- Dynamic Localization: When a visitor selects Hindi or Tamil, the entire consent modal, itemized purpose tables, and withdrawal mechanics must re-render in that language instantly.
How ConsentPlix Solves Section 6(3)
ConsentPlix comes pre-configured with accurate, human-reviewed translations across all 22 Eighth Schedule Indian languages. Visitors can switch languages directly inside the widget in real time, guaranteeing full compliance with Section 6(3) with zero engineering effort.
Check if your website complies with Section 6(3)
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