---
title: "Section 13: Right of grievance redressal"
url: https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/act/section-13-right-of-grievance-redressal/
description: "Section 13 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (Right of grievance redressal). Official text verbatim, comes into force on 13 may 2027, with…"
kind: act-section
updated: 2026-09-09
official_source: https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/06/2bf1f0e9f04e6fb4f8fef35e82c42aa5.pdf
text_type: official-text-plus-interpretation
publisher: MYND Integrated Solutions
license: Official Government of India texts are reproduced verbatim (public domain / open government data). Interpretation is CC BY 4.0, MYND Integrated Solutions.
disclaimer: Not legal advice. Official text prevails over any interpretation.
html_version: https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/act/section-13-right-of-grievance-redressal/
---
# Section 13: Right of grievance redressal

*The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (No. 22 of 2023), Chapter III: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF DATA PRINCIPAL. Comes into force on 13 May 2027.*

## Official text

- **(1)** A Data Principal shall have the right to have readily available means of grievance redressal provided by a Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager in respect of any act or omission of such Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager regarding the performance of its obligations in relation to the personal data of such Data Principal or the exercise of her rights under the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.

- **(2)** The Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager shall respond to any grievances referred to in sub-section (1) within such period as may be prescribed from the date of its receipt for all or any class of Data Fiduciaries.

- **(3)** The Data Principal shall exhaust the opportunity of redressing her grievance under this section before approaching the Board.


## Rules made under this section

- [Rule 14: Rights of Data Principals](https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/rules/rule-14-rights-of-data-principals/)

## Interpretation in plain English (not legal advice)

> This is a plain-English interpretation of the official text, prepared by the DPDP Wiki editorial team. It is not the law and not legal advice, and it may be incomplete or wrong. Always rely on the official text of the Act, the Rules and the notifications, and take advice from a qualified professional for your situation.

Section 13 gives a Data Principal (the individual whose data is being processed) the right to easily access a grievance redressal system. This system must be provided by the Data Fiduciary (the entity deciding how and why data is processed) or a Consent Manager. It allows the Data Principal to raise complaints if these entities fail to meet their obligations or if the Data Principal cannot exercise their rights under the law.\n\nOnce a complaint is submitted, the Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager is required to respond to it. The exact time limit for this response is not stated in the Act but will be set by future rules, which may specify different time limits for different classes of Data Fiduciaries.\n\nA Data Principal cannot immediately take their complaint to the Board (the Data Protection Board of India). The law requires them to first use the grievance redressal process provided by the Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager and exhaust this option before escalating the matter to the Board.

### Key points

- A Data Principal has the right to readily available means of grievance redressal provided by a Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager. [(1)]
- The Data Fiduciary or Consent Manager must respond to the grievance within a time period that will be prescribed by rules. [(2)]
- The Data Principal must exhaust this initial grievance process before they are allowed to approach the Board. [(3)]

### Common misreadings

- A Data Principal cannot skip the Data Fiduciary's grievance process and go straight to the Board.
- The exact time limit to respond to a grievance is not fixed in the Act itself, but will be prescribed by future rules.

*Interpretation prepared 2026-09-09 from the official text only; the official text prevails.*

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Cite as: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, s. 13. Official source: https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/06/2bf1f0e9f04e6fb4f8fef35e82c42aa5.pdf