UGC NET Paper 1 Unit 7 Topic 5 : Data and Governance.

🛡️ Data Governance: Principles, Privacy & Ethics

💡 Core Concept: Data governance refers to the framework of policies, procedures, and standards ensuring effective data management throughout its lifecycle. Crucial for Paper 1 (Research Methodology) and Paper 2 (Computer Science/Education technology).

1. Key Principles of Data Governance

🔴 The 7 Pillars of Data Governance

DAMA International Framework:

1. Accountability: Clear ownership of data assets
2. Transparency: Documented processes and decisions
3. Integrity: Accuracy and consistency of data
4. Standardization: Uniform data definitions
5. Protection: Security and privacy safeguards
6. Compliance: Adherence to legal requirements
7. Availability: Accessible to authorized users

Principle	Implementation	UGC NET Relevance
Data Quality	Validation rules, cleansing procedures	Research methodology (5-7 marks)
Metadata Mgmt.	Data dictionaries, lineage tracking	Library science questions
Lifecycle Mgmt.	Retention policies, archiving	Digital preservation topics

2. Privacy Concerns in Data Handling

🟣 Major Privacy Risks

Common Vulnerabilities:

• Re-identification: Combining datasets to reveal identities
• Function Creep: Data used beyond original purpose
• Surveillance Capitalism: Exploitation of behavioral data
• Third-party Sharing: Unauthorized data transfers

Privacy Law	Key Provision	Application in Academia
GDPR (EU)	Right to be forgotten	International research collaborations
DPDP Act 2023 (India)	Data fiduciary obligations	Student data protection
FERPA (USA)	Educational records privacy	Comparative studies

3. Ethical Considerations

🟠 Ethical Frameworks for Data

Framework	Principle	Implementation
Beneficence	Maximize benefits	Social good research projects
Non-maleficence	"Do no harm"	Anonymization techniques
Autonomy	Participant consent	Informed consent forms
Justice	Equitable distribution	Bias mitigation in AI systems

Emerging Challenges:

• AI/ML bias in educational assessment
• Deepfake technology in research
• Blockchain immutability vs. right to erasure

4. Data Governance in Academic Research

🔷 Institutional Requirements

Component	Description	UGC Mandates
IRB Approval	Institutional Review Board clearance	Mandatory for human subjects research
Data Sharing	Open access vs. proprietary data	Plagiarism regulation (2023)
Publication Ethics	COPE guidelines	UGC CARE list compliance

5. Implementation Checklist

For Researchers:

1. Conduct Privacy Impact Assessment before data collection
2. Use pseudonymization for sensitive data
3. Maintain audit trails of data access
4. Establish data sharing agreements with third parties
5. Provide ethics training to research staff

6. Case Study: UGC NET 2022 Question

Question: Which principle of data governance ensures that personal data isn't retained beyond necessary duration?

Options:
A) Data Quality
B) Storage Limitation
C) Purpose Specification
D) Accountability

Answer: B) Storage Limitation (GDPR Article 5(1)(e))

Analysis: This tests knowledge of both governance principles and privacy regulations - a growing trend in UGC NET exams.

7. Future Trends

🔮 Emerging Directions

Trend	Impact on Academia	Exam Relevance
Differential Privacy	Secure educational data mining	Research methodology
AI Governance	Ethical use of ChatGPT in research	Current trends (2024-25)
Data Trusts	Institutional data sharing models	Higher education policy

🎯 Preparation Strategy

For UGC NET Aspirants:

• Memorize GDPR principles (Article 5)
• Understand DPDP Act 2023 key clauses
• Practice case-based questions on research ethics
• Review UGC's plagiarism policies

Pro Tip: Create comparison charts of:
• GDPR vs DPDP Act
• Ethical frameworks (Belmont vs. Helsinki)
• Data governance models (Centralized vs Federated)