PRIVATE AND CONTROVERSIAL Paperback

"Private and Controversial: When Public Health and Privacy Meet in India," edited by Smriti Parsheera, is a timely and critical collection of essays that delves into the complex and often contentious intersection of public health imperatives and individual privacy rights in India. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing debate around data protection laws, and the rollout of initiatives like the National Digital Health Mission, the book explores how public health interventions can significantly impact personal liberty, dignity, and informational privacy. Featuring contributions from experts in public health, law, economics, public policy, and public administration, it examines questions surrounding health data collection, contact tracing, mandatory testing, vaccine passports, and broader issues of bodily integrity and decisional autonomy, offering a nuanced understanding of these tensions and the challenges in balancing state interests with citizens' fundamental rights in a rapidly digitizing society.