Chapter IV CORE DIGITAL DATA AUTHORITY

1. (1) The State Government shall, by notification, establish an Authority to be called as the Andhra Pradesh Core Digital Data Authority to be responsible for prescribing the processes of collection, transmission, storage and archival of core data and authentication thereof on a request and for performing such other functions assigned to it under this Act.
2. (2) The Authority shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to contract, and shall, by the said name, sue or be sued.
3. (3) The head office of the Authority shall be in Amaravati.
4. (4) The Authority may, with the prior approval of the State Government, establish its offices at other places in the State.

The Authority shall consist of a Chairperson, appointed on part-time or full-time basis, three part-time Members, and the Chief Executive Officer, who shall be Member-Secretary of the Authority, to be appointed by the Government.

The Chairperson and Members of the Authority shall be persons of ability and integrity having experience and knowledge of at least ten years in matters relating to technology, governance, law, development, economics, finance, management, public affairs or administration;

1. (1) The Chairperson and the Members appointed under this Act shall hold office for a term of three years from the date on which they assume office and shall be eligible for re-appointment. Provided that no person shall hold office as the Chairperson or Member after he has attained the age of sixty-five years.
2. (2) The Chairperson and every Member shall, before entering office, make and subscribe to, an oath of office and of secrecy, in such form and in such manner and before such Authority as may be prescribed;
3. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section(1), the Chairperson or Member may,-
   • (a) relinquish his office, by giving in writing to the State Government, a notice of not less than thirty days, or
   • (b) be removed from his office in accordance with the provisions of section 14.
4. (4) The salaries and allowances payable to, and the other terms and conditions of service of, the Chairperson and allowance or remuneration payable to part-time Members shall be such as may be prescribed.

1. (1) The State Government may remove from office, the Chairperson, or a Member, who,-
   • (a) is, or at any time has been adjudged as insolvent;
   • (b) has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as the Chairperson or, as the case may be, a Member;
   • (c) has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Government, involves moral turpitude;
   • (d) has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the Chairperson or, as the case may be, a Member; or
   • (e) has, in the opinion of the Government, so abused his position as to render his continuance in office detrimental to the public interest.
2. (2) The Chairperson or a Member shall not be removed under clause (b), clause (d) or clause (e) of sub-section (1) unless he has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

The Chairperson or a Member on ceasing to hold office for any reason, shall not, without previous approval of the State Government, -

1. (a) accept any employment in, or be connected with the management of any organisation, company or any other entity which has been associated with any work done or contracted out by the Authority, whether directly or indirectly, during his tenure as Chairperson or Member, as the case may be, for a period of three years from the date on which he ceases to hold office: Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply to any employment under the State Government or the Central Government or local authority or in any statutory authority or any corporation established by or under any Central, State or provincial Act or a Government Company, as defined in clause (45) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013 (Act No.18 of 2013);
2. (b) act, for or on behalf of any person or organisation in connection with any specific proceeding or transaction or negotiation or a case to which the Authority is a party and with respect to which the Chairperson or such Member had, before cessation of office, acted for or provided advice to, the Authority;
3. (c) give advice to any person using information which was obtained in his capacity as the Chairperson or a Member and being unavailable to or not being able to be made available to the public; or
4. (d) enter, for a period of three years from his last day in office, into a contract of service with, accept an appointment to a board of directors of, or accept an offer of employment with, an entity with which he had direct and significant official dealings during his term of office.

The Chairperson shall preside over the meetings of the Authority, and with prejudice to any provision of this Act, exercise and discharge such other powers and functions of the Authority as may be prescribed.

1. (1) There shall be Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to a State Government, to be appointed by the State Government.
2. (2) The Chief Executive Officer shall be the legal representative of the Authority and shall be responsible for,-
   • (a) the day-to-day administration of the Authority;
   • (b) implementing the work programmes and decisions adopted by the Authority;
   • (c) drawing up of proposal for the Authority’s decisions and work programmes;
   • (d) the preparation of the statement of revenue and expenditure and the execution of the budget of the Authority; and
   • (e) performing such other functions, or exercising such other powers, as may be specified by regulations.
3. (3) Every year, the Chief Executive Officer shall submit to the Authority for approval-----
   • (a) a general report covering all the activities of the Authority in the previous year;
   • (b) programmes of work;
   • (c) the annual accounts for the previous year; and
   • (d) the budget for the coming year.

1. (1) Authority shall meet at such times and places and shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to the transaction of business at its meetings, including quorum at such meetings, as may be specified by regulations.
2. (2) The Chairperson, or, if for any reason, he is unable to attend a meeting of the Authority, the senior most Member shall preside over the meetings of the Authority.
3. (3) All questions which come up before any meeting of the Authority shall be decided by a majority of votes by the Members present and voting and in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson or in his absence the presiding Member shall have a casting vote.
4. (4) If any Member, who is a director of a company and who as such director, has any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any manner coming up for consideration at a meeting of the Authority, he shall, as soon as possible after relevant circumstances have come to his knowledge, disclose the nature of his interest at such meeting and such disclosure shall be recorded in the proceedings of the Authority, and the Member shall not take part in any deliberation or decision of the Authority with respect to that matter.

1. (1) The Authority may, with the approval of the Government, determine the number, nature and categories of other officers and employees required by the Authority in the discharge of its functions.
2. (2) The salaries and allowances payable to, and the other terms and conditions of service of, the Chief Executive Officer and other officers and other employees of the Authority shall be such as may be specified by regulations with the approval of the Government.

1. (1) The Authority shall develop the policy, procedure and systems for issuing UNICORE numbers to core entities and perform authentication thereof under this Act;
2. (2) Without prejudice to sub-section(1), the powers and functions of the Authority, inter alia, include, -
   • (a) specifying by regulations, core data required for issuing a UNICORE number and the processes for collection and verification thereof;
   • (b) collecting core data in such manner as may be specified by regulations;
   • (c) appointing of one or more entities to operate the Core Digital Data Repository;
   • (d) generating and assigning UNICORE numbers to core entities;
   • (e) performing authentication of UNICORE numbers;
   • (f) maintaining and updating the core data in the Core Digital Data Repository in such manner as may be specified by regulations;
   • (g) omitting and deactivating of a UNICORE number and information relating thereto in such manner as may be specified by regulations;
   • (h) specifying the manner of use of core data for the purposes of providing or availing of various services and other purposes for which it may be used;
     • (i) specifying, by regulations, the terms and conditions for appointment of core data collection agencies and service providers and revocation of appointments thereof;
   • (j) sharing, in such manner as may be specified by regulations, the core data, subject to the provisions of this Act;
   • (k) calling for information and records, conducting inspections, inquiries and audit of the operations for the purposes of this Act of the Core Digital Data Repository, core data collection agencies and other agencies appointed under this Act;
   • (l) specifying by regulations, various processes relating to data management, security protocols and other technology safeguards under this Act;
   • (m) levying and collecting the fees or authorising the owners, core data collection agencies or other service providers to collect such fees for the services provided by them under this Act in such manner as may be specified by regulations;
   • (n) promoting research and development for advancement in data management and related areas, including usage of UNICORE numbers through appropriate mechanisms;
   • (o) such other powers and functions as may be prescribed.