New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS): The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the data protection bill met on Wednesday to deliberate on the legislation.

Committee member Jairam Ramesh said that it will continue its meeting on Thursday.

"Parliament's Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 had a marathon six hour sitting today. It is meeting again tomorrow to discuss the few clauses remaining and will complete its deliberations. It has been a massive collective effort," he said in a tweet after the meeting.

This was the first meeting after its Chairman Meenakshi Lekhi was appointed as minister, and P.P. Chaudhary succeeded her.

Set up in 2019 to examine the bill, which seeks to regulate the use of an individual's data by the government and private companies, the committee was, in July, given an extension for the fifth time to submit its report by the Winter Session of Parliament.

After its introduction in the Lok Sabha, the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, had been referred to the joint committee to seek views and suggestions on the legislation from individuals and associations/bodies concerned.