Scoring Methodology

How DPDP Self-Check translates your answers into a compliance score, maturity rating, and gap analysis.

Question-Level Scoring

Each question has a weight (1–3) and a response multiplier:

100%

Yes

50%

Partial

0%

No

Excluded

N/A

Section score = Σ(response_multiplier × question_weight) / Σ(question_weight for non-N/A questions) × 100. N/A answers are excluded from both numerator and denominator.

Maturity Levels
Basic0–40%

Significant gaps. The organisation lacks fundamental controls for most obligations. Immediate action required. High regulatory risk.

Developing41–65%

Some controls are in place but coverage is inconsistent. Key obligations are partially met. A structured remediation plan is needed.

Mature66–85%

Most obligations are met with documented controls. Gaps are specific and addressable. Organisation can demonstrate compliance readiness to auditors.

Optimized86–100%

Comprehensive compliance posture with proactive controls. Suitable for presenting to a DPO, external auditor, or the Data Protection Board.

Composite Score — Penalty-Weighted Sections

The composite score is a penalty-exposure weighted average of section scores. Sections that carry higher penalties under the DPDP Schedule have greater weight in the composite, so fixing the most consequential gaps has the most impact on your score.

SectionDPDP CitationMax PenaltyWeight
Security SafeguardsSection 8(5)Up to INR 250 crore10
Breach NotificationSection 8(6)Up to INR 200 crore9
Children's DataSection 9Up to INR 200 crore9
Significant Data FiduciarySection 10Up to INR 150 crore8
Notice & ConsentSections 5-7Up to INR 50 crore7
Data Fiduciary ObligationsSection 8Up to INR 50 crore7
Cross-Border TransferSection 16Up to INR 50 crore6
Data Protection OfficerSection 10(2)(b)Part of SDF obligations5
Data Principal RightsSections 11-14INR 10,000 per complaint4
Grievance RedressalSection 13INR 10,000 per complaint4
Applicability & ScopeSections 2-3Foundational — enables all other obligations3

Trade-off: Weighting by penalty exposure incentivises focus on high-risk areas but may understate breadth of compliance. An organisation could score well on Security Safeguards but poorly on Grievance Redressal and still get a high composite score. Review section-level scores independently.

Privacy-First Architecture

The DPDP Act imposes obligations on all Data Fiduciaries processing personal data. It would be paradoxical for a DPDP compliance tool to itself violate those principles. DPDP Self-Check is designed to model DPDP compliance at the architectural level:

  • All assessment data is stored exclusively in your browser's localStorage under the key dpdp_assessment_v1. Nothing is transmitted to any server.
  • There is no backend, no database, and no API route that processes personal data.
  • The PDF report is generated entirely client-side using jsPDF. No PDF data passes through a server.
  • There is no Google Analytics, Plausible, or any other telemetry script loaded by this application.
  • You can self-host this tool on any static hosting provider by forking the GitHub repo.

This design directly implements the data minimisation and purpose limitation principles of the DPDP Act — collecting no data beyond what is strictly necessary for the tool to function.

Disclaimer & Limitations

This tool is a self-assessment aid and does not constitute legal advice. It is not a substitute for a professional privacy audit or the advice of qualified privacy counsel.

The DPDP Rules 2025 are being notified in stages. This tool reflects the DPDP Act 2023 and Rules as available in June 2025. Some questions reference pending Rules provisions; compliance obligations in those areas will be confirmed once the Rules are fully notified.

This tool does not imply endorsement by MeitY, the Data Protection Board of India, or any government body. "DPDP Self-Check" is an independent third-party tool.

Always consult a qualified privacy lawyer before making binding compliance decisions.

Built by Sahil Singhi · MIT License · github.com/sahilsinghi/dpdp-compliance-tool