Govt tightens confidentiality norms for HIV+ people

The Nayab Singh Saini Government has introduced a strengthened set of safeguards aimed at protecting the identity and rights of HIV-positive people in Haryana.

In a significant move, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Rajpal has notified the Haryana Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Deficiency Syndrome Rules, 2025, establishing a detailed institutional mechanism to both enhance patient care and ensure strict confidentiality.

Under the new Rules, the Commissioners of Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Rohtak and Karnal divisions have been appointed as Ombudsman to look into complaints filed by HIV-positive patients. According to the notification, “The Ombudsman will maintain the register of the complaint in such a manner that confidentiality is ensured.”

In a major privacy protection measure, the judiciary has also been mandated to protect the identities of HIV-positive individuals involved in any legal proceedings. Courts will now be required to assign pseudonyms in all documents and filings. The Rules specify that the “identity and identifying details of the protected person are kept confidential.”

The notification further states: “The identities of the protected persons involved in the legal proceedings and their identifying details shall be displayed in pseudonym in all documentation generated by the court in relation to legal proceeding, including listing of the case on court board, interim orders or final judgments.”

Disclosure of the real identity will only be permitted under exceptional circumstances. The Rules clarify that where it becomes necessary “in the interest of justice” to reveal the name of a protected person to a third party, it may be done only through a court order, and even then, the court must ensure compliance with all mandated data protection measures.