Technological Sovereignty: India's Next Frontier of Independence
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science and Technology (Cybersecurity, IT & Computers - Open Source Software, Semiconductors); Indian Economy (Self-Reliance - Aatmanirbhar Bharat).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (S&T, Security, Economy): Science and Technology- developments and their applications; Awareness in the fields of IT, Computers; Indigenization of technology; Challenges to internal security through communication networks; Basics of cyber security. This is a quintessential GS3 topic.
Key Highlights from the News
Beyond political independence, the article argues that technological sovereignty is essential for a country to achieve true independence in the modern world.
India's critical infrastructure such as banking, railways, and energy are overly reliant on foreign software and hardware. This poses a significant security vulnerability for the country.
To achieve software sovereignty, the article suggests that India can build its own secure operating systems (like Linux, Android) and other software using an open-source model.
Hardware sovereignty, especially the manufacturing of semiconductors, is more challenging and requires long-term investment.
For this, the government needs to act as an enabler and launch a national mission that finds a self-sustaining business model.
This is not merely a technical issue, but a strategic necessity that will determine the country's self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and future.
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