The Hindu's open editorial dated 02/08/25 critically examines the recently concluded India - UK Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), which India considers "A Golden Standard Deal". While acknowledging its protection for traditional sensitive sectors such as agriculture and labor intensive manufacturing, the editorial warns that it overlooks the most strategic sector of the digital era, that could seriously compromise India's digital Sovereignty. Two omissions in the deal are particularly alarming. The source code disclosure and surrendering critical national resources will have repercussions in security and Sovereignty aspects. Granting foreigners equal access to the government data risks the country's competitive advantage in digital economy and could pave way for "Digital Colonization," a term which equated with the exploitation of Britain's in the colonial period. In the backdrop of these risks, the editorial urges the govt intervention to establish a robust policy framework that safeguards critical digital infrastructure and national data resources.
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