The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 10th September 2025

The long march ahead to technological independence

Why in News?

 As India celebrates its 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025, the focus is on the need for technological sovereignty alongside political freedom. In today's world, true independence means having control over technology, which impacts every part of life, including governance, the economy, security, and daily activities. 

Cybersecurity and Digital Sovereignty

• Geopolitical Landscape: The global political environment is becoming increasingly hostile, with conflicts being waged through advanced technology such as software, drones, and cyber weapons, rather than conventional military means.
• Vulnerability in Cyberspace: Cyberspace has emerged as a critical battleground, posing significant risks to essential infrastructure. In India, vital sectors like banking, railways, and power supply are heavily reliant on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
• Dependency on Foreign Companies:. small number of companies, predominantly from a single foreign nation, design and manage the ICT systems that underpin India's critical infrastructure. This dependence creates a serious security vulnerability.
• Risks of Service Disruption: If these foreign companies were to discontinue services related to cloud computing or artificial intelligence, whether due to government orders or malicious actions, the impact could be catastrophic. Recent incidents of sudden service outages underscore the reality of this threat.
• Need for Digital Sovereignty: India must urgently address and mitigate these risks to protect its digital sovereignty and ensure the security of its critical infrastructure.

Building the foundation

• Technological Autonomy: Achieving technological autonomy is crucial for India's future. Currently, India lacks its own operating system, database, and foundational software, making it reliant on external sources.
• Open-Source Solutions: The open-source model offers a viable path to independence. India can develop secure, backdoor-free versions of operating systems like Linux and Android. This is achievable with a dedicated team of professionals.
• Long-Term Support and Maintenance: The bigger challenge lies in ensuring long-term support and maintenance for these systems. A large and supportive user base is essential for the success of a home-grown operating system. Even if these systems are slightly behind global products, they can be made competitive and effective.
• Collective Effort: This mission requires a collective effort from India's technology community. While the issue affects everyone, the solution lies with IT professionals who shape the digital landscape. No single institution can achieve this alone; success demands collaboration across stakeholders.

Hardware vs. Software Sovereignty

• Hardware Challenges: Achieving hardware sovereignty is significantly more challenging than software sovereignty. Semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs) require substantial, long-term national investment in chip design, manufacturing, and supply chains. India must evaluate its resources and, more importantly, its patience for such an endeavor.
• Practical First Steps:. practical initial step towards hardware sovereignty would be to focus on specific hardware components and establish partnerships in chip design and assembly, even if the fabrication process is outsourced.

Path to Technological Independence

• Non-Violent Path: Just as India's political independence was achieved through non-violence, its technological independence should be pursued through open-source software. This approach emphasizes self-reliance rather than opposition to others.
• Decline of Open-Source Movement: The global open-source movement has weakened over time, with control now concentrated in centralized cloud platforms and external corporations. There is an urgent need for a renewed social movement advocating for autonomy in both software and hardware.

India's Readiness

• Talent and Capability: India possesses the talent and capability to lead in the realm of technological independence. What is required now is the collective will to take action.
• Urgent Mission: There is a need to establish an urgent mission focused on planning, development, and execution to avoid a crisis that compels action.

First Steps in Software Independence

• Assembling a Team: Gather a skilled team to develop India's own versions of essential software using open-source resources.
• Building Components: Create client-side components such as databases, email clients, and calendars, as well as server-side components like web servers, email servers, and cloud servers.
• Continuous Innovation: While open-source versions exist, it is crucial to update, maintain, and innovate these systems continuously. Teams should operate like product teams in companies, supported by a sustainable business model rather than relying solely on government or private funding.

Changing Climate for Trusted Software

• Growing Concern: Previously, only strategic sectors were concerned about secure software; now, private companies and individuals are also worried about dependency on external forces.
• Transitioning Costs: People already pay indirectly for open-source tools through services. Transitioning to a model where costs are explicit and support is provided for trusted, self-reliant software is a small but crucial step.

Conclusion

• Implementation Focus: The immediate priority is to create a mission focused on implementation rather than research and development for academic communities. Strong development teams, dedicated support engineers, and effective project management are essential for smooth coordination.
• Enabling Role of Government: The government should play an enabling role, but the ultimate goal should be to establish a self-sustaining framework as soon as possible.
• Collective Effort: Achieving technological independence requires a united effort from all stakeholders. India has the expertise in industry and academia to drive this initiative forward, provided a viable model is designed.
• Long March Ahead: Together, India must embark on the long journey towards technological independence, securing the innovation ecosystem for the future.

Decisive intervention

Why in News?

Accepting Aadhaar as the 12th option is an important step toward fairer voter verification.

Introduction

The Supreme Court's involvement in Bihar's electoral roll revision is a crucial correction in the legal process. By instructing the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept Aadhaar as valid proof, the Court has protected the essential right to vote. This decision highlighted the shortcomings in the ECI's logic, promoted inclusivity, and emphasized that strict procedures should not exclude legitimate citizens from voting.

Supreme Court's Intervention in Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision

Judicial Course Correction

• The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to include Aadhaar among the 12 valid documents for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls.
• This intervention safeguards the fundamental right to vote, ensuring procedural rules do not disenfranchise lakhs of eligible citizens.

Flaws in ECI's Reasoning

• ECI argued Aadhaar was proof of residency, not citizenship, hence inadmissible.
• The Court highlighted the inconsistency:
• Nine of the other 11 documents (except passport and birth certificate) also do not conclusively prove citizenship.
• Excluding Aadhaar while accepting these was unjustified.
• Court allowed Aadhaar's use, subject to authenticity verification.

Preventing Mass Disenfranchisement

• Aadhaar is held by nearly 90% of Bihar's population, while passports are held by only ~2%.
• Excluding Aadhaar risked large-scale exclusion of genuine voters, especially the poor and marginalised.
• Already, 65 lakh electors were excluded in the draft roll due to the ECI's rushed process.

Evidence of Anomalies in Exclusions

• Statistical analysis (The Hindu) revealed:
• Disproportionate removal of women voters.
• Unusually high death rates recorded in some areas.
• Questionable "permanent shifts" shown for migrant workers and married women.
• These patterns indicate a flawed, hasty process that endangered legitimate voters' rights.

Significance of Aadhaar Inclusion

• Restores voting rights for those unfairly struck off.
• Eases verification for existing voters needing document proof.
• Upholds civil society and political appeals against ECI's earlier exclusionary stance.
• Aligns electoral practice with India's current identity verification realities.

Wider Implications

• Sets a precedent beyond Bihar, influencing future electoral roll revisions across India.
• Reaffirms that the goal of electoral roll revision is not speed, but accuracy and inclusivity.
• Calls on ECI to:
• Adopt a diligent and humane approach.
• Conduct thorough house-to-house verification.
• Ensure India's electoral roll remains accurate, inclusive, and representative.

Conclusion

 The Supreme Court's decision to include Aadhaar in the electoral roll revision enhances democratic participation. It restores fairness for 65 lakh excluded voters, particularly benefiting the poor and women, while establishing a nationwide precedent. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should prioritize accuracy and inclusivity over haste, ensuring the electoral roll is representative and reflects the core values of India's democracy.