LAPTOP
LICENSING SCHEME – GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News:
Why the Govt is rushing
an alternative to its laptop licensing scheme
What's
in the news?
● The
Centre’s move to impose a licensing requirement for the import of laptops and
personal computers in early August invoked feelings of a pre-1991 era decision,
with many in the industry internally referring to it as a return of the
infamous Licence Raj.
Key
takeaways:
● The
Centre in August announced the imposition of licensing requirements for the
import of laptops and PCs.
● However,
it now rushes to replace previously planned import ‘restrictions’ with import
‘management’ instead.
Laptop
Licensing Scheme:
● Any entity or company planning to
bring laptops and computers for sale in India will now have to
seek permission or license from the government for their inbound shipments.
● The
restrictions have been imposed under HSN
Code 8471 on seven categories of electronic gadgets
○ HSN
Code 8471 is used to identify devices that are designed to perform data
processing tasks.
Why
did the DGFT Impose Ban?
● Push
for the Centre’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission
● Reduce
dependencies on China.
● Security
concerns
● In-built
security loopholes that may potentially endanger sensitive personal and
enterprise data.