New Delhi : The India-UK free trade agreement does not restrict India's use of compulsory licensing (CL) in any form, Parliament was informed on Friday.CL is a critical tool for accessing life-saving technologies during emergencies.In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said the agreement does not introduce any procedural delays, prior negotiation requirements, or additional thresholds that could restrict the issuance of compulsory licenses.

"The agreement does not restrict India's use of Compulsory Licensing in any form," he said, adding that robust safeguards are built into the India-UK CETA (comprehensive economic and trade agreement) to fully preserve India's policy autonomy on compulsory licensing, including during public hea

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