Internet Governance and Technical Standards

Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)

• A forward-looking policy for registration under ccTLD will help increase India's presence in the Internet space.
• Indian residents, government entities, public service organizations, and businesses will be able to establish their Indian identity in the Internet space with a short and unique domain name.

Policy for Registration

• A policy will determine how conveniently a ccTLD name can be registered and maintained.
• The policy will address: • What domains are available for registration? • Are there any restrictions in registering domain names? • Where can domain names be registered? • What prices are charged for registration, and what services do registrants receive in turn? • Why a registrant would prefer to register in ccTLD rather than a gTLD? • Is the process of registration simple, efficient, and reliable?

Criteria for Registry

• Any Registry must meet the following criteria: • Security: resistant to hacking and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. • Reliability: provide reliable service with 100% uptime. • Scalability: accommodate growth without interruptions. • Adherence to Technical Standards: adhere to interoperable technical standards announced by ICANN.

Comparative Analysis

• Other countries with comparable size and exposure to ICT have adopted: • Decentralized organizational structures • Liberal policies • Comprehensive dispute resolution mechanisms • State-of-the-art infrastructure • Private-public partnership to market DNS, resulting in phenomenal growth of their ccTLD.

Policy Framework and Implementation

• The policy framework focuses on creating liberal, efficient, and market-friendly processes and a distributed organizational structure.
• The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has been entrusted with the responsibility of setting up the Registry for .IN ccTLD.

.IN Registry

• The .IN Registry will have authority to deny or suspend registration if it conflicts with sovereign national interest or public order.
• The .IN Registry may open newly created generic top-level zones for registration under .IN domain name.
• A comprehensive Dispute Resolution Policy (DRP) will be adopted in line with internationally accepted guidelines.

Institutional Framework

• The .IN Registry will be a Not-for-Profit organization, accountable to the Government of India.
• The .IN Registry will function as an autonomous body, responsible for maintaining .IN domain to ensure its operational stability, reliability, and security.

Implementation Mechanism

• Registrars will be appointed by the .IN Registry through an open process of selection on the basis of transparent eligibility criteria.
• The implementation mechanism for registration will involve: • One-time non-refundable entry fee of Rs. 50,000/- for Registrars • Minimum deposit of Rs. 25,000/- in their account with the Registry • Charge of Rs. 500/- per domain name for 2nd level and Rs. 250/- for 3rd level domain name • Online registration process with 24/7 technical infrastructure • Procedures to ensure Registrars do not unduly delay transmission of registration requests

This quiz covers the importance of collaboration among agencies to create and maintain technical standards for the internet to function well, as well as the decentralized organizational structure and liberal policies adopted by other countries in the field of ICT.