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