Global mentorship, expert guidance and Rs 20,000 stipends for future internet governance leaders are the highlights of the internet governance internship and capacity building scheme launched by the National Internet Exchange of India today.

This programme aims to build awareness and develop expertise in internet governance (IG) among Indian citizens. It was launched by S. Krishnan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Chairman, NIXI.

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This programme aims to equip participants with the knowledge to effectively engage in global internet governance processes with I-Star organisations like Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet Society or Information Security Operations Center (ISOC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and collaborate closely with leading experts in the field.

It will nurture a pool of domestic talent who can deeply engage with emerging internet governance issues and contribute to their resolution.

The programme offers a bi-annual internship with two parallel tracks: a six-month programme and a three-month programme.

Each intern will be mentored by subject matter expert from international organizations like ICANN APNIC or APTLD, members from Special Interest Group, high ranked retired government official and faculty advisors from recognized institutions/universities

Mr Krishnan expressed his enthusiasm regarding the internship, he said, “We need people from different fields who can dedicate time to internet governance and represent the real concerns of our society. Our goal is to inspire young minds to learn, grow, and use their knowledge to make a positive impact in their organizations and communities, helping the internet grow in a fair and inclusive way.

The scheme is set to shape the next generation of tech policy leaders & Internet Governance experts. Today’s generation values experience over traditional stable jobs. NIXI’s Internet Governance Internship is a great opportunity for youth passionate about digital policy, providing global exposure.

On this occasion Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY, emphasized that this internship provides an opportunity to engage in global Internet Governance, fostering practical understanding and valuable exposure.

Mentors play a pivotal role in shaping future leaders in Internet Governance. By guiding young talent, it will ensure that the current generation is ready to address the global challenges and drive digital transformation.

Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO, NIXI. emphasized that this programme is a crucial step towards empowering Indian citizens to contribute meaningfully to the global internet governance ecosystem. By building the next generation of internet governance experts, NIXI is paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible digital world.

Set up on 19th June 2003, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for- profit (Section 8) company under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It is tasked with increasing internet penetration and adoption in India by facilitating various infrastructure aspects to enable the internet ecosystem to be managed and used by the masses.

The four services under NIXI include: Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for building Internet Exchange Points .IN Registry for building the .in domain digital identity, IRINN for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses adoption.