New Delhi: The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) will announce the launch of the BhashaNet portal for the Universal Acceptance (UA) Day on Thursday at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in the national capital.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Governance division under MeitY are supporting UA Day.

Universal Acceptance (UA) ensures that all domain names, including new top-level domains (TLDs), Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), and email addresses are treated equally and can be used by all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. UA provides the gateway to the next billion Internet users, according to ICANN's website.

This will be the second event hosted between NIXI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), underscoring their joint commitment to promoting the UA and advancing digital inclusion across the nation.

BhashaNet initiative aims “to provide a truly multilingual Internet, where local language website name and local language email ID, work everywhere seamlessly.”

The theme of the event “BhashaNet: Impetus Towards Universal Acceptance,” highlights NIXI’s dedication to ensuring that individuals, regardless of language or script, can fully participate in the digital world.

With the launch of the BhashaNet portal, the users will be able to connect with other users in their own languages.

“BhashaNet is working towards enabling people from remote locations and different socioeconomic backgrounds to access the multilingual Internet in India,” according to the objective mentioned on https://bhashanet.in/

Under the initiative, the government will encourage use of local language website name and email id; promote awareness of local language url and email id; develop policies and regulations; support technical collaboration; engagement of website owners, web-developer community, web security experts.

Through UA Day, NIXI and MeitY aim to mobilise stakeholders and raise awareness about the importance of UA readiness in today’s digital landscape.

The event will feature engaging sessions, including keynote addresses, panel discussions and technical workshops, led by distinguished speakers from various sectors. These discussions will focus on the significance of UA and the steps needed to achieve widespread acceptance.

S Krishnan, MeitY Secretary, will be the Chief Guest, further emphasising the government’s support for digital inclusivity initiatives.

Shushil Pal, Meity Joint Secretary, will also be gracing the event.

Dr Devesh Tyagi, CEO of NIXI, expressed happiness about the event, stating, “Universal acceptance is a pivotal aspect in our journey towards digital inclusivity. Through UA Day, we reinforce our commitment to bridging linguistic divides and ensuring every voice is heard in the digital sphere.”