Universal Acceptance Day

Context- Under the direction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the non-profit organization National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) successfully organized a two-day event on Universal Acceptance Day (March 27-28) to promote collaborative efforts for an inclusive and multilingual internet in India.

Key Highlights 

• It is celebrated worldwide on March 28. 
• ICANN and UASG coordinated this first Universal Acceptance Day.
• India was the banner conveyor this year to advance and declare Universal Acceptance (UA) for digital inclusion.
• This inaugural UA Day was pointed toward driving endeavors for a comprehensive and multilingual web.
• In order to boost the digital economy, foster startup ecosystems, and create employment opportunities, India’s adoption of UA could add 500 million broadband users.
• It is likely that the next 1 billion people will use the internet from countries that do not speak English, which highlights the significance of using the internet in multiple languages.

Universal Acceptance 

• Building a technical environment that allows computers, operating systems, browsers, social media, and e-commerce to accept instructions in languages other than English and guarantees valid domain names and email addresses regardless of script, language, or character length is known as universal acceptance.

The Importance of Universal Acceptance 

• There are more than 18,000 dialects spoken in India. Despite having the highest number of internet users, India is also home to the largest number of non-users who do not speak English due to language barriers.
• India must expand the scope of digital inclusion through UA if it is to achieve its goal of becoming a digital economy worth one trillion dollars in the near future.
• To close the current digital divide, a multilingual internet user interface is essential. 
• We can connect with people who don’t use the internet and promote digital inclusion all over the country and the world through Universal Acceptance.

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

• The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees the upkeep of namespaces and numerical spaces, which make it possible for the internet to function safely and reliably.
• Domain Name Servers (DNS) and IP Address Pools are technically maintained by ICANN. On September 30, 1998, California incorporated ICANN.
• The policy-making process is overseen by an internationally diverse Board of Directors at ICANN. 
• The President of ICANN oversees a global staff spread across three continents to ensure that the organization lives up to its operational commitment to the Internet community.

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