By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAR 22, 2024: MINISTRY of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) have announced the launch of the BhashaNet portal at the Universal Acceptance Day event held here yesterday. The event was held with the active support of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The event marked a significant milestone in advancing digital inclusion and promoting Universal Acceptance across India.

The theme of the event, "BhashaNet: Impetus Towards Universal Acceptance," highlighted MeitY/NIXI's unwavering commitment towards ensuring that, regardless of linguistic or textual barriers, everyone can fully participate in the digital world. The event featured engaging panel discussions and workshops, with representatives from Bhashini, ONDC, NIC, C-DAC Microsoft, UASG of ICANN, Data Xgen, Infibeam, ZOHO and FICCI sharing insights and best practices for achieving Universal Acceptance readiness. These sessions aimed to empower participants and the community at large in their efforts to make applications and systems Universal Acceptance compliant.

India's successful hosting of the regional Universal Acceptance Day event paves way for the upcoming Global Universal Acceptance Day scheduled to take place on March 28, 2024, in Belgrade, Serbia.

Secretary, MeitY, S Krishnan in his keynote address highlighted that Universal Acceptance is a necessity for a truly inclusive internet to allow non-English speakers to access internet. He spoke of "leveraging technology and collaboration to ensure every user's needs are met, regardless of language or script." He further emphasised on India's potential to lead in standards for Universal Acceptance conformance.

Government officials and industry leaders gathered to commemorate this milestone, underscoring India's dedication to create a more inclusive digital space.