New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS): The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) on Saturday announced the launch of its Internet Governance Internship and Capacity Building Scheme, which aims to build awareness and develop expertise in internet governance among Indian citizens.

A fixed stipend of Rs 20,000 per month will be provided to interns along with support to conduct mandatory outreach programmes, according to the IT Ministry.

S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, and Chairman, NIXI, said that 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 organisations and communities, helping the internet grow in a fair and inclusive way,” said Krishnan.

The scheme is set to shape the next generation of tech policy leaders and 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,” he mentioned.

The programme aims to equip participants with the knowledge to effectively engage in global internet governance processes with 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, according to MeitY.

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

According to Dr Devesh Tyagi, CEO, NIXI, this programme is a crucial step towards empowering Indian citizens to contribute meaningfully to the global internet governance ecosystem.

“By building next generation of internet governance experts, NIXI is paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible digital world,” he noted.