Date: 14 to 17 November 2019
Venue: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
The India School on Internet Governance (inSIG) 2019, held from 14 to 17 November 2019 in Kolkata, brought together students, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, civil society representatives, and members of the technical community to strengthen capacity building in Internet governance. As one of India’s premier educational initiatives on Internet governance, inSIG provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the institutions, technologies, and policy processes that shape the global Internet ecosystem.
Anupam Agrawal participated in inSIG 2019 as a speaker and facilitator, leading the Multistakeholder Roleplay session alongside Anand Raje from ISOC Kolkata. The interactive session enabled participants to experience the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) model by representing governments, the private sector, technical organisations, academia, and civil society in simulated policy discussions. The exercise demonstrated how consensus-based decision making enables diverse stakeholders to collaboratively address complex Internet governance challenges.
The four-day programme commenced with the India Youth IGF 2019 and the GFCE Triple-I Workshop, followed by a series of expert-led sessions featuring internationally recognised leaders from organisations including ICANN, APNIC, ISOC, IETF, APRALO, and government institutions. The inaugural keynote, delivered by Maarten Botterman, Chair of the ICANN Board, and Paul Wilson, Director General of APNIC, explored the evolving state and future of Internet governance.
Throughout the conference, participants engaged in discussions covering the history and principles of Internet governance, cybersecurity, Internet standards, the Dutch approach to Internet governance, and an introduction to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Additional sessions addressed emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, multilingual Internet initiatives including Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and Universal Acceptance (UA), governance of online content, cybersecurity incident response, digital economy and innovation, human rights, Internet routing and DNS technologies, and India’s evolving data protection landscape.
The programme encouraged active learning through panel discussions, lightning talks, technical demonstrations, and collaborative roleplay exercises, providing participants with practical exposure to multistakeholder policy development. By bringing together experts from across the global Internet ecosystem, inSIG 2019 reinforced the importance of inclusive dialogue, technical cooperation, and evidence-based policymaking.
Through his contribution as a speaker and facilitator, Anupam Agrawal supported the development of future Internet governance leaders by promoting collaborative problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and a deeper understanding of the institutions that ensure the Internet remains open, secure, resilient, and globally interoperable.