In a recent development, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has unveiled a draft of the Bill on Information Technology and Cyber Security, suggesting significant changes in the registration process for dot np (.np) domains.
According to Section 66 of the proposed bill, the management of domain names will be overseen by the Information Technology Department of the Government of Nepal, marking a shift from the private sector’s control. Mercantile Communications, the current operator of dot NP domains, will see its responsibilities transferred to the government under this new legislation.
Under Section 67 of the bill, it is stipulated that all domain names must be officially registered. Subsection (1) mandates that individuals or organizations registering a name under the dot np domain must pay a prescribed fee to the designated organization within the Information Technology Department.
Furthermore, the bill prohibits the use of registered domain names by any other party and imposes penalties of up to five lakhs for registering names that conflict with existing registrations or undermine their significance.
Additionally, government agencies are required to register their office domain names under the ‘government.np’ domain. The proposed legislation also mandates the renewal of registered domain names every two years, subject to payment of the prescribed fee.
To ensure compliance, domain names already in operation are given a six-month window from the enactment of the bill to register under the new regulations.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has invited public feedback on the draft bill, emphasizing the importance of regulating information technology and cyber security. Interested parties can submit their suggestions via email to info@mocit.gov.np.
