.shiksha

Overview

• .shiksha is an active generic top-level domain (gTLD) introduced through ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string "shiksha" derives from Sanskrit and is commonly used in Hindi to mean education, learning, school, study, training, or teaching.
• The TLD is intended as a recognizable Internet space for educational institutions and other centers of learning, with a special emphasis on the Indian subcontinent.

History

• The .shiksha application was submitted as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program and succeeded in the application process.
• A Registry Agreement between Afilias (the registry operator) and ICANN was signed; Afilias received the signed agreement on 14 November 2013.
• .shiksha was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 18 January 2014, completing its delegation.
• Registry operator: Afilias. (Template metadata lists the TLD status as Active and category as Education.)

Usage and Audience

• Target audiences include educational institutions, organizations of higher learning, schools, libraries, training centers, teachers, and education-related businesses.
• The mission statement emphasizes a worldwide presence with special focus on the Indian subcontinent region.
• The word "shiksha" is relevant to a large Hindi-speaking population (noted in the application as over 490 million speakers), supporting regional recognition.
• Although positioned for education, the TLD is planned as an open namespace available to self-selected registrants for legitimate purposes.

Registration Rules

• .shiksha was proposed and described as an open TLD, generally available to self-selected registrants.
• Special registration phases (for example, a Sunrise period) apply as typical for new gTLD launches; the application text notes exceptions during Sunrise.
• The application states there are no content or use restrictions for the TLD provided applicable law is respected.
• Specific technical or policy details such as allowed characters, or minimum/maximum registration periods are not detailed in the available source text.

SEO and Brand Impact

• The .shiksha application frames the TLD as a way to create an easily identifiable, trust-oriented place for educational entities, akin to the role .edu plays in the U.S.
• Afilias planned marketing and positioning efforts (channel support for registrars, targeted messaging, sponsorships) to build recognition and brand identity for the TLD.
• The application received a GAC Early Warning from the government of India noting that the string translates to "education" and recommending association with officially recognized educational institutions in India; this advisory could influence government and community expectations for how the TLD is used and perceived.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       SHIKSHA

organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      c/o Identity Digital Inc.
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         Vice President, Engineering
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      c/o Identity Digital Inc.
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1.425.298.2200
fax-no:       +1.425.671.0020
e-mail:       tldadmin@identity.digital

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      c/o Identity Digital Inc.
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1.425.298.2200
fax-no:       +1.425.671.0020
e-mail:       tldtech@identity.digital

nserver:      A0.NIC.SHIKSHA 2a01:8840:22:0:0:0:0:33 65.22.32.33
nserver:      A2.NIC.SHIKSHA 2a01:8840:25:0:0:0:0:33 65.22.35.33
nserver:      B0.NIC.SHIKSHA 2a01:8840:23:0:0:0:0:33 65.22.33.33
nserver:      C0.NIC.SHIKSHA 2a01:8840:24:0:0:0:0:33 65.22.34.33
ds-rdata:     54049 8 2 b4dd9094c19c5a3be8d6921d695f16cd6412258fa8302e5d7879405e2c0ef7dc

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.identity.digital/

created:      2014-01-16
changed:      2025-09-04
source:       IANA