ERNET India, the exclusive registrar for domain extensions such as .ac.in, .res.in, edu.in, and various Hindi domain extensions, recently underwent a major upgrade to its domain management portal, registry.ernet.in. However, the transition has resulted in a series of technical glitches, leaving several educational institutions struggling with issues related to password resets, domain renewals, name server changes, and online payment processing.
The affected domain extensions, including विद्या.भारत, शिक्षा.भारत, शोध.भारत, are exclusively reserved for registration by government-recognized schools, institutes, colleges, universities, and research institutions in India.
The upgrade, implemented in January 2024, caught many registrants off guard as ERNET India did not provide any advance notice or make an official announcement regarding the changes. This lack of communication has compounded the issues faced by educational institutions, as they were unprepared for the disruptions caused by the upgrade.
Some of the major problems reported by users include difficulties in resetting passwords, issues with renewing domains, challenges in changing name servers, and disruptions in the online payment process. These problems have led to a significant number of school and college websites becoming either temporarily unavailable or non-operational.
ERNET India is currently working to address the issues, but the process has been hindered by insufficient staff and limited telephonic support. Registrants attempting to seek assistance or resolution to their problems have reported delays and difficulties in reaching ERNET India’s support team.
Furthermore, technical glitches and errors in the registry website have prevented several registrants from renewing their domains on time. The lack of a proactive communication strategy from ERNET India has added to the frustration of educational institutions relying on these domain extensions for their online presence.
The affected institutions are anxiously awaiting a swift resolution to the problems, as the disruptions have hindered their ability to conduct online activities and maintain a stable online presence. ERNET India is under increasing pressure to expedite the resolution process and communicate more effectively with registrants to minimize the impact of the ongoing issues.
As educational institutions continue to face challenges in accessing and managing their domains, the spotlight remains on ERNET India to swiftly rectify the situation and ensure a seamless online experience for the affected entities.
