How we are organised
Digital Citizens of India is organised as circles: small groups with a clear purpose, a coordinator and decisions by consensus. No one is voted into anything and no responsibility has a fixed length. Responsibilities are held as seva, given by invitation and passed on with trust. Every circle, from the Founding Circle to a city circle, meets online once a month: what was done, what comes next and who needs help.
The Founding Circle
The founders are the first 10 citizens who adopted the charter launched on 15th August 2026. They do not run the daily work. They are guardians of the charter, the brand, the founding principles and the spirit of the collective.
The National Circle
The coordination body, not a command body. 7 to 11 people: small enough that everyone speaks and consensus is real, large enough to carry different regions and languages. Its decisions are recorded in a public minutes log on the section of Openness page accessible only after login.
The Editorial Circle
Owns everything published in the collective’s name. Nothing is published with fewer than two approvals, and letters that speak for the whole collective need three, plus the Circle Coordinator’s consent.
The Conduct Circle
Kept separate from the National Circle on purpose: the body that judges conduct should not be the body that runs the work. It handles complaints, moderation and removals, with a fair appeal.
The working circles
| Circle | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Looks after everyone who wishes to join: applications, verification of new joiners, provide access to new Digital Citizen |
| Digital Literacy | Explainers, workshop kits, translations into Indian languages, outreach to senior citizens and first time users |
| Rights and Policy | Follows digital law and policy, drafts the collective’s letters and consultation responses |
| Online Safety | Scam and fraud alerts, misinformation hygiene guides, directories of reporting channels |
| Tech and Website | Runs the website, forms, joining tools, the register and enforces the data care rules |
| Outreach and Communities | Runs the WhatsApp and Telegram spaces and helps new state and city circles take root |
| Social Media | Carries the collective’s voice on social platforms: always patient and respectful, never arguing, never touching party politics |
These circles are a start, not a limit. Any five Digital Citizens with a shared purpose may propose a new working circle, and it forms with the National Circle’s consent. Design, Languages, Podcast, Helpdesk, Seniors: whatever the work needs. More circles mean more hands carrying the work and more people finding their place.
State and city circles
A state circle forms when a state has 25 or more Digital Citizens and two willing co-coordinators. A city circle forms at 10 or more Digital Citizens in a City within a state circle. They run local language communities, local workshops and letters on local digital issues and they carry the charter whole: the money rule, the real names rule and the rule of staying above party politics apply everywhere.
The journey of a Digital Citizen
Every Digital Citizen walks a journey at their own pace. Each stage is earned by time and contribution together. A contribution is an accepted piece of work: an article, a workshop, a translation, a moderation shift or a letter reviewed.
Digital Citizen
From day one
Community access and the right to submit content and letterhead drafts.
Contributor
6 months, 100 contributions
On the contributors page, the social badge and a place on the letterhead reviewers panel.
Coordinator
1 year, 300 contributions
Carries a circle for a while. In a brand new circle, the first willing person carries it.
Guide
2 years, 1000 contributions
Serves on the National, Editorial or Conduct Circle, with the trust of those already serving.
The journey moves by contribution and trust, never by seniority alone. And it moves in both directions with equal honour: taking up a responsibility and handing it over are both steps forward.
A standing public notice:
Digital Citizens of India never collects money.
No fees, no donations, no bank account.
No one is ever authorised to collect money in our name.
If someone asks you for money in our name, they do not speak for us.
Research and Review Circle
The Research and Review Circle maintains the approved source list, content manifest, validation rules and freshness schedule for automated informational Pages. Members may review drafts, verify procedures, flag errors and help publish corrected work. A person is credited as a reviewer only after completing a real review and agreeing to be named. Citizens can join the collective to review guidance and help publish more useful content.