Digital India: Empowering citizens amidst pandemic

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Digital India, is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It was launched by Prime Minister Narender Modi in 2015 has come a long way in overcoming the digital divide and has stood the test of the time during the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

A paradigm shift has been witnessed in the last few years. From the time people stood in long cues to pay the bills, to the time, when their smartphone has the capability to function on their behalf, India has indeed became digitally empowered. Here are some of the Apps that has aid people in unprecedented times, digitally.

1) Aarogya Setu App

The Indian government has launched its Aarogya Setu app as an effort to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. It connects Indian citizens with essential health-related information. The app is developed to fight the ongoing pandemic and help the Department of Health to reach out to more people.

2) Aaykar Setu App

The Aaykar Setu app is by the Income Tax department. One can get their tax-related queries resolved in no time with this app. Someone looking to pay tax online or seeking a way to apply for PAN card, then this app has it all covered. The app also offers features like Tax Gyaan – a game that helps players to learn more about taxation in India.

3) BHIM UPI App

The National Payments Corporation of India designed this app keeping in mind the concept of digital wallet. One can use this app to transfer money or receive money from one bank account to another. These transactions are not dependent upon the working hours of the bank, hence, enabling one to initiate transactions and receive money anytime. The app can be used to pay money via QR codes as well.

4) ePathshala App

This App by National Council of Educational Research and Training facilitates learning on the go. It is a mobile learning app that is giving the traditional classroom set-up an upgrade. One gets the acess to various textbooks and materials. ePathshala is supported by devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.

5) DigiLocker App

As the name suggests, this app acts as a digital locker.One can use it to store all thier digital documents. Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology designed this app to minimizing the dependence on physical documents. It propagates the idea of paperless governance. The app can be used to issue and verify documents, certificates etc. Just store the digital documents in the app and access them easily via smartphones.

6) Indian Police at Your Call App

National Informatics Centre’s App is designed for the citizen’s safety and security. You can use this app to find the nearest police station to your location. It can help you locate routes to nearest police station. It also displays the contact number of the Police Station, District Control Room, and office of Superintendent of Police.

7) GST Rate Finder App

This app is by Central Board of Excise and Customs that offers a simplified representation of GST-related information. One can use the app to find the applicable GST for specific goods and services.

8) MADAD App

The MADAD app by MEA caters to a niche audience. It pertains to consular services that are provided by Indian embassies in foreign locations. The app can be used to launch grievances.

9) mPassport Seva App

This app is by Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) division of the Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs. It is a part of the Passport Seva Project that helps to provide passport-related services to the general public in a convenient manner. One can find the location of the Passport Seva Kendra, keep track of application status etc.

10) mAadhaar App

With the help of this app one can store their Aadhaar Card digitally that can be used for verification. One can also update address or order a reprint of Aadhaar card. The app supports multiple languages such as Hindi, Bangla, Kannada, etc.

11) mParivahan App.

National Informatics Centre (NIC) have another app to access information concerning Regional Transport Offices (RTO) and vehicles. This app comes in handy to locate the nearest RTO or the nearest Pollution Checking Centre. One can also avail a mock driving license test using the app

12) PMO India App

PMO India is an App related to India’s Prime Minister’s Office. The app is available in 13 languages and can be used to know updates from the PMO. One can get updates about Prime Minister’s activity by going through the images of various interactions. This app can also be used to listen to PM’s Mann Ki Baat recordings.

13) MyGov App

MyGov is a platform for citizen engagement. It encourages direct citizen participation by offering an avenue for posting comments related to policies and other initiatives.
Especially during COVID-19 pandemic, the app is offering a nation-wide and state-wide patient statistics.

14) Digisevak App

DigiSevak is an online volunteering platform for interested citizens who want to contribute to the cause of India. Various government departments and institutions are creating tasks. One can volunteer for the tasks based on their skills and interest .

15) UMANG App

or Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance. This app brings different government services under one umbrella.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology along with the National e-Governance Division has brought one-stop designation app for people who donot want to install multiple governance-related apps for different services, just this one should suffice.

Apart from these India has developed many apps like IRCTC Rail Connect app that enables booking train tickets online, Kisan Suvidha App for framers, Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan app, M-Kavach which is a comprehensive mobile device security solution and many more.

These Apps are not only bridging the gap between rural and urban citizens but also digitally empowering the Indian citizens amidst the Covid-19 lockdown.