Digitally Empowering India admist COVID-19

(Words: 1218)

Remember the days, when we use to stand in those long quees to get the electricity, water bills paid? Well, who would have imagined that amidst a pandemic? Frequent visits to bank or passport office, feels like an eternity back right? Well, thanks to the digital India initiative, even during the lockdown, our errands are taken care of.

‘Inform, Communicate, & Empower’.. Digital India, a programme that has come a long way in overcoming the digital divide, has stood the test of 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 queues to pay the bills, to the time, when their smartphone has the capability to function on their behalf, India has indeed become digitally empowered. In this video, we will look at these initiatives that have 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. Through the app, you can get your tax-related queries resolved in no time with this app. If looking to pay tax online or seeking a way to apply for your PAN card or understand about tax system then this app can be interesting for you.
The app also features Tax Gyaan – a game that helps players to learn more about taxation in India.

3) BHIM UPI App

This app is Making India Cashless. This app by National Payments Corporation of India is like a digital wallet. You 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, thereby enabling you to initiate transactions and receive money anytime. The app can be used to pay money via QR codes as well.

4) DigiLocker App

As the name says, this app acts as a digital locker. You can use it to store your digital documents. This app by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology is directed towards minimizing the dependence on physical documents. It propagates the idea of paperless governance. The app can be used to issue and verify documents and certificates. Once you have stored your digital documents in the app, you can access them easily via your smartphones.

5) ePathshala App
This App by National Council of Educational Research and Training facilitates learning on the go. The traditional classroom set-up gets an upgrade in this mobile learning app. You can access textbooks via this app. ePathshala is supported by devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. One can also use the ePathshala app to highlight text and make notes.

6) GST Rate Finder App

If you find yourself getting lost in the complex world of the Goods and Services Tax, then this app by the Central Board of Excise and Customs can do wonders for you. It offers a simplified representation of GST-related information.
One can use the app to find the applicable GST for specific goods and services.

7) 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.
The app can help you reach the police station as it shows the route for it along with major landmarks. Not just that, the app also displays the contact number of the Police Station, District Control Room, and office of the Superintendent of Police.

8) 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 the address or order a reprint of Aadhaar card. The app supports multiple languages such as Hindi, Bangla, Kannada, etc

9) MADAD App

The MADAD app caters to a niche audience. The app is offered by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It pertains to consular services that are provided by Indian embassies in foreign locations. The app can be used to launch grievances.
Note that issues related to passport and visa will not be handled by the app.

10) mPassport Seva App

The mPassport Seva app is offered by the 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.
With this app, you can avail a variety of passport-related services such as finding the location of the Passport Seva Kendra, keeping track of your application status, and much more.

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.
You can also avail a mock driving license test using the app. The app can be of great help in case you are purchasing a second-hand vehicle. In that case, you can use the app to verify the age and registration details of the vehicle using the car’s registration number.

12) MyGov App

This government app offers a platform for citizen engagement. It encourages direct citizen participation by offering an avenue for posting comments related to policies and other initiatives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the app offers nation-wide and state-wide patient statistics. The app can be used to stay up-to-date with recent happenings regarding Indian policies.

13) PMO India App

PMO India is the official app belonging to India’s Prime Minister’s Office. The app is available in 13 languages and can be used to know updates from the PMO.
You can follow the Prime Minister’s activity by going through the images of various interactions and activities. The PMO India app can also be used to listen to PM’s Mann Ki Baat recordings.

14) UMANG App

UMANG 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.

15) 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 .

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.

We’ll bring you more update on such digital initiative by India in the upcoming videos.

Stay tuned
Thank You.