As part of the Digital India initiative, union government, for the past five years, has introduced several new mobile apps to offer services faster with less bureaucratic interference and also, it has improved the existing apps with better interface and features to enhance user experience.
DH lists top seven government applications that will serve you well in getting the services delivered on the smartphone.
BHIM
Developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Finance, the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app. It is based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and is one of the most reliable application to make a cashless transaction in India.
Consumers can send, receive money or even check bank balance on the BHIM app. Also, he or she can make a purchase on online stores or on brick-and-mortar stores securely. New users can avail Rs 150 cash back for the first 10 transactions. It supports 13 languages including Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Odia and Urdu. It is available on both Google Play and the Apple App store.
IRCTC Rail Connect
Developed by IRCTC Official. It is a revamped version of the old Indian Railways. It now offers a minimalistic interface with simple steps via a swipe gesture, shuffle, select and book.
Key features include special ladies ticket booking, Tatkal & Premium-Tatkal quota booking. It syncs with IRCTC's NGeT Web Site and NGeT Mobile App ticket so that users can view, cancel or file TDR of e-tickets booked through the official website. It also shows a live reservation table and also alerts the user of a change in boarding point with timely notification on the phone.
Also, users can view the status of e-tickets booked through our authorized Online Travel Agents (OTA)
Most importantly, it offers advanced security and yet easily accessible via self-assigned PIN to login without entering username and password on each login. IRCTC Rail Connect is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Digilocker
Like the website version, Digilocker offers cloud storage to store important documents like study certificates, driving license and other government service documents. Also, it can be retrieved on the phone to present it to the government official for verification. Users can show Aadhaar card at the airport security point and also show a driving license when asked by the traffic police in any part of India. It is developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India and is available on both Google Play and Apple App Store.
mPassport Seva
If you are planning to get a passport or already applied for it and waiting for the official verification process to start; then, you can install mPassport Seva app developed by Consular, Passport, and Visa (CPV) Division, Government of India. It shows passport application status tracking, locating the nearest Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and general information such documents required for verification and other various steps involved in obtaining a Passport.
It will also offer real-time police verification status and how to appeal passport office in case of rejection. It is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Umang
Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) is developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD).
Umang acts as a unified platform for all citizens to access all government departments and their services. It provides seamless integration with other Digital India Services like Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and PayGov. The government says that all the new such service will automatically be integrated with the platform.
It also supports Aadhaar-based and other authentication mechanisms for service access. The sensitive profile data is saved in an encrypted format and no one can view this information.
Umang can also help users get PAN card, check Provident Fund (PF) balance, file IT Returns, pay utility bills (electricity, water, property tax, etc...) and more. Students can also view their CBSE, ICSE results and also check out AICTE-certified engineering colleges on the Umang app. it supports 13 regional dialects including Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and others. It is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
MyGov
It is developed by the government of India. MyGov offers a single platform for citizens to offer suggestions to central ministries and associated organizations to help them improve existing services. Users can actively participate in new policy formulation and program implementation, as well. It is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Incredible India
Developed by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, it is a tailor-made app for both local and foreign tourists.
It shows popular holistic destination, revolving around major experiences such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, wellness and more.
The mobile app has been designed keeping in mind the preferences of the modern traveler. It offers in-depth information of the tourist place including government-authorized tour operators, hotels, and transportation facility details, when's the good time to visit a particular place, also important dates of the festival, so that the tourists can participate with locals, native culinary delights to eat and more.
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