JOIN USThe ambitious “Mobile Seva” programme of the Central government intends to bring more departments under its ambit to provide quick delivery of government services at the citizens’ doorsteps using mobile phones and tablets as platform.
The programme launched by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) in 2011 is being used by over 1000 Central and state government departments to deliver over 300 types of services through SMS-based service.
Mobile Seva, which bagged United Nations Public Service Award-2014, was conceptualised and implemented by DeitY in 2011 as part of the government’s national mobile governance programme.
As per the initiative, a centralised platform named Mobile Service Delivery Gateway (MSDG) has been created by the DeitY to provide a one-stop solution to all the Central and state government services across the nation.
“The objective of the programme is to provide a centrally hosted infrastructure and platform that allows all government departments and agencies to expeditiously offer services through mobile phones without having to invest heavily in creating their separate mobile platforms,” an official from the DeitY told Deccan Herald.
The programme aims to enable all integral departments and agencies to provide their services on various mobile channels such as Short Message Services (SMS), Voice or Integrated Voice Response System (IVRS), and through mobile applications (apps). It also includes a mobile payment gateway, said the official.
So, when a person submits an RTI application to a government office, he will get an SMS about confirmation. He will get another message when the reply to his query is ready. “Instead of each department developing their own mobile platforms, the DeitY has developed a platform with about 241 applications, which can be used by various departments. This not only saves the cost but also ensures that there is an integration of services”, said an official.