Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance

Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance, also known as UMANG App, was launched as a part of the Digital India Initiative in November 2017. It was developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology. The app provides access to central and state government services, aims to serve India’s population, and facilitates access to multiple government services on one platform. 

The launch of the app ensures mobile governance and a giant leap toward the Digital India initiative. It offers 1200+ services and is available in 13 different languages. This helps in reaching out to a wider audience without a language barrier. The app is available for iOS, android and KaiOs. The UMANG app is also available for feature phones and can be accessed through Web, SMS, IVR and mobile application.

Apart from central and state government services, the app allows users to pay utility bills and apply for certificates and scholarships. It includes DigiLocker, Bharat Payments and Aadhaar. The app provides an app scanner to scan and upload documents. The other services offered by the UMANG app will be discussed later.

Vision behind UMANG 

The value proposition of the UMANG app clearly states that it is one platform for many government services. Through the app, one can access numerous services, including passport services, income tax, provident fund related services, pension department, police complaints, Digi locker, etc. The app’s development has been done in such a way that even people without a smartphone can use the app. Hence the UMANG app can be easily accessed through a feature phone. Government plans to make it accessible even without an internet connection. 

UMANG key facts

Here are a few key facts about the UMANG app:

• 2039+ services are available on the app.
• One single store for documents including Aadhaar, pan card, driving licence, and vehicle registration from Digilocker.
• Track application status and complete transactions of monthly bills, insurances etc., in the same app.
• Rich customer experience with customer support, live chat, notifications and feedback.
• It also has an international version available in countries like the USA, UAE, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Netherlands and the United Kingdoms.

Services offered by UMANG 

The UMANG app offers 2039 services, including 373 central government services, 497 state government services and 1179 utility bill payments services. The app provides the user to choose from categories such as farmers, women and children, students, health, culture, finance, transport, utility etc. Some of the services include:

• PASSPORT SEVA: Users can apply for a passport, track status, view availability and passport centre. It also calculates fees and solves document-related issues.
• GENERAL SERVICES: One can withdraw PF from the UMANG app without physically visiting the office if the UAN, phone number, and UMANG app are linked to Aadhaar. This service allows us to raise claims and check PF balance and passbook.
• PAY INCOME TAX: File Income tax through the UMANG app and track the status.
• PAN CARD: Apply for a PAN card, track status, eligibility and calculate subsidy.
• CROP INSURANCE & TRADING: Farmers can buy and sell crops at the best price and can do crop insurance. They can also search for traders of seeds, fertilisers, farm machinery etc., on the app.
• STUDENT SERVICES: Students can access the National Digital library, AICTE, National Scholarship portal, CBSE, UGC for results, latest updates, and educational content from premier institutes of India.
• UTILITY SERVICES: Utility services allow online payments, entertainment, and access to gas cylinders.
• PUBLIC GRIEVANCES: Through the UMANG app, users can contact consumer forums, nation-building discussion forums and centralised public grievance redressal. 
• DIGI SEVA: This allows for creating profiles and applying for related jobs in government organisations.

The other services present on UMANG include emigration services, admissions in Kendra Vidyalaya, agro advisory services, weather updates, digital certificates for pensioners, application for birth, death, caste and domicile certificates, and farm mechanisation and soil health.

Steps to download UMANG APP:

1. For Android Users, the app can be downloaded from the google play store.
2. For iOs users, the app is available in the Apple app store.

How to use UMANG APP:

1. Enter your details such as mobile number, name and age.
2. Link your Aadhaar Card (not mandatory).
3. Choose your preferred language.
4. Select your required services.
5. Search for services through the search feature if required.

Setup UMANG app:

1. Launch the app and tap on “ New user”.
2. Enter the mobile number to register and proceed.
3. Verify the mobile number via OTP.
4. Set MPIN and proceed to confirm the PIN.
5. Answer the security question and continue.
6. Enter your Aadhaar card number if you want to link; else, skip and save the details.
7. If one links an Aadhaar Card to UMANG app, it will be used to complete the e-KYC process.
8. In the case of email, a verification link will be sent to the registered email id.

Features of UMANG:

1. The app provides a seamless and hassle free solution to conventional practices.
2. The app aims to push the country’s citizens to make a digital shift.
3. The app aims to improve the ease of living in the digital world.
4. Easy access to multiple government services on one platform are available on various channels like app, website and SMS.
5. Customer support and live chat for customer service are some of the app’s best features.

Conclusion

UMANG proved to be a successful initiative during the COVID 19 pandemic. It solved the biggest pain point of long queues and slow pace. It accelerated the growth of the masses and improved the ease of living. It has resulted in more technological driven channels to carry out official work. Now, the government plans to launch Artificial Intelligent Voice Assistant on UMANG to reach more people in India.