PMO Mobile App: A new approach to Digital India
- On May 2, 2015
Recently launched PMO mobile application contest raises new turnouts of young Indians mind perceptions and eagerness to participate in the governmental functions for a better day. The volume of participation and ideas ignite vivid images of India’s top most governing body functionality through a mobile application. The major features of this application set by the ministry as follows;
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contact
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Mann Ki Baat
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Profile, life history, quotes of PM
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PMO virtual tour, E-mail, functional chart
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News, events, polls, major initiatives details
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Gallery, social media updates, videos
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Games, Quizzes, donation etc.
These features are the main focal point of this application in the first and second phase. The idea towards PMO mobile application is fabulous and meaningful only if it meets some basic characteristics of democratic representation to handle basic needs of a common citizen who expect at large from the government. Here we will discuss these matters in detail to reveal what kind of implication is required to maximize the usefulness of this initiative to the public for a good cause.
The PMO’s app is meant to connect the Prime Minister’s Office with the general public, while keeping them informed about the PMO and its initiatives and engaging them in interesting tasks to enhance the overall growth of the nation. It should be available in both on line and off line modes. It provides three basic types of features to the users :
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Information
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Broadcast
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Interaction
As per the present scenario, selected wire frames concentrated on to reflect PMO office and its functionalities. In particular, it does not meant to attract users in terms of usefulness in daily life of common citizens. Usually a mobile application can attract users based on the usefulness, unique functionalities, specific purposes, and entertainment. Government initiative to engage with people, expecting large participation, and circulate most accurate information regarding government policies and programs, attract people to engage with governmental affairs etc. are very crucial in modern times democratic administrative system. In India, PMO initiative is very responsive and it based on the reflections they received in www.mygov.in As in the case of mobile application, with the expectation of large participation specially from the rural population, PMO App must consider the deliverable to the public rather reflect PMO functions and other repositories. Users will always ask questions at the time of downloading an app. If they satisfied on those questions will only have to use soft services like a mobile application. Here the prima facie consideration is those questions;
1. How this App will help me to sort out particular issue(s) ?
2. What kind of benefit(s), or satisfaction I get from this App?
3. How this service make me to engage with/ learn/ address my concerns as well?
4. How it enable me to ease day to day functions of my life ?
5. Is this App responsive and useful for other purposes/ have multi functionalities ?
Selected wire frames are not answering any of these questions as they prepared according to ministry’s directions. If PMO initiative did not fulfill the primary demands of a soft service, which people expect broadly, may be an invalid entry in the App market. On the other ground, the implementing agency is taking this initiative as a first step towards multi functional app, the issue is sentiment of users may negate if it failed to meet basic demands at the starting point.
Few inputs may help PMO App more useful.
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Avail details of subsidies, grants, programs associated in different ministries.
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Avail problem/need reporting section: It allows citizens report their social issues or needs which is mandatory for their development and livelihood.
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Avail an opportunity to know employment opportunities available in the Government departments and expected new areas of opportunities in the open market.
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A single point complaint booking, tracking, disposal system.
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Contact details of all central government departments and different services
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Helpline: A single point helpline system will be useful to the public for any administrative purposes or any other immediate purposes like theft, robbery, natural calamities, national security matters etc.
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Tips: periodic informative tips related social, business, professional, home security, interview, baby care, education etc. with timely intimation of vaccine, deadlines, timings etc.
Meeting citizens needs on time is the basic factor of development. Until a society has a vibrant social administrative system, the development agenda won’t perfectly escalate and reach each person of a country. Like India, the main problem of rural area is their backwardness. They are not able to compete mainstream areas of a society. The infrastructure, amenities and their needs are not at all satisfactory at any point. Furthermore, those areas are unable to bring their voice out of the administrative walls. PMO App can bring more on this section and allows to know what this country really needs.
See below
According to the above frame, users can directly reports their social issues, requirements, needs through PMO App. Central government can take adequate steps to resolve it quickly by way of District authorities, or through people representatives. It will help the government to learn how the administrative system is working, and how it is efficient. Moreover it would be the pointer for long term policy making.
As citizens hope, PMO App can do a lot in this direction for sustained egalitarian development policies and instant feedback from the society without any fall.