The UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) App, which was released in November 2017, is an all-in-one mobile app for the Government of India that is unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-lingual, and offers access to a variety of high-impact services (Central and State). The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT created UMANG as a component of the digital India project.

 

Need for the Scheme

UMANG plans to offer the main services provided by local governments, state and federal agencies, as well as other utility services from for-profit businesses. Citizens may install a single application to access a variety of government services thanks to its unified approach.

 

UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance)

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The app's introduction assures mobile governance and represents a significant advancement for the Digital India effort. It speaks 13 distinct languages and provides 1200+ services. This makes it easier to communicate with people who speak different languages. There are versions of the app for iOS, Android, and KaiOs.

The UMANG app may be accessible through the web, SMS, IVR, and mobile application, as well as for feature phones. The app offers users the ability to pay utility bills and apply for certifications and scholarships, as well as federal and state government services. It consists of Aadhaar, Bharat Payments, and DigiLocker. The software has a scanner that allows users to upload and scan documents. We'll talk about the UMANG app's other functions later.

The UMANG app's value proposition states unequivocally that it is a single platform for several government services. One may access a variety of services using the app, such as passport services, income tax services, provident fund-related services, pension department, police complaints, Digi locker, etc. The construction of the software was done in a way that even those without smartphones may utilise it. As a result, a feature phone may simply use the UMANG app. It will be available even if there is no internet connection, according to government plans.

 

Services Available 

2039 services are available through the UMANG app, including 373 from the federal government, 497 from state governments, and 1179 for paying energy bills. The program gives users a selection of options from groups like farmers, women and children, students, health, culture, money, transit, and utilities, among others. Some of the services are as follows:-

• Passport Seva: Users can register for a passport, follow its progress, and examine its centres availability. Additionally, it computes costs and addresses problems with documents.
• General Services: If the UAN, phone number, and UMANG app are all connected to Aadhaar, one can take PF from the UMANG app without going to the office in person. We can use this tool to submit claims and verify our passbook and PF balance.
• Pay income taxes: Use the UMANG app to file income taxes and monitor their progress.
• Pan Card: Apply for a PAN card, check qualifications, monitor progress, and compute subsidy.
• Crop Insurance & Trading: Farmers can trade harvests and purchase and sell crops at the finest prices. On the app, they can look for dealers of seedlings, fertilizer, agricultural equipment, etc.
• Student Services: For results, the most recent information, and instructional materials from top Indian universities, students can access the National Digital Library, AICTE, National Scholarship Portal, CBSE, and UGC.
• Utility Services: Access to gas tanks, internet shopping, and amusement are all made possible by utility services.
• Public Grievances: Users of the UMANG app can get in touch with customer groups, debate forums for creating a country, and centralized public grievance redressal.
• Digi Seva: This enables the creation of accounts and the application for relevant positions within government agencies.

Agro advisory services, weather reports, digital credentials for retirees, applications for birth, burial, caste, and domicile documents, agricultural mechanization, and soil health are among the additional services offered by UMANG.

 

How does the UMANG app work 

The following methods are available for UMANG registration: the URL is https://web.umang.gov.in/web/#/. https://web.umang.gov.in/uaw/appdown.html is a URL for a mobile app. However, in order to use UMANG services via SMS and IVR, you do not need to register. If various agencies want to offer their services through SMS and IVR platforms, only specific services may be made accessible. The UMANG app must be launched after installation, and users must finish the registration procedure. The UMANG app allows users to sign up with their mobile number or Aadhaar number.

By selecting one of the service cards displayed on the app's Home screen, you can access services. The Sort and Filter choices assist in displaying the services according to the category, alphabetical order, and categories. Call UMANG Customer Care at 1800-11-5246 (8 am to 8 pm every day of the week) or send an email to customercare@umang.gov.in for more information.

Employee Provident Fund Organization, agencies involved in the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme, Employee State Insurance Corporation, Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Staff Selection Commission are the organization's main collaborators. (SSC).

In 2020, to commemorate the third anniversary, the foreign variant known as "UMANG International" was released. The foreign edition is available to a small number of nations, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. It will make it easier for Indian NRIs, foreign students, and visitors to use Government of India services whenever they want. Through the "Indian Culture" services offered on UMANG, it will also aid in introducing India to the outside world and spark desire among international travellers to travel to India.

Map services have been allowed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Using the most comprehensive and interactive neighborhood and village-level maps ever created, citizens will be able to locate government institutions closest to them, like blood banks and mandis (built by MapmyIndia company).

 

Pros

• If new departments are added to the platform, you won't need to install or upgrade the app (again and again) in order to use government services. A unified user experience is offered by UMANG for all departmental services, including those involving payments.
• To improve the app layout, services have been simply categorized as Recently Visited, New and Updated, Trending, Top Rated, and Recommended.
• You may even easily pay your utility bills online, including those for gas, water, and electricity.

 

Cons

• There are a lot of app glitches which need to be fixed since it restricts the convenient use of the app.

 

EPFO Claims Status

From April to July 2020, during the COVID-19 epidemic, 11.27 lakh EPFO claims were submitted online using the UMANG app. Comparing the pre-Covid 19-time frame from December 2019 to March 2020, this was a staggering 180% rise. As a result, EPFO has grown to be the largest organisation on UMANG, generating more than 90% of all app traffic.

 

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 epidemic, UMANG has proven to be an effective programme. Long lines and a sluggish pace were the primary pain points that it addressed. It sped up population growth and made life easier for the majority. It has led to more technologically advanced avenues for conducting business. Currently, the government aims to launch Artificial Intelligence Voice Assistant on UMANG to reach more people in India.