Mobile has completely changed the world of communication in the 21st century. In the 3rd millennium mobile device is viewed as one of the most effective tools to bring change in governance. In the beginning, mobile was primarily used as a mode of communication but the Government agencies today find it very helpful to not only disseminate crucial information but also to deliver citizen services "Anytime, Anywhere". Mobiles are now being used to deliver services like health, education, banking, commercial services, and so on.

According to the Department of Telecommunications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Indian telecom sector has registered a phenomenal growth during the past few years and has become second largest telephone network (1.8 MB) - PDF file that opens in a new window in the world, only after China. Total wireless subscriber (1.1 MB) - PDF file that opens in a new window base increased from 870.58 million in September, 2013 to 875.48 million at the end of October 2013 in our country.

Mobile Seva/Mobile Governance - External website that opens in a new window is a revolutionary framework which is aimed at leveraging the exponential growth that has happened in the wireless communication technology and the acceptability it has received in the country. It has been conceptualized and formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Government of India.

Solution on your mobile phones

Mobile Seva - External website that opens in a new window aims to enable all integrating government departments and agencies to provide their services on various mobile channels such as SMS (Short Message Service), Voice/ IVR (Interactive Voice Response), USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), and through mobile-applications (m-apps). A long-term vision of the project is to offer all non-emergency public services to all citizens in the country through a single 3-digit nationally available number. For this purpose, DeitY has already obtained the short code 166. Deity has also obtained another short-code 51969 for mobile governance. Over 210 public services are already operational through these two short codes.

A Mobile Payment Gateway has also been integrated with MSDG (Mobile service delivery gateway) to allow citizens to make payment for government services through their mobile phones. USSD and IVRS based services have also been developed. A mobile AppStore has also been made operational that till this day hosts more than 200 live and fully integrated mobile apps. The various solutions envisioned under Mobile Seva - External website that opens in a new window are as follows:

•  SMS Gateway

  • The SMS Gateway provides both Push and Pull SMS services for government and citizens respectively. In the push service, a common information service can be pushed to group of people based on gender, location, community, etc. Citizens can also request information at individual level by sending an SMS in a particular format to a particular number.

•  USSD

  • Unstructured Supplementary Services Data is a session based service normally used for checking balance, etc. It is being used to create an interactive menu based session with the user for various government services.

•  IVRS

  • The Interactive Voice Response System allows to pre-record greetings and menu options that a caller can select using his telephone keypad. In the context of mobile governance, the IVRS application is intended to serve the C2G and G2C wings of the e-governance model. The important (Passport) and some basic (Ration card) services of the government are compelling services and draw a lot of enquiries from the citizens.

•  Location Based Services (LBS)

  • These are very useful for the departments for customizing their services according to the location of the citizen which can be found out using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

•  Cell Broadcasting Based Services (CBS)

  • This service is particularly relevant when certain notifications/alerts have to be passed to the citizens in a particular area. This can be very helpful in case of pre and post disaster management.

•  Mobile Payment Service

  • Some transactional government services involve some payment to be made to a government department. This service will aid that.

•   Mobile Applications (m-apps)

  • A mobile application is a software application designed to run on smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. M-apps are fast becoming the preferred mode of accessing a particular solution or service, especially amongst young citizens of the country.

Making Public Delivery Systems Efficient and Corruption Free

Mobile technology has made public service delivery systems more efficient and transparent. It has brought Government services closer to the common man. With the ability to reach out to the departments a citizen wants and vice-versa is what makes this one of the central themes of the initiative. M-Governance has empowered a citizen to communicate to the Government directly and avail multiple services without going to a Government office.

Mobile Applications Store

A Government Mobile Applications Store (m-AppStore) has also been developed by DeitY as part of Mobile Seva - External website that opens in a new window initiative. The m-AppStore currently hosts over 240 live mobile applications, such as the Polling Station Location app for the Election Commission of India that has been used to map polling stations in the country. Another useful m-app is the on-screen keyboard driver & editor for Android devices for GIST Hindi language and 11 other Indian languages. A Mobile Payment Gateway has also been integrated with Mobile Seva - External website that opens in a new window which would allow a person to make payment for government services through his or her mobile phone. USSD and IVRS based services have also been developed and are currently being piloted.

Mobile Passport Seva Application

Ministry of External Affairs has brought the passport related information on the mobile for Smartphone users. Users can now access this information on their Smartphone using mobile app mPassport Seva - External website that opens in a new window.

mPassport Seva - External website that opens in a new window is designed primarily for the citizens who are interested in Passport related information only. It is a light weight, easy to use app that provides specific details on areas such as Location of centres, Fee, Application Status, Contact Information and other General Information.

M-Reservation of Railway Tickets

Railway passengers can now reserve their train tickets through use of mobile phones and the confirmation message received on mobile can serve as their e-ticket. Indian Railways through Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railway, has been offering the service of booking e-ticket over the mobile phone.

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