GOI rolls out e-governance app store for citizens

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Union government has been initiating a lot of e-governance initiatives to make its functioning more transparent.

Recently, IT and Telecom Minister, Kapil Sibal launched an e-governance application store that will allow citizens to receive information in an efficient and a much-simplified manner.

Some of the features in the appstore site include sharing of applications, search for applications, basic information about an application when selected, user feedback and rating of an application, downloading of an application after authentication of user and a 'two level approval process' for contributing applications.

The appstore which is hosted by the DeitY and designed and developed by the NIC will start with 20 apps. Currently, only half of it is likely to be accessible by the public but within three years, the number is likely to rise to 100.

The apps will be classified into 'runnable' and 'downloadable' apps. Runnable apps can be directly used by all the citizens but downloadable apps could face certain restrictions.

The applications could be hosted by private players as the criteria for the application included a 'citizen-centric focus' with good transaction value. Downloading of apps is divided into three categories, namely, 'freely-downloadable apps', 'downloadable with cost apps' and 'restricted apps'. Restricted apps can only be used by the government and the judiciary.

"Within three months, policies based on the usage of these applications will be formed," an Economic Times report quoted Kapil Sibal, as saying. The appstore, which will be a part of the GI Cloud (a Govt. of India initiative), will provide an ecosystem in which applications developed by the Centre, States and private players will feature in the appstore.