My Gov: 2014

Policy Update
Kiranmanonmani

Introduction:

As a step to promote e-governance in the country, the platform MyGov was developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, and launched by our Prime Minister, Shri.Narendra Modi on 6th July, 2014. MyGov is an online platform focused on citizens. It aims to connect citizens with the government to improve governance, get feedback from citizens, and respond to queries.

The MyGov India platform is designed to be accessible to all citizens, with features such as Groups, Do, Discuss, Poll, Survey, Talk, Quiz, Pledge, Innovative Challenges, Campaigns, Podcast, Media, as well as the ability to submit suggestions and feedback directly to various government departments and ministries.MyGov has also launched State instances in 24 States/UTs, namely Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, karnataka, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Chandigarh.

Microsites under MyGov:

There are various microsites in the MyGov portal through which we can get access to the information related to a particular ministry or a scheme. They are Transforming India, Blogs, Quizzes, Pledge, Innovate India, Saathi, Campus, and Self4society.

  • Transforming India

In the transforming India tab, we could get the information about various schemes such as Digital India, Startup India, PM Mudra Yojana, PM Bhima Suraksha Yojana, UPI, Indian post office services, etc, and the number of beneficiaries under these schemes. We can either select from the various options displayed or select the particular ministry and scheme in the given dropdown boxes to get relevant details.

  • Blogs:

Under the Blogs section, we could come across various articles and blogs written and submitted by citizens of India on the given topics. MyGov publishes these writings on its website. There are e-books, editorials, short stories available, and it also conducts various competitions on short video making, article and blog writing, slogan contest, etc, to develop the creativity of citizens.

  • Quiz

Under the Quiz section, various quiz competitions are conducted on topics like yoga, drug awareness, technology, green energy, and other topics of current relevance by various ministries. Winners and participants are provided with prizes and e-certificates for their enthusiastic participation.

  • Saathi

The MyGov Saathi 2.0 is an initiative launched by MyGov India to involve citizens in the governance process and promote active participation in nation-building. The program aims to create a network of “Saathi 2.0” that can spread awareness about government schemes, policies, and initiatives and encourage people to participate in them.

Activities under MyGov:

MyGov conducts various activities like campaigns, polls, quizzes, talk shows and podcasts, discussions, etc.. There are separate groups for all the ministries of the Government of India under the groups section, which displays the number of above mentioned activities initiated and conducted by a particular ministry. Under the Do section, there are many competitions such as logo designing, business pitching, short video or short film making, essay writing, and poster making conducted by the ministries.

Under the poll section, citizens can participate in the open polls and surveys conducted by the ministries. Under the campaigns section, citizens become aware of the campaigns and drives conducted by the government of India, and they can effectively contribute to the same. Citizens can engage themselves along with the government in the process of nation-building through all these activities.MyGov, through its various features and initiatives, provides you with a readymade interface to connect with the government regularly and contribute towards policy formation and governance.

Incentives based on credit points will be announced in the future. Periodically, select volunteers/achievers can get to meet and present their views directly to the Ministers and/or even to the Hon’ble PM of India. Moreover, MyGov allows you to help in nation-building, making you an integral part of participatory governance.

MyGov States:

There is a dedicated section for the states of India under the MyGov portal. Here, we could get the information related to any state of interest in its regional language and the initiatives undertaken by the Government of India in that particular state. People can engage in activities like quizzes, polls, and discussions related to their states in their regional languages.

Challenges faced by MyGov:

The motive behind the development of MyGov is to promote e-governance, engage citizens in the policy-making nation-building process, and act as a bridge between the citizens and the government. But, the obstacle it faces in achieving these objectives is its inability to involve illiterate and poor citizens in the discussions and talks. The government should create proper awareness about the existence and usage of such portals, as many people are unaware of this matter.

There should be adequate provision of infrastructure facilities with internet connectivity across the nation to take these projects to the nook and corner of the country. The portal currently doesn’t have any voice recording facilities for the illiterate people who cannot express their opinions in writing.

The limited reach of the platform, despite growing use of mobile phones and initiatives by the government for economical internet calls, for extensive usage of marketing techniques (countering social challenge of limited reach), both online and offline. The marketing of the platform regularly, making the impact visible on the platform, and communicating with the citizens again, is necessary for citizens to feel that they are part of the feedback loop. MyGov can also have its contingency to tackle the cybercrime issues, which it doesn’t have at present.

Conclusion:

MyGov has launched its mobile application to access the content on Android and iOS. People can sign in to the website through their mobile phones and get notified about the recent happenings. As per the data from March 2023, MyGov has 30 million registered users across the country since its inception in July 2014. The portal has been a big success, and it is the first of its kind to be widespread and used by a large number of users in a big democracy like India with its diversified population.

It also acts as a platform for providing authentic news and information from the government during times of tensions and emergencies in the country. MyGov, along with its portal, aims to connect with almost every citizen through its social media platforms and today, is among the top government platforms available on social media. MyGov’s endeavour has also been to bridge the gap in the dissemination of information among digital and non-digital societies through innovation, and encouraging ng adoption of technology by citizens to stay informed. In conclusion, MyGov has been actively performing its duty to empower citizens and engage them in the process of nation-building and in promoting e-governance in the nation.

References:

About the Contributor:

Kiranmanonmani. Y is an Economics Hons student at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, and a research intern at Impact and Policy Research Institute(IMPRI).

Acknowledgment:

The author would like to express sincere gratitude to Ms.Aasthaba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their guidance throughout the writing of this article.

Disclaimer: 

All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.

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