It is a mobile application created by the Gov. of India to connect necessary health services with the Indian people in the united fight against Coronavirus. The App is focused at add to the initiatives of the Gov. of India, in a dynamic way reaching out to and informing the customers of the app-associated risks, best practices, and applicable advisories containing the limitation of COVID-19 (especially the Dept. of Health).
In the fight against coronavirus, the Gov. of India has rolled out some preventive measures, which are being executed across the nation country with the cooperation of the State/UT govt. As an important preventive measure, the Union Gov. has introduced an app familiar as Aarogya Setu.
Contents
About the app
This Mobile App is created by the Ministry of Electronics and IT. It authorizes individuals to assess the risk of their catching the Covid-19 infection. It will measure this based on their interaction with others, utilizing cutting-edge Bluetooth tech, artificial intelligence, and algorithms. All the Indian citizens are persuaded to download the mobile app. This is planned to keep a customer informed, in case he/she cross paths with someone who has tested positive. It is accessible in numerous languages- English and 10 Indian languages.
App services for smartphone users
The user, upon installation of this app, is required to answer several questions. In case some of the answers recommended Coronavirus symptoms, the info will be sent to a Gov. server. The data will then support the Gov. take well-timed steps and start the isolation process if required and it also warns if someone comes in nearby proximity with an individual tested positive. The app is accessible on both the iOS app store (for iPhones) and Google Play (for Android phones)
The App’s design makes certain privacy-first. The personal data gathered by the App is encrypted utilizing state-of-the-art tech and stays safe on the phone till it is required for facilitating medical involvement.
App services for feature phones
For involving the Indian citizens with feature phones and landlines under the shield of Aarogya Setu, the “Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)” has been executed. This service is accessible across the nation. Indian citizens are required to grant a missed call to number 1921 as this is a toll-free service and they would get a call back asking for inputs associated with their health.
The questions asked are put in an order with this App and constructed upon the responses given, citizens do also get an SMS to define their health status and also would get further notification for their health moving forward.
The service is executed in 11 regional languages same as the mobile app. The input offered by Indian citizens will be made part of this app database and info is prepared to send a notification to the Indian citizen on the steps to be taken to make certain their welfare.
Full view
The motive of this app is to open up the consciousness of Coronavirus and to link necessary Coronavirus-associated health services to the Indian people. This app adds to the initiatives of the Dep. of Health to contain Coronavirus and shares best advisories and practices. It is a tracing application that utilizes the phone’s Bluetooth and GPS features to track Coronavirus cases. The application is accessible for iOS and Android mobile operating structures. With the help of Bluetooth, the app tried to discover out the risk if one has been close (within six feet of) a Coronavirus-infected individual, by scanning out through a database of known cases across the nation. Utilizing location info, it discovers whether the location one is in related to one of the infected zones based on the available data.
This application is a modernized version of an early application denoted as Corona Kavach (now discontinued) which was issued early by the Gov. of India.
Features and tools
Aarogya Setu has four sections:-
- User Status (telling the risk of getting Coronavirus for the user)
- Self Assess (supports the users identify Coronavirus symptoms and their risk profile)
- Coronavirus Updates (gives updates on national and local Coronavirus cases)
- E-pass integration (if apply for E-pass, it will be accessible)
- See Recent Contacts alternative (permit the users to evaluate the risk level of their Bluetooth contacts)
It says how many Coronavirus positive occasions are likely in a rad. of 5 m, 10 km, 2 km, 500 km, and 1 km from the customer.
The app is constructed on a platform that can offer an API so that other web services, computer programs, and mobile apps do make utilization of the features and data accessible in Aarogya Setu.
Response
This app crossed millions of downloads within a few days of its start, making it one of the most popular gov apps in the nation. It became the planet’s fastest-growing mobile application, beat up Pokémon Go, with more than millions of installs 13 days after introducing in the country on 2 April 2020.
In an order on April 2020, the central gov. build it compulsory for every employee to download the application and utilize it – Before initiating job work, they should review their status on this app and travel to and from work only when the application shows safe or lesser risk. The app is compulsory for all staying in the Coronavirus containment region. The gov. gave the declaration along with a nationwide lockdown extension by a few weeks from May with some relaxation.
In 2020, the country Airport Authority issue an SOP stating that all departing passengers should mandatorily be registered with this app. It added that the application will not be compulsory for kids below 14 years. However, Civil Aviation Minister clarified that the application would not be compulsory for any passengers.
Co-WIN doorway does unified with the app in March 2021. Permitted people to schedule a session through the app for the Coronavirus vaccine by recording their number and offering applicable papers.
Reception
Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader, termed this application a “sophisticated surveillance system” after the gov. declared that downloading the application would be compulsory for both gov. and private employees.
