Government's
WhatsApp chatbot to become a one-stop-destination
to access slew of official documents
{ ET – 07 Mar
2022 }
Extract :
The government's
WhatsApp chatbot, launched last year to book vaccination slots and download
inoculation certificates, will become a one-stop-destination
to access a slew of official
documents.
This will mean downloading,
# Driving licence,
# Income tax certificate or
# PAN card ,
will become instantaneous over WhatsApp for
citizens.
The service is
expected to be formally launched in the next few weeks.
The WhatsApp chatbot
interface will provide access to documents
stored on a citizen’s DigiLocker.
“ The interface
will have the option of unlocking
DigiLocker
services,” a senior government official, told ET.
“When you choose the DigiLocker option, it will authenticate with your Aadhaar and OTP, and will inform you of the documents available.”
The interface will ask for the OTP and mobile number to which the certificate is linked and will provide it immediately.
“It takes around 30 seconds to get the
certificate,” the official said.
About 100 million people use DigiLocker
currently and it has also become the national academy depository with access to all
certificates of Class 10 and 12, the official added.
“In future, it will also become the health locker with all the health documents being made available
there,” the person said.
The prevalence, convenience and use of WhatsApp will bring down entry barriers and will make DigiLocker
accessible to more people, said Amit Ranjan, ( amitranjan25@gmail.com ), who was one of the architects of the national DigiLocker project.
“Sometimes, people have problems signing in,
forget their passwords etc. So, it might be a way to sidestep some of those problems
as well. It'll just make it accessible to a wider cross section of people,” he
said.
When vaccination details of travellers are
sought, it is a cumbersome process – especially for the elderly - to log on to
government portals and download the certificates.
The WhatsApp chatbot is a conversational interface
Currently, the interface is available in English
and Hindi, but there is a plan to put out more regional language versions in
partnership with states.
Around 14 states have enabled a similar chatbot
in regional languages, but the central service is available only in English and
Hindi, the official said.
More than 400,000
common services centres (CSCs) also
use the WhatsApp chatbot, which can be
programmed to respond in several local languages along with Hindi and English.
Ranjan says it is
quite safe from a security perspective.
“The risk of carrying things in your mobile
phone is there with any app on the mobile phone. I don't think this is any
different. So, it does not introduce any new security factors.”
MY TAKE :
Dear Shri Amit
Ranjan,
Congratulations for this initiative
I urge you to evolve it further till it becomes , “
Single Unified Identity for Indian Citizen “ , as suggested in my following blog ( sent
as e-mail to our Policy Makers ) :
I
am One , I will become Many ………………[ 06 Jan 2020 ]
Where I
proposed :
Ø
How about a card to replace all
the above-mentioned cards ?
Ø Time has come to dispense
with all physical cards and merge all of those into, one VIRTUAL CARD
Ø How can the Central Government go about replacing ALL
physical cards with just one VIRTUAL card ?
Ø The method of “ merging
“ of all identifiers [ cards ] , must NOT require a citizen to fill up
any FORM , online or offline
Following is my suggestion :
# Central Govt to launch a online portal called,
www.SUIIC.gov.in ( Single Unified Identity for Indian Citizen )
# By appropriately enacted Law, Central Govt will order all CARD ISSUING
AGENCIES to upload their
“
server and continue to do so DAILY for new additions to their databases
# SUIIC will use AI - Machine Learning- Big Data Analytics etc., to merge /
collate all kinds of structured / unstructured databases pertaining to all
kinds of Cards / unique IDENTIFIERS, issued by any entity, to any citizen
These will include Mobile Service Providers and E Mail ID providers
# This exercise will lead to creation of UNIQUE PROFILE for each citizen, and
named :
YUP
( Your Unique Profile )
YUP ( with unique serial number ) will be that SINGLE CARD which
replaces all CARDS
# YUP will
also be the name of a Mobile App
supported by SUIIC web server
# Any citizen can download the YUP ( absolutely VOLUNTARY ), open it on his
smart phone ,
enter his
his own FACE
# The Mobile App will automatically and instantly, upload the FACE IMAGE
onto SUIIC database and the matching YUP of that person
# SUIIC will embed into the FACE PHOTO, all data of all the CARDS ever
issued to that person ( using
owner’s mobile phone
# Just under the FACE PHOTO, there will be a DROP LIST of all the Cards
/ Identifiers which have been
the actual Physical Card embedded. Touching any item, will reveal the
actual Physical Card
# This will enable that citizen to EDIT his personal data online and click
SUBMIT
# Anytime required in future, that citizen can show that YUP photo to any
party
# There will be no compulsion for any citizen to use YUP . He may continue
using his Physical Cards, if he so desires
==================================================
This is a very broad “ CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK “ – and certainly
not comprehensive by any standard
Eg :
Going beyond merging
/ aggregating / unifying, all
existing physical cards
belonging to a person, what about :
# Enabling him to use YUP to create ( for the first time ), an altogether different
card ?
# Enabling a person to create a
new Voter Card, upon attaining the age of 18 ?
I urge Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji to get this examined by some
eminent technologists
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
/ hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 07
March 2022
Related Readings :
How
many NATIONAL databases of Indian Citizen ?................. [ 03 July 2021
]
Digital
Locker Project……………………………………………………………………..[ 23 May 2015 ]
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