Central Government unveils AarogyaSetu App for trusted info on Covid-19

In order to quell all false information on the infectious Coronavirus causing Covid-19, the Government of India has launched a mobile app developed in a public-private partnership to aid the citizens of India in its fight against the pandemic.

The App, called ‘AarogyaSetu’ joins Digital India for the health and well-being of every Indian. The App is designed to enable people to assess themselves the risk of themselves catching the Corona Virus infection. It will calculate this based on their interaction with others, using cutting edge Bluetooth technology, algorithms, and artificial intelligence.

Once installed in a smartphone through an easy and user-friendly process, the App detects other devices with AarogyaSetu installed that come in the proximity of that phone. The app can then calculate the risk of infection based on sophisticated parameters if any of these contacts are tested positive. The App will help the Government take necessary timely steps for assessing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 infection and ensuring isolation where required.

The App’s design ensures privacy-first. The personal data collected by the App is encrypted using state-of-the-art technology and stays secure on the phone until it is needed for facilitating medical intervention. Available in 11 languages, the App is ready for pan-India use from day-1 and has highly scalable architecture.

This App is claimed to be a unique example of the nation’s young talent coming together and pooling resources and efforts to respond to a global crisis. It is at once a bridge between public and private sectors, digital technology and health services delivery and the potential of young India with a disease-free and healthy future of the nation.