Modi’s digital cabinet: NaMo mobile app to tap ministers & MPs

Admin   |   01 August, 2016   |   1336   |   3980

NEW DELHI: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wanted to pick the brains of his ministers on which 70 pro-poor government initiatives could be explained in simple terms to people in the run-up to the 70th Independence Day celebrations, he did not wait for the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Modi sent a message on July 21 to a private group of ministers he administers on the Narendra Modi mobile application. Many responded soon enough, including Smriti Irani, Jitendra Singh, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. A detailed plan is now being drawn up.

This is Modi's Digital Cabinet, not visible to the public on the My Network section of the Na-Mo app. Started almost two months ago, it allows ministers to chat freely with the PM on ideas and programmes. Modi has a second private group on the app that comprises Bharatiya Janata Party's members of Parliament.

This is Modi's Digital Cabinet, not visible to the public on the My Network section of the Na-Mo app. Started almost two months ago, it allows ministers to chat freely with the PM on ideas and programmes. Modi has a second private group on the app that comprises Bharatiya Janata Party's members of Parliament.

Modi is planning to set up more dedicated private groups on the NaMo app with sportspersons, technocrats and agriculture experts. "At his meeting with sportspersons for the Rio Olympics, he urged them to join a private group on the NaMo app so all of them can converse on a common platform," the official said.

The PM uses the two groups aggressively. "Unlike WhatsApp, it is a secure group as it is on our own servers," an official said. The PM wanted the pro-poor initiatives to be collated and conveyed to the people in a simple format in the manner of a brief on how they could participate and to set up a helpline if needed to spread awareness about the schemes. The government feels many aren't aware of such initiatives, a senior official said.

The PM asked ministers to post relevant material to the group and send this to the minister of state for information & broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore as well. Textile Minister Smriti Irani is said to have responded on July 23 to the group with details of Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme which entitles textile units to subsidies for buying state-of-the-art technology.