Delhi's Digital Leap: Governance Becomes Faceless with WhatsApp

The Delhi government is ushering in a new era of service delivery by adopting a faceless approach, leveraging WhatsApp for document applications, including birth and caste certificates, according to official announcements on Thursday.

A total of nearly 50 services across various departments have been earmarked for online applications through WhatsApp, as noted by government representatives.

The 'Governance through WhatsApp' initiative, powered by artificial intelligence, is set to transition several currently online services to the messaging platform. A government officer highlighted that users will engage with a bilingual chatbot, available in both Hindi and English, to navigate applications, document uploads, and fee payments.

The Information Technology Department, initially responsible for the doorstep delivery of services in Delhi's earlier administration, is spearheading the preparation of this project. For effective execution, a real-time dashboard monitoring system will be established to manage departmental interactions with applicants.

A tech company will soon be engaged by the government to design and deploy the WhatsApp-based system, marking a significant step in digital governance innovation.

(With inputs from agencies.)