What is Sugamya Bharat App?

About Sugamya Bharat App:

• It is an initiative of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD),Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Designed to aid people with disabilities and the elderly, the Sugamya Bharat app allows users to report accessibility problems in public infrastructure, transportation, and buildings.
• Objectives:
  • Identification of issues/complaints from the public related to accessibility at public places (Need to capture location of the place through Google Maps).
  • Uploading geotagged pictures: To understand and identify which type of public place is having issues related to accessibility for disabled people.
• Any person facing difficulty or issue related to accessibility in India can raise their concerns/grievances on the App.
• Only accessibility related issues pertaining to Buildings, Transportation System and ICT (websites and TV viewing) can be registered at App.
• Complaints are filed by uploading photos, which are then forwarded to relevant authorities.
• To enhance the app's features, the government plans to redesign it with AI capabilities.
  • The upgraded version will include an AI-powered chatbot and multilingual interface, improving its overall functionality.
  • A partnership has been established with the NGO Mission Accessibility and the research institute I-STEM to develop the AI-enabled app.

Q1: What is Geotagging?

Geotagging is a process of assigning a 'geo-tag' or adding some 'geographical information' in various 'media' forms such as a digital photograph, video or even in a SMS message.

Source: Over 1.4K accessibility complaints filed on govt app, 75% solved: Data