Short video app VMate has now joined hands with the Government’s citizen engagement platform MyGov to aid the Centre’s efforts in combating the menace of the coronavirus pandemic. An official profile of the entity, named MyGovIndia, has been launched on VMate to cater to official information related to the novel virus outbreak and the efforts being made on all fronts to curb its impact, as per the company’s official release.
The company stated that through the official profile, VMate users can now get first-hand, real-time information from the Government on various announcements made in the wake of Covid-19 and the lockdown triggered by it.
The company mentioned that the profile is also equipped to stream live speeches and announcements. On Sunday, the 64th edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio program ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was streamed live through the MyGovIndia profile on VMate.
The first video posted on the profile talks about Aarogya Setu, a mobile application developed by the government of India to connect essential health services with the people in the combined fight against Covid-19. The video suggests that anyone can make masks at home and the procedure about the same can be obtained through the Aarogya Setu app. The app also contains information regarding risks, best practices, and relevant advisories about the virus outbreak.
The MyGov citizen engagement platform was launched by the Indian government shortly after PM Modi came to power in 2014. It aims at promoting citizen participation in governance and developmental activities undertaken by the government, thereby crowdsourcing governance ideas from citizens.
Talking about the MyGovIndia profile launch, VMate Associate Director Nisha Pokhriyal stated in the official release: “It has been our constant endeavor to cater verified and relevant information to our users. Now through our association with MyGov, we are making sure that VMate users in remotest parts of the country get easy access to official announcements and information.”
Before the launch of the MyGovIndia profile, VMate had launched a profile titled ‘Myth Buster’, which furnished WHO-sourced information related to the pandemic in an interactive and animated format. VMate noted that its users have also showcased through their videos how rural parts of India are coping with the lockdown situation. While some of the videos showed government authorities making announcements through loudspeakers on bicycles in remote villages, a few others showed VMate users distributing food among those stranded or deprived of privileges.