AarogyaSetu, an app by India which warns users about proximity to coronavirus COVID-19 infected

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday (April 2, 2020) launched a mobile application - AarogyaSetu – for tracking cases of coronavirus COVID-19 infections. The app has been launched for Android and iOS users. Developed by the National Informatics Centre that comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the app will tell the user if they came near a COVID-19 infected person.

According to the App's description, it is aimed at "augmenting" efforts to "proactively" inform the citizens about the "best practices and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of COVID-19." Both Cntre and state governments have launched a host of coronavirus-related apps over the last few weeks to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country.

AarogyaSetu App will enable people to assess themselves the risk for their catching the coronavirus infection. It will calculate this based on their interaction with others, using cutting edge Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

Once installed in a smart phone 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 is tested positive.

The App will help the Government take necessary timely steps for assessing risk of 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 till 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 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,'' a release from the government said.