The Maharashtra government has mandated that all its employees use the indigenously developed Sandes mobile app for official communication. The move aims to enhance the safety and security of government operations and improve the ability to detect any misuse.
Launched by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in 2021, Sandes is an instant messaging platform similar to WhatsApp. It supports various forms of communication for anyone with a mobile number or email address. As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign under the Digital India programme, Sandes is managed by the Government of India and is currently utilised by central government officials as well as over 200 government organisations across different states. It is also integrated into more than 350 e-governance applications for sending messages, directions, and OTPs.
The Maharashtra government has instructed all departments to download and complete the ‘organisation onboarding’ forms from the Sandes official website and coordinate with Sandes system administrators after submitting the required information.
According to the General Administration Department (GAD) of Maharashtra, the Sandes app can be tailored to meet government needs. “The application offers features similar to those of WhatsApp, such as group formation, targeted messaging, emojis, and receipt notifications confirming message delivery and reading,” said a GAD official. Additionally, Sandes allows for messages to be marked as non-shareable.
The official emphasised that government instructions are clear: Sandes is to be used exclusively for official communications. “The transition to Sandes was anticipated for some time. The decision to discontinue the use of other private messaging applications was in the pipeline, and all departments have been directed to use only Sandes for official purposes,” the official added.
The concept of a secure communication network for government employees has been under development for several years, with its implementation being expedited during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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