Nepal integrates national ID with digital govt app to expand public service access

The Nepalese government recently integrated the national ID system with a digital government application dubbed Nagarik App to enable expanded access to government services.

The move, The Rising Nepal reports, is in line with the objective of government authorities to popularize the national ID and the App which was launched in 2021. The integration happened last week.

The Nagarik App is a platform designed to enable citizens access various government service in a single place.

The Director General of the Department of National ID, Yubaraj Katel, is quoted as saying that integration of the national ID and the App will play a vital role in securing citizens’ electronic data.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting last week, the Director General of the Department of Information Technology, Ramesh Sharma Paudyal, said the integration will make it easier for Nepalese citizens to apply for various government service such as biometric passports.

Already, there are about 61 public services which can be accessed following the national ID integration with the app. Other services include bank account opening, pensions, and social security allowances.

Officials say the integration builds on a move initiated by the government last year to make the national ID mandatory for access to certain government services.

This move faced a serious pushback from various quarters, including from lawmakers who said the government needed to do more to first increase adoption of the ID card.

As a way of fighting the government decision, a petition was filed against it at the country’s Supreme Court by an Advocate, Ram Bahadur Raulsome, and other legal representatives.

However, this month, the Court dismissed it, allowing the government to go ahead with its decision to make the national ID mandatory for social security payments and other public services.

In a recent parliamentary committee meeting, lawmakers raised concerns related to delays in the implementation of the ID project, and also sought to get assurances about the data security architecture of the ID system.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  identity management  |  mobile app  |  Nagarik App  |  national ID  |  Nepal