The Indian government, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, recently launched an instant messaging platform known as Sandes. Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the provider of e-government services and the backbone of the national network, Sandes is set to provide a secure communication path for government and public users. This innovative move is believed to enhance the privacy of communications while promoting the use of indigenous software products.
About the Sandes App
Sandes, also recognized as the Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS), caters to both official and casual communication of any government employee or general user with a valid mobile number or email ID. Unlike other prevalent messaging platforms, Sandes does not solely rely on user-to-user conversation. Rather, it enables users to create groups, broadcast messages, forward messages, and even use emojis for an improved communication experience.
One notable aspect is that while Sandes does not allow chat history transfer between two platforms, users can back up their chats on GIMS to their email. However, changing the registered email ID or phone number on the app requires the user to re-register as a new user.
To enhance the confidentiality of the information shared, Sandes provides an option to mark messages as confidential. Once a message is marked as such, the recipient is notified that the message should not be shared with others.
Ensuring Secure Communication
There has been increasing concern over the safety and privacy of the online communication platforms used by government employees. To address this, the Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In) and the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory in April 2020 cautioning all government employees against using platforms like Zoom for official communication.
In light of this, the launch of Sandes is a significant step towards ensuring secure communication. Information shared on this India-made application would likely have enhanced security and privacy features, reducing the risk of information breach.
Promoting Indigenous Products
The introduction of Sandes is not only a move towards secure communication but also a significant stride in promoting the use of home-grown software. By developing and using indigenous products, the government plans to build an ecosystem of indigenously developed products. This is seen as a key strategy to support local technology advancements while creating a self-reliant digital India.
The launch of the Sandes app by the NIC marks an important stride in internet communication for government and public users. Not only does it aim to secure official communications, but also supports the movement towards pushing the use of locally developed software.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024