UP government to distribute free smartphones to bridge the digital divide

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav is working on a plan to distribute free smartphones in the state. This comes right after his wishes to express about planning something similar during a function launching 4G services for a national telecom operator in the state. According to reports by Times of India on the function and on the plan to distribute free smartphones, the move was initially planned in Samajwadi Party’s manifesto for the upcoming elections. This scheme looks like a hasty attempt at gaining traction among the younger generation as the state elections begin.  The plan will be taken to the cabinet later this week for approval. The process to get the free smartphone will be as simple as going online and registering to claim the free smartphones. The eligibility to register for the free smartphone has been decided with anyone over 18 years living in the state. The family income of the applicant should me less than Rs 2 lakh per year. In addition to the traction, smartphones will enable citizens to avail facilities offered by the government, online. More usage of the online system to avail facilities will reduce the effort and time required, enabling faster process time. The smartphone will run latest software which will enable quick access to government websites and policies through preloaded apps. In addition to access of services and policies, users can also use the smartphone to submit their feedback on the services and policies as reported by NDTV. There is no information availability or the type of hardware or software at the time of writing.