India’s remarkable digital transformation, as highlighted by the Economic Times, reflects a profound shift from early skepticism about technology to a unified belief—shared by leaders from the Prime Minister to village functionaries—that digital innovation can create a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive governance system, uplifting the lives of millions.
This journey embodies a deep commitment to empowering every citizen, ensuring that technology serves as a bridge to opportunity, fostering trust, and enhancing access to essential services. By embracing this vision, India unites communities and policymakers in a shared mission to build a compassionate, equitable society where every individual’s dignity is valued, and their potential is nurtured through the power of inclusive governance.
Citizens aiming for seamless transaction should identify relevant portals, follow official guidelines, and ensure their mobile number and documents are up to date. This handbook consolidates the most trusted paths to navigate government procedures efficiently.
This Citizen’s Handbook outlines essential online portals and government procedures in India. It covers services such as document retrieval via DigiLocker, identity updates through UIDAI, grievance redressal via CPGRAMS, and access to unified services on India.gov.in. The goal is to help citizens understand and utilise official platforms quickly, securely, and confidently.
Key Government Portals and Their Roles
India.gov.in – The National Portal
The National Portal of India provides a single window to thousands of government services and authoritative information across themes like education, health, transport, and social development. It consolidates access to laws, schemes, directory listings, and grievances under one interface, enhancing transparency and ease of navigation. The portal is maintained by the National Informatics Centre under MeitY.
DigiLocker – Digital Document Storage
DigiLocker, a secure cloud-based service under Digital India, enables citizens to store and access digital copies of critical documents such as driver’s licences and academic certificates. Each account offers 1 GB storage, and digitally signed documents are legally valid under the amended IT Act, 2000.
UMANG – Unified Access to Services
The UMANG App (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance), launched in 2017, brings hundreds of central and state government services into one accessible mobile platform supporting over a dozen Indian languages. It enables payments, registrations, document requests, and status tracking.
Identity and Authentication Services
UIDAI’s MyAadhaar Portal
The MyAadhaar Portal allows holders to manage their Aadhaar profile, request e-Aadhaar, update demographic data, and access Visual ID (VID) for authentication without disclosing full Aadhaar details. Users can download password-protected e-Aadhaar or update their address via the Self-Service Update Portal.
Aadhaar Good Governance Portal
Launched in early 2025 by the government, this portal offers Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to help entities—both government and private—apply for and integrate face-based Aadhaar authentication. The aim is seamless, secure onboarding for authentication services.
Related Links
Local Government Bodies: A List of Municipal and Local Governance Websites Across India
Integrated Government Online Directory: A State-by-state List of Important State Government Websites
Public Redress and Participation
CPGRAMS – Grievance Redressal
The Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), operational since 2007, enables citizens to lodge and track complaints with central and state departments. It provides telephonic feedback and monitoring to ensure timely resolution.
Other Official Access Points
Platforms such as Integrated Government Online Directory (iGOD) and India.gov.in make government directories, public grievances, and portal listings accessible from one place.
State and Marketplace Platforms
Telangana’s Mee Seva
Mee Seva, a Government-to-Citizen service in Telangana and a precursor to UMANG, offers about 150 services online or through service centres. It supports payments and document services through a mobile app, with hundreds of transactions daily.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
GeM is India’s official digital procurement platform for public agencies. Since its launch in 2016, it has facilitated ₹13.6 lakh crore in government purchases, improving transparency and enabling small and medium enterprises to participate.
