COVID-19 Vaccine Registration App in India: Why CoWin App and Not Aarogya Setu? Here’s the Answer

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi largest vaccination drive in India on 16 January, it is now official that the CoWin app is the official COVID-19 vaccine registration app in India. The CoWin app, which is expected to be made available in March 2021 to citizens of country, has been designed to provide real-time information on the vaccine stock, storage temperature and individual status of the beneficiaries. Furthermore, the app will also reportedly provide a digital certificate, which will help beneficiaries keep a track of dosages and create a database of those who completed the course. While the app may play a revolutionary role in helping deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in India, several users have been questioning as to why a separate app has been created instead of giving an update to the already established Aarogya Setu app.

Data Privacy Related Concerns with CoWin App

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which terms itself as the advocate to protect and advance constitutional freedoms in a digital society, has recently filed a filed RTI requests with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Minsitry of Health Affair to procure information on how the CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network) platform will function.

Some of the queries that have been asked in the petition filed by Anuska Jain on the behalf of IFF Are as follows:

• Whether Aadhaar registration will be mandatory for access?
• Whether there is any linkage between CoWIN and Aarogya Setu?
• Whether any regulations or standard operating procedures (SOP) which will be put in place to ensure data privacy?

“At present, there is no underlying legal framework/safeguards in place to regulate this platform. We recommend that the vaccination process should follow data privacy measures as this will increase trust in government policies regarding the vaccine,” says a statement from IFF on Twitter.

Why is CoWin app the COVID-19 Vaccine Registration App in India, and Not Aarogya Setu?

Although the CoWin app download link is yet to be made available, several citizens have been questioning the Government of India on the need for a separate app for COVID-19 vaccine registration when there was an already established and widely downloaded app like Aarogya Setu was already available. “Why not integrate CoWin with Aarogya Setu app? What’s the need for 2 apps?” asks Mafla Mudgal, an FMCG professional on Twitter.

“Why wouldn't they include Cowin App as a feature update in Aarogya Setu only,” asks Sharad Bansal, a Forbes 'Education Evangelist of India’ according to his Twitter profile. The Government of India has clarified on the matter saying two separate apps were needed as the purposes of the apps were different.

“The purpose and function of CoWin Platform and Aarogya Setu App is quite different. CoWin app is primarily to help agencies in logistics and tracking the distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines as well as enable citizens of the country to register for the vaccination,” says the official COVID India Seva account of the Ministry of Health Affairs that has been created to provide official responses to queries on COVID-19.

“Whereas Aarogya Setu is an Indian COVID-19 contact tracing, syndromic mapping, and self-assessment digital platform, which also alerts the app users if any of the contacts tests positive for COVID-19,” adds the account.