Himmat app failure: Cops turn to techies for help

New Delhi: According to a study, lack of awareness and cumbersome user interface were some of the reasons behind the non-popularity of Delhi police’s Himmat app.

Even though the app was launched nearly two years ago for women’s safety, it has been downloaded by only 31,000 users.

A group of students, under the supervision of professors from the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi, has conducted an elaborate study for three months to find the loopholes in the usage of Himmat app.

“We surveyed in public about the features in Himmat app and took their feedback. A detailed study report has been submitted to the Delhi police. Lengthy registration process, irregular software updates, and lack of promotion are the key factors that made the app unpopular,” said a student, who was a part of the study.

Professor K.M. Pathi from IIIT, who conducted the study with a group of nine students, said that they studied the user interface, technical features, and promotional features of the app and found shortcomings in all three aspects. This was despite the fact that even by conservative estimates the city has around 79 lakh women. Out of this, 37 lakh women in the age group of 15-39 — the target group and majority — use either smartphones or feature phones.

The study, which was a part of the curriculum’s governance and IT project, also found out that the app has not been adequately promoted either. This was the biggest roadblock why despite the numbers cited above, there were only 31,000 registered users.

“We want to change the public opinion about the app from being a distress app to a safety app. The students were divided into three teams. In the beginning they carried out a survey in their own college during a fest and found that most of the female students were not even aware that such an app existed,” said Prof. Pathi.

The police said that they were analysing the pros and cons pointed out in the study and would incorporate the suggestions in the future.

“We really appreciate the work done by the students. We will very soon incorporate their suggestions in Himmat app. The other features suggested in the report will also be added in the app soon,” said Sanjay Beniwal, special commissioner of police.