Nanjangud, Oct. 26 – In a pioneering step toward digital governance, Nanjangud has become the first City Municipal Council (CMC) in India to digitise its civic data through ‘Civinc’, a first-of-its-kind mobile application and online portal developed at Ashoka University.

The innovative platform consolidates information and contact details of local elected representatives and municipal employees onto a single, easy-to-use interface, enabling citizens to directly connect with officials responsible for addressing civic issues.

An initiative spearheaded by Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan, the project allows residents to scan QR codes installed in each locality to instantly access details of officers handling tasks such as garbage clearance, road repair, water supply or voter ID changes and even contact them via phone with a single click.

This digitisation drive marks a significant milestone for non-metro cities, setting an example for technology-driven, transparent and accountable governance across India.

Official launch in Nanjangud

The ‘Civinc’ portal was officially launched in Nanjangud on Friday by MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan in the presence of Aishwarya Sunaad, Head of Concept Development and Research at Civinc; Srikanta, President of Nanjangud CMC; Vijaya, Municipal Commissioner and B.N. Mythravathi, Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment).

Employees of Nanjangud City Municipal Council, dignitaries and members of local citizen groups and NGOs also attended the event.

Conceptualised by Ashoka University alumna Aishwarya Sunaad under the mentorship of Dr. Debayan Gupta, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Ashoka University, Civinc — a portmanteau of ‘civic’ and ‘link’ — was designed to bridge the gap between citizens and their governing bodies.

Transparent governance

The platform provides direct access to the contacts of Corporators, Councillors, ward-level department heads and municipal employees responsible for essential civic services such as sanitation, garbage collection, road maintenance, property tax, and building licenses.

Unlike traditional grievance portals, Civinc fosters real-time, transparent communication between citizens and officials. It uses ward-specific QR code boards placed across the city; when scanned, they display contact details of officials handling specific civic issues. Citizens need not download the app separately to raise grievances.

Additionally, Civinc empowers users to update or correct outdated information and features a unique performance review system for municipal employees, promoting civic engagement and administrative accountability.

Speaking after the launch, Darshan Dhruvanarayan said: “Nanjangud is proud to lead the way as the first non-metro city in the country to digitise its civic data. Giving citizens direct access to officials responsible for essential services makes governance more transparent, responsive and efficient.”