Bhubaneswar: The Odia language version of Aarogya Setu app — a mobile application developed by Ministry of Electronics and IT for the citizens to know and identify their risk of contracting COVID-19 — uses the word ‘depressed’ in place of ‘deceased’.
Odia word ‘mruta’ translates into deceased and ‘hatash’ translates into depressed in English. Curiously though, the app developers have chosen the word ‘hatash’ in place of ‘mruta’ in the Odia version.
The blunder did not go unnoticed as Twitter users roasted the developers for it.
Twitter user Nishanth Nihar tweeted, “In Aarogya Setu app, if you turn on the Odia language mode, the word deceased turns to depressed. Well I know that is sad, but isn’t it lame?”
@SetuAarogya @PMOIndia @narendramodi @dpradhanbjp @mp_office @CMO_Odisha
In Aarogya Setu app, if you turn on the Odia language mode, the word deceased turns to depressed. Well I know that is sad, but isn't it lame? #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #CoronaUpdates #OdishaUnderLockDown pic.twitter.com/5Lptn3VWDo
— Nishant Nihar (@nishant_nihar) April 17, 2020
Another user tweeted, “The depression will soon take the form of a cyclone.”
While another tweeted, “The translator seems to be traumatised by some ବତାସ। No co-vid matches that annual trauma.”
Meanwhile, the app was criticised for violating the users’ privacy as well. Critics say, it is acting as a surveillance tool in the hands of government.