Nepal built a digital identity app. So why do government offices still want the paper?

The Nagarik App can verify identity in real time, but outdated laws and institutional inertia still force citizens to carry physical documents.

On March 5, Nirmal Gaihre posted a review of the Nagarik App on the Google Play Store, questioning the app’s worth. “I am very disappointed with the Nagarik App,” Gaihre wrote. “If digital documents cannot be used for official verification without showing a physical citizenship card, national ID, or passport, then what is the real purpose of this platform?”