GIGW 3.0: What Government Digital Teams Need to Know

In May 2026, India updated one of its key digital standards. The Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Apps, now version 3.0 or GIGW 3.0, is the mandatory framework for every central government website, portal, web application and mobile app. If you build or maintain government digital properties as a developer, agency or vendor, this is your new baseline.

What changed in GIGW 3.0

There are three main changes. First, the standard now explicitly names WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the accessibility benchmark, replacing earlier, looser requirements. Second, the scope now includes mobile apps as well as websites, which is why the full name is now "Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Apps". Third, cybersecurity has been added as a formal pillar alongside quality, accessibility and lifecycle management, developed jointly by NIC, STQC and CERT-In.

Legal weight

GIGW 3.0 is part of the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure, so it is official government procedure, not advisory guidance. The manual warns that government organisations can face legal action under national and international laws if their websites and apps are not accessible. The domestic law it cites is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, specifically Section 46 on accessibility of ICT.

STQC certification

The STQC Directorate (under MeitY) awards a Certified Quality Website (CQW) mark to government entities that pass a formal evaluation. Under GIGW 3.0, organisations applying for certification must now submit an audit report from an auditor certified by the IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals). In practice, only professionals with recognised international credentials can produce the required documentation.

S3WaaS

NIC's S3WaaS (Secure, Scalable and Sugamya Website as a Service) platform powers district portals, central departments and Kendriya Vidyalayas, and it ships with GIGW-compliant templates. Bodies on S3WaaS inherit accessibility from the platform. Departments on custom builds carry more of the compliance burden, and for them STQC certification is the clearest way to demonstrate conformance.