The Common Services Centres (CSCs) Scheme is one of the flagship programs of Government of India under Digital India. These CSCs are the access points for delivery of various digital services to villages in India. CSCs offer assisted access to essential government and public utility services, social welfare schemes, financial services, education and skill development courses, apart from a host of B2C services.
There are 4.0 lakh plus CSCs functioning across the country as delivery points of government and public services for the rural population in rural, semi-urban and urban areas. Majority of these are located in rural and semi-urban, primarily located at each gram panchayat level across the country. The CSCs are equipped with necessary infrastructure to deliver education services having 3-30 computers.
The key stakeholder of the CSC scheme is the Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE), as the CSC operators are known. A network of more than 3.50 lakh VLEs, of which 1.63 lakh are in Gram Panchayats, are actively providing various online public utility and financial services to citizens, quality healthcare, apart from boosting entrepreneurship and employment in villages and smaller towns across the country. A good VLE not only has strong entrepreneurial traits and social commitment, apart from financial stability, he/she commands credibility and respect in the community.
As on 1st January 2020, there are more than 300+ Government and other private sector services being delivered through the CSCs.
These include over 30+ education and skill-oriented courses/ services, under the following:
- Skill career-oriented Courses
- Professional Career Courses
- Awareness Courses
- Self-enhancement Courses and
- Competitive Examination Preparation
CSC e- Governance Service India Limited is a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) incorporated in the year 2009 under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY), Government of India, to monitor the implementation of Common Services Centres Scheme (CSCs).