Lok Sabha Question No. 1528 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-19
Subject: Facilities under Digital India
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1528

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 19.12.2018

## FACILITIES UNDER DIGITAL INDIA

## 1528.    SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the effective steps taken by the Government for better augmentation of digital facilities under Digital India in remote areas/villages including those near borders;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to collaborate with private sector in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to promote information technology infrastructure for digital connection in village panchayats and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA)

(a):   The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India has initiated  the  'Digital  India'  programme  with  the  vision  to  transform  India  into  a  digitally empowered  society  and  knowledge  economy.  Some  of  the  key  initiatives taken by the Government  for  expansion  of  digital  facilities  under  Digital  India  programme  in  remote areas/villages of the country are as follows:

-  Common Services Centre (CSC): Common Services Centres are internet enabled centres operated  by  local  entrepreneur,  called  Village  Level  Entrepreneurs  (VLEs)  and  provide eServices to rural citizens. For this, MeitY has initiated a project namely 'Common Services Centre (CSC) 2.0' in August, 2015 under Digital India Programme, which envisages setting up of at  least  one  CSC  at  Gram  Panchayat  (GP)  to  cover  all  the  2.5  lakh  GPs  across  the country. Over 300 digital services are being offered by these CSCs. Till November, 2018, there are  3.05 Lakh Common Services Centre which are active and delivering eServices in remote areas/villages including those near borders.
-  DigiGaon: MeitY has also initiated the 'Digital Village Pilot Project' in October, 2018. 700 Gram Panchayats (GPs) with atleast one Gram Panchayat per District per State/UT are being covered  under  the  project.  The  digital  services  being  offered  are  Digital  Health  Services (Tele-Health & Tele-Veterinary consultation), Education Service, Financial Services, Skill Development, Solar panel powered street lights including Government to Citizens Services (G2C), Business to Citizen (B2C) Services.
- (b):    The  Government  is  already  extending  these  services  through  private  participation.  The village  level  entrepreneurs  (VLEs)  are  private  entities  under  CSC-SPV  which  runs  Common Services Centres.
- (c):  The steps taken by the Government for providing digital connection in village Panchayats is as follows:
-  BharatNet :  Provisioning  of  internet  connectivity  at  rural  areas  is  under  the  purview  of Department  of  Telecommunications  (DoT),  under  Ministry  of  Communications.  DoT  is

implementing BharatNet project with the aim to connect all 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats in the  country  and  to  provide  100  Mbps  connectivity  to  all  gram  panchayats  (GPs).  So  far, 3,01,154 Kms optical fiber has been laid connecting 1,21,652 Gram Panchayats. OFC laying and  equipment  installation  has  been  completed  at  1,16,411  Gram  Panchayats,  which  are service ready.

*******