Lok Sabha Question No. 4667 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Internet Services and Digital Literacy in Villages
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dileshwar Kamait, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Geeta Kora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4667 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  MARCH, 2021

## INTERNET SERVICES AND DIGITAL LITERACY IN VILLAGES

†4667. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

SHRIMATI GEETA KORA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of villages in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand where internet services are available along with the details thereof;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve digital literacy in villages; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  funds  allocated  to  Bihar,  Jammu  and  Kashmir  and  Jharkhand  to  improve digital literacy during each of the last two years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) Internet  is  being  provided  in  rural  areas  by  the  Government  and  the  Telecom  Service Providers (TSPs) through wireless mobile and fixed wireline services. In addition to this, Government of  India  is  implementing  BharatNet  project  to  provide  broadband  connectivity  to  all  the  Gram Panchayats (GPs) (approx. 2,50,000) in the country.

The status of Internet services available in villages of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand as on 26.02.2021, is as follows:

|   S.N | Parameter                                                                                            | In Bihar   | In Jammu and Kashmir   | In Jharkhand   |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------------------|----------------|
|     1 | Total number of inhabited villages (as per Census 2011)                                              | 39,073     | 6,101                  | 29,492         |
|     1 | Number of inhabited villages (as per Census 2011) having mobile wireless coverage                    | 38,828     | 5,947                  | 28,348         |
|     2 | Under BharatNet project Service Ready Gram Panchayats (including BHQs) with broadband infrastructure | 8,821      | 988                    | 3,597          |

(b) The  Government  of  India  has  approved  a  scheme  titled  'Pradhan  Mantri  Gramin  Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)' to usher in digital literacy in rural India by covering 6 crore rural households  (one  person  per  household)  in  February  2017  at  a  total  outlay  of  around  Rs.  2,351.38 crore.  Under  the  Scheme,  to  ensure  equitable  geographical  reach,  each  of  the  2,50,000  Gram Panchayats across the country are envisaged to register an average of 200-300 candidates.

Under the PMGDISHA Scheme, as on 17.03.2021, around 4.60 Crore candidates have been enrolled and around 3.74 Crore candidates have completed the training out of which more than 2.74 Crore candidates have been certified.

(c) As the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) Scheme is funded as a Central Sector Scheme, funds are not sanctioned and allocated to States/UTs.

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