Lok Sabha Question No. 1568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-10
Subject: PMGDISHA
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1568

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 10.02.2021

## PMGDISHA

## 1568.   DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI:

Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  salient  features  and  the  current  status  of  the  implementation  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiayn (PMGDISHA);
- (b) the  total  number  of  Gram  Panchayats  and  candidates  that  have  registered  so  far  under  the Scheme, State/UT wise;
- (c) whether only 6 percent of rural households have posses computers and if so, the steps being taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  rural  households  the  access  to  digital  devices  during training;
- (d)   the steps being taken by the Government to ensure the availability of necessary infrastructure and trained personnel at the Training Centres/Common Service Centres; and
- (e)        the  total  amount  of  funds  allocated  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  under  the  scheme, State/UT wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) and (b):   Government of India had 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 Rs. 2,351.38 crore (approx.).  In  order  to  ensure  equitable  geographical  reach,  it  is  envisaged  to  cover  each  of  the 2,50,000  Gram  Panchayats  across  the  country.  The  implementation  of  the  Scheme  is  carried  out through  CSC  e-Governance  Services  India  Private  Limited  (CSC-SPV).  The  scheme  is  aimed  at digitally illiterate rural citizens belonging to the age group of 14 to 60 years to train them to operate computer or digital access devices (like tablets, smart phones etc.) in a course duration of 20 hours at duly identified Common  Service  Centre(CSC)/training centre located within the  Gram Panchayats. As on date, 2.46 Lakh Gram Panchayats are covered under the Scheme. So far, around 4.21  Crore  candidates  have  been  enrolled/registered,  around  3.44  Crore  candidates  have  been trained, out of which more than 2.51 Crore candidates have been certified by duly authorized 3rd party  Assessment  Agencies.  The  State/UT-wise  candidates  registered,  trained  and  certified  under the scheme are as Annexure.

(c):  As per 71st NSSO Survey on Education 2014, only around 6% of rural households and 29% urban households have a computer. Under the PMGDISHA scheme, the beneficiaries are trained to use/operate  digital  access  devices  such  as  computers,  tablets,  smart  phones  etc.  which  are  made available at the respective training centres. After the training, the candidates are allowed to use such digital infrastructure available at the Training centres for further practice, as and when required.

(d): The Training centres/CSCs working under the scheme are required to adhere to the stipulated guidelines  which  inter-alia  include  prescribed  IT  infrastructure  including  computer,  webcam, biometric device, projector/LCD, Internet connectivity and  availability of qualified trainer, etc as the major requisites for training delivery. The scheme guidelines also prescribe that each training centre empanelled in the scheme shall have a minimum of one trainer, with a minimum educational qualification of Basic Computer Course (BCC) or its equivalent. The Training centres are permitted to conduct training only after due physical verification of these pre-requisites is carried out by CSCSPV.

- (e):  PMGDISHA Scheme is funded as a Central Sector Scheme, hence, funds are not allocated to States and UTs.

*******

## Annexure

| State-wise Status of PMGDISHA scheme as on 04.02.2021   | State-wise Status of PMGDISHA scheme as on 04.02.2021   | State-wise Status of PMGDISHA scheme as on 04.02.2021   | State-wise Status of PMGDISHA scheme as on 04.02.2021   | State-wise Status of PMGDISHA scheme as on 04.02.2021   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| S.N.                                                    | State                                                   | Registered                                              | Trained                                                 | Certified                                               |
| 1                                                       | Andaman &Nicobar Island                                 | 289                                                     | 94                                                      | 35                                                      |
| 2                                                       | Andhra Pradesh                                          | 8,81,180                                                | 6,36,122                                                | 4,51,686                                                |
| 3                                                       | Arunachal Pradesh                                       | 3,115                                                   | 1,044                                                   | 735                                                     |
| 4                                                       | Assam                                                   | 19,66,584                                               | 16,37,804                                               | 12,74,239                                               |
| 5                                                       | Bihar                                                   | 43,45,325                                               | 36,72,853                                               | 26,15,615                                               |
| 6                                                       | Chandigarh                                              | -                                                       | -                                                       | -                                                       |
| 7                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                            | 22,55,016                                               | 18,82,575                                               | 13,97,828                                               |
| 8                                                       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                     | 1,193                                                   | 376                                                     | 257                                                     |
| 9                                                       | Daman &Diu                                              | 1,001                                                   | 522                                                     | 316                                                     |
| 10                                                      | Delhi                                                   | 248                                                     | 153                                                     | 100                                                     |
| 11                                                      | Goa                                                     | 1,353                                                   | 900                                                     | 662                                                     |
| 12                                                      | Gujarat                                                 | 18,99,227                                               | 15,89,292                                               | 11,48,020                                               |
| 13                                                      | Haryana                                                 | 15,53,903                                               | 12,93,311                                               | 9,64,122                                                |
| 14                                                      | Himachal Pradesh                                        | 2,39,813                                                | 1,60,161                                                | 1,16,106                                                |
| 15                                                      | Jammu &Kashmir                                          | 3,20,526                                                | 2,40,132                                                | 1,77,619                                                |
| 16                                                      | Jharkhand                                               | 18,42,753                                               | 14,33,545                                               | 10,26,959                                               |
| 17                                                      | Karnataka                                               | 7,20,693                                                | 5,54,284                                                | 3,69,437                                                |
| 18                                                      | Kerala                                                  | 42,547                                                  | 19,600                                                  | 15,569                                                  |
| 19                                                      | Ladakh                                                  | 1,642                                                   | 1,094                                                   | 799                                                     |
| 20                                                      | Lakshadweep                                             | 27                                                      | 5                                                       | -                                                       |
| 21                                                      | Madhya Pradesh                                          | 32,63,074                                               | 26,85,459                                               | 18,99,770                                               |
| 22                                                      | Maharashtra                                             | 26,01,825                                               | 20,47,903                                               | 14,67,472                                               |
| 23                                                      | Manipur                                                 | 9,364                                                   | 5,134                                                   | 3,207                                                   |
| 24                                                      | Meghalaya                                               | 73,079                                                  | 51,198                                                  | 32,573                                                  |
| 25                                                      | Mizoram                                                 | 7,451                                                   | 5,299                                                   | 3,074                                                   |
| 26                                                      | Nagaland                                                | 5,032                                                   | 3,644                                                   | 2,693                                                   |
| 27                                                      | Odisha                                                  | 23,34,437                                               | 18,62,126                                               | 14,02,287                                               |
| 28                                                      | Puducherry                                              | 11,697                                                  | 8,185                                                   | 5,553                                                   |
| 29                                                      | Punjab                                                  | 11,44,427                                               | 9,57,242                                                | 7,26,201                                                |
| 30                                                      | Rajasthan                                               | 20,77,058                                               | 16,41,461                                               | 12,00,978                                               |
| 31                                                      | Sikkim                                                  | 768                                                     | 564                                                     | 202                                                     |

| 32    | Tamil Nadu    | 7,40,003    | 5,99,273    | 4,30,115    |
|-------|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| 33    | Telangana     | 5,50,163    | 4,28,772    | 3,01,492    |
| 34    | Tripura       | 1,43,935    | 95,271      | 71,744      |
| 35    | Uttar Pradesh | 1,11,56,468 | 94,32,168   | 69,00,805   |
| 36    | Uttarakhand   | 4,28,749    | 3,38,051    | 2,52,266    |
| 37    | West Bengal   | 14,78,889   | 11,51,565   | 8,71,619    |
| Total | Total         | 4,21,02,854 | 3,44,37,182 | 2,51,32,155 |