Common Service Centre (CSC)
- one of the Mission Mode Projects under the Digital India programme.
- Initially the CSC Scheme was approved by the Government of India in September 2006 under NeGP.
- The scheme aimed for the establishment of one lakhs ICT enabled front-end service delivery outlets, equitably spread across rural India in the ratio of one CSC per six villages, thereby covering all six lakhs villages.
- CSCs were envisaged as internet enabled centres allowing access of government, private and social services to citizens.
What are CSCs?
- Common Services Centers (CSCs) are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital India programme. They are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society.
- They are multiple-services-single-point models for providing facilities for multiple transactions at a single geographical location.
- They are the access points for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial, education and agriculture services, apart from host of B2C services to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country.
Common Service Centre 2.0
- Based on the assessment of the CSC scheme, the Government launched the CSC 2.0 scheme in 2015 to expand the outreach of CSCs to all Gram Panchayats across the country.
- Under CSC 2.0 scheme, at least one CSC will be set up in each of the 2.5 lakh GPs across the country by 2019.
- CSCs functioning under the existing scheme will also be strengthened and integrated with additional 1.5 lakh CSCs across the country.
- It is envisaged as a service/transaction oriented model with a large bouquet of services made available at the CSCs for delivering to the citizens.
- Common Service Centres (CSCs) are kiosk/delivery outlets at the Gram Panchayat and ADC village level by which Govt. services are being delivered to the citizens along with B2C services.
The Common Service Centre scheme 2.0 proposes:
- Integrated approach to ensure availability of online services.
- To provide necessary support infrastructure needed for smooth operations & seamless delivery of services.
- Empower DeGS under SDA for establishment of CSCs at GP level.
- VLEs would interact directly with SDAs through DeGS.
- Technology driven relationship among stakeholders.
The CSC 2.0 envisages four core components:
- The CSC network
- CSC Connect services portal/Apna CSC Portal
- State/UT-level help Desk
- Services offered through MMPs
