Govt Launches 4,740 Digital Centres In Rural India To Boost Connectivity And Drive Economic Growth

The government is launching 4,740 Digital India Common Service Centres across rural areas to provide high-speed internet and essential services to bridge the digital divide.

New Delhi:In a significant step toward bridging the digital divide and ensuring that essential digital services reach every corner of the country, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the launch of the Digital India Common Service Center (DICSC) project. This ambitious initiative aims to establish 4,740 Digital India Common Service Centers (DICSCs) across India, with a focus on rural areas, especially in districts like Pilibhit and Gorakhpur.

The DICSC project is an effort to bring e-governance, financial services, education, and telemedicine closer to village communities. Each DICSC will be equipped with high-speed internet and essential digital infrastructure, empowering rural citizens with access to digital services that were previously inaccessible or difficult to obtain.

DICSC Centers Across India

The project aims to create model centres in nearly every gram panchayat within selected districts, which include Pilibhit and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Pilibhit is set to receive 720 DICSC centres, while Gorakhpur will see the establishment of 1,273 centres. The initiative also covers other regions-- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (previously Aurangabad, Maharashtra) will have 870 centres, Chamba in Himachal Pradesh (309), Khammam in Telangana (589), Gandhinagar in Gujarat (288), Mamit in Mizoram (100), Jodhpur in Rajasthan (415), Leh in Ladakh (95), and 81 centres in Puducherry.

Managed by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, these centres will operate under a six-month budget of approximately ₹31.6 crore, with an option to extend the project to nine months. This funding will be allocated to provide high-speed broadband, computers, and infrastructure needed to deliver essential services, making each centre a one-stop shop for digital services.

High-Speed Internet Driving Local Growth

The DICSCs will function as multifunctional service centres, providing essential e-governance services alongside financial, educational, and telemedicine services, all supported by high-speed broadband connectivity. This modern infrastructure is expected to empower Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who will manage the centres, fostering local economic growth and creating job opportunities in rural areas.

The project aims not only to improve service access but also to deliver these services in a transparent, centralised, and sustainable way through technical monitoring. Additionally, GPS-enabled mobile vans will be deployed to reach even the most remote villages, promoting government schemes and bringing essential services directly to those in need.

A New Chapter in Digital Inclusion

Through the DICSC initiative, digital literacy and access to vital services are set to improve substantially, especially in rural and remote regions. Pilibhit and Gorakhpur will serve as model districts for the rollout of this transformative project, which has the potential to uplift the economic conditions of these areas, integrate them into the digital economy, and promote inclusive growth.

By connecting rural citizens with e-governance and financial services, healthcare, education, and e-commerce, the DICSC project aims to create an empowered and digitally inclusive India.