Parliament Question: Common Service Centres in Rural Ghaziabad

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2874 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.08.2025 COMMON SERVICE CENTRES IN RURAL GHAZIABAD’ 2874. SHRI ATUL GARG: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the details of specific programmes implemented under Digital India to enhance internet penetration, digital literacy and e-governance in rural and semi-urban areas of Ghaziabad; (b) the total number of Common Service Centres (CSCs) established in rural Ghaziabad along with the number of people benefited from digital financial inclusion and e-learning services; (c) the manner in which the Government ensuring affordable and high-speed internet access in remote areas along with the status of the BharatNet Project in Ghaziabad; (d) the steps being taken by the Government to promote rural digital entrepreneurship, online job training and e-commerce access for artisans, farmers and small businesses; and (e) the details of Government’s roadmap for expanding 5G connectivity, artificial intelligence adoption and digital infrastructure in rural and backward regions of Ghaziabad? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (e): Government launched Digital India program to democratise technology and empower citizens. Several of the initiatives to enhance internet penetration, digital literacy & e-Governance are as follows: 1. Connectivity: For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages in the country. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is implementing BharatNet project in a phased manner. More than 2.14 lakh GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country. In Ghaziabad district, 151 GPs have been made service ready for providing high speed internet services. 2. Under the “Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)” 6.39 crore individuals were trained across the country. In Ghaziabad district, 183 training centers were involved, which trained 26,003 candidates in Ghaziabad.3. Common Services Centres (CSC): CSCs have been set up to deliver digital services to rural citizens. It is a self-sustainable entrepreneurship model which is run by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs). Over 800 services are being delivered through CSCs, including government services, financial services and services related to Aadhaar, education, tele medicine, travel bookings, utility payments. More than 5.60 lakh CSCs are functional across the country (rural + urban), out of which 4.36 lakh CSCs are functional at the Gram Panchayat level. In Ghaziabad district, 1,450 CSCs are functional (rural + urban) including 402 CSCs at the Gram Panchayat level(rural). 4. Skill India Mission (SIM) is launched to improve employability of skilled workers of the country and to cater to new job roles. It provides skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/ institutes etc. under various schemes. These include Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country. The SIM aims at enabling skilled workers of India to get future ready with industry relevant skills. 5. Unified Payments Interface (UPI): More than 49 crore users and 675 banks have joined UPI making it the world’s largest digital payment system. This has also enabled citizens, entrepreneurs and small businesses. 6. National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. More than 1.79 crore farmers and 4,518 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are registered on e-NAM. 7. Indiahandmade.com is a digital marketplace that showcases exquisite handmade products while fostering economic empowerment and preserving India’s rich cultural heritage. The main motive behind this online eCommerce portal is to provide a platform for weavers and artisans to sell their handloom and handicraft items online in India, paving the way for their financial and social empowerment. This also helps in promoting the skills of artisans and weavers while eliminating the intermediaries. 8. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC): ONDC is a public technology initiative launched by the Government of India aimed at fostering a decentralized open e-commerce model. It connects buyers and sellers across various platforms, promoting transparency and inclusivity in digital commerce. ONDC reduces digital monopolies, enhances access for small traders and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSEs), and increases e-commerce penetration in India. 9. 5G services have been rolled out in all States/ UTs across the country and it is available in 99.9% of the districts in the country. More than 4.86 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) across the country.10. India AI Mission: In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision, the Government is making technology accessible to all. The focus is on democratizing the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-world problems, ultimately improving lives across various sectors. IndiaAI mission includes targeted interventions that, inter alia, ensure accountability, safety, fairness, and the protection of human rights and privacy. ******