Common Services Centers (CSC) scheme is one of the mission mode projects under the Digital India Programme. CSCs 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. It is a pan-India network catering to regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government’s mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society. Earlier, the CSC Scheme (CSC 1.0) was launched under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) in 2008 in the State of Odisha with a target of setting up of 8558 CSCs (called as Jana Seva Kendra in Odisha) in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with appointment of 3 private agencies called Service Centre Agencies (SCAs). Under CSC 1.0 scheme, about 6715 CSCs were set up.
CSC 2.0 Scheme
Based on the assessment of CSC 1.0 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.
CSC 2.0 scheme would consolidate service delivery through a universal technology platform, thereby making e-services, particularly G2C services accessible to citizens anywhere in the country. TheCSCs are meant to provide high quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content, in the areas of e-Government, Education, Health, Tele-medicine, Entertainment as well as possible Government to Citizen and Private services. Unlike CSC 1.0 scheme, CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV), set up by the Ministry of Electronics & IT under the Companies Act, 1956 is the Implementing Agency of CSC 2.0 scheme with desired support and active involvement of District Administration. In Odisha, CSC 2.0 scheme was launched in June, 2016.
Key Features of CSC 2.0 scheme
- A self-sustaining network of 2.5 lakh CSCs in Gram Panchayats
- Large bouquet of e-services through a single delivery platform
- Standardization of services and capacity building of stakeholders
- Localised Help Desk support
- Sustainability of VLEs through maximum commission sharing
- Encouraging more women as VLEs
