New Delhi: In a major step toward closing the digital divide in rural India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will launch the Digital India Common Service Center (DICSC) project, starting in Pilibhit and Gorakhpur. With this initiative, MeitY will establish a model DICSC centre in almost every gram panchayat across 10 districts, totalling 4,740 centres across the country, the Ministry announced today.
DICSC Centres Across India
Pilibhit will host 720 DICSC centres, while Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) will see 1,273 centres. Additional sites include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad, Maharashtra) with 870 centres, Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) with 309, Khammam (Telangana) with 589, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) with 288, Mamit (Mizoram) with 100, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) with 415, Leh (Ladakh) with 95, and Puducherry with 81 DICSC centres. CSC e-Governance Services India Limited will oversee the centralised technical management and implementation of these centres, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology informed.
According to the Ministry, with an initial budget of ₹31.6088 crore, the project will run for six months, with the potential to extend to nine months. The DICSC aims to build a unified platform for essential e-governance, financial, and commercial services for rural citizens. Pilibhit’s CSC centres, for example, will offer services such as Aadhaar registration, banking, financial planning, tele-law, telemedicine, education, and e-commerce support.
High-Speed Internet to Drive Growth
Each CSC will have high-speed broadband connectivity and modern infrastructure, transforming them into versatile service hubs. This connectivity will empower Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), stimulate local economic growth and create job opportunities. Furthermore, centralised technical monitoring will ensure transparent and sustainable service delivery, MeitY said.
To extend government schemes and services to remote areas, GPS-enabled mobile vans will promote programmes and deliver essential resources. This extensive approach will not only boost digital literacy but also improve access to services in Pilibhit and Gorakhpur.
Transforming Rural Economies
The DICSC project will bring critical digital services to these regions, empowering local entrepreneurs and promoting inclusive economic growth. By addressing the digital divide, this initiative will uplift Pilibhit and Gorakhpur’s economic conditions and connect them to the broader digital economy, the Ministry expects.
