In order to make Digital India initiative a reality, we need to build up a digital rural India. To this end, Common Service Centres (CSCs) could play a crucial role in empowering rural people with digital literacy, Shri Y P Singh, Chief Secretary of Tripura said this here on Aug 29. He was delivering key note address in a day-long State level workshop on the role and significance of Common Service Centre (CSC) in e-Governance at Pragna Bhawan, Agartala. The workshop was organized by the CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd. The workshop was inaugurated by Shri Sankar Prasad Datta, Member of Parliament.
Delivering the welcome address, CEO of CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd Dr Dinesh Kumar Tyagi said 1 Lakh 40 thousand CSCs are currently catering various categories of citizen services (G2C) across the country. Outlining the prospects and importance of CSCs in empowering rural population as well as creating entrepreneurs, Dr Tyagi said, CSCs should give stress upon three core areas like Financial Inclusion (FI), UIDI and Education. Analysing CSCs role in FI in details, he said CSCs enjoy advantage due to their accessibility and availability of ICT infrastructure and henceforth, CSCs are ideally poised for strengthening India’s banking sector. Moreover, CSCs may enhance their earning opportunities by offering various Insurance products and Atal Pension Yojna to villagers.
Many educational courses are found to have reached at the doorsteps of rural populace with the help of CSCs, he said, adding that the job aspirants from rural areas may take coaching for competitive exams through CSCs. Apart from regular courses, CSCs may access the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) etc. and various online courses including Cyber Security Courses for the local people.
Giving a live demonstration of as to how to enroll infants (below 5yrs) under UIDAI, the parents of a girl child, named, Anyesha Majumder (2) of Agartala got her name enrolled during the session of the workshop. She became the 1st infant enrolled in UIDAI in the State. This is noted that, the process of getting infants’ names enrolled in UIDAI is completely different from the normal procedure of its kind.
Focusing lights on emerging opportunities of CSCs, Dr. Tyagi informed CSC may expand activities in the tele medicine sector. He stated, Doctors of Apollo Hospital will provide Tele-consultation through CSCs in local languages. Moreover, steps have been taken to start few diagnostic services and Jan Asudhi Shops for generic medicines using CSCs. This move will augment earning opportunities for CSCs and take health care services and will ensure supply of generic medicines to rural communities at affordable prices. In Tripura, so far only one CSC, namely Vidyasagar CSC at Panchavati in Simna West District has started Tele-medicine consultancy service.
Senior Manager of CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd, Shri Shiladitya Sarkar discussed about various products and services available through CSCs. Amongst others, Shri C. K. Dhar, SIO of NIC informed about the services provided by NIC.
