CSCs are the access points for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial, education, and agriculture services, apart from a host of B2C services to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country. It is a pan-India network catering to a regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government's mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society.
CSC 2.0 Scheme
Based on the assessment of the CSC 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.
Key Features of CSC 2.0 scheme
A self-sustaining network of 2.5 lakh CSCs in Gram Panchayats
The large bouquet of e-services through a single delivery platform
Standardization of services and capacity building of stakeholders
Localized Help Desk support
Sustainability of VLEs through maximum commission sharing
Encouraging more women as VLEs
Project components
The Project Components of the CSC consist primarily of Content & Services, Technology, Connectivity, Capacity Building, and Business Model.
Required CSC Infrastructure:
Room/Building having the place of 100-150 Sq. Ft.
Two PC's with UPS with 5 hours battery back-up or the portable generator set.
PC with licensed Operating System of Windows 7 or above.
Two Printers. (Inkjet+ Laser)
RAM having the minimum storage capacity of 2 GB
Hard Disc Drive of at least 250 GB
Digital Camera/ Web Cam
Wired/ Wireless/V-SAT Connectivity
Biometric/IRIS Authentication Scanner for Banking Services.
CD/DVD Drive
The CSC project, which forms a strategic component of the National eGovernance Plan was approved in September 2006. It is also one of the approved projects under the Integrated Mission Mode Projects of the National eGovernance Plan.
The implementation of the CSC would be done in a Public-private partnership (PPP) model whereby the total project cost of Rs. 57.42 billion, over 4 years, would be shared between Government(30% equal to Rs. 16.49billion) and private finances (70% equal to Rs. 40.93 billion). The split between the central and state government would be Rs. 8.56 billion and Rs. 7.93 billion respectively. As of 31st Jan 2011, 88,689 CSCs have been rolled out in thirty-one States/UTs. 100% CSCs have been rolled out in 11 (Eleven) States (Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Pondicherry, Sikkim & Tripura). More than 80% of the rollout has been completed in 6 States (Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and West Bengal). In about 6 States (Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand) implementation of CSCs have crossed halfway mark (more than 50%). It is expected that the rollout of 100,000 CSCs would be completed by March 2011.
It is envisaged that G2Cservices may take longer to be operational, hence the SCA(Service Centre Agencies) are to be provided support in the form of “Guaranteed Provision of Revenue from Governmental Services” over a period of four years, once the CSCs are certified as operational by the SDA(State Designed Agency). The amount of revenue support is proposed to be 33.33% of the normative value which works out to Rs. 3304/- per CSC per month. This support is to be shared by the Union and State Governments in equal ratio. However, the exact amount of support is to be arrived at through a ‘price discovery mechanism’ discovered through bids (not to exceed 50% of the normative value).
