Common Service Center (CSC)
About the Project
National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) launched in 2006 consists of 44 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs). The CSC is one of the 44MMPs which deliver all the e-services at the grass root level with the ultimate objective to bring public services closer to the citizens.
Initially the Common Service Centre scheme was approved by the Government of India in September 2006 under NeGP. The scheme aimed for the establishment of one lakhs ICT enabled front-end service delivery outlets, equitably spread across rural India in the ratio of one CSC per six villages, thereby covering all six lakhs villages. CSCs were envisaged as internet enabled centers allowing access of government, private and social services to citizen.
The objective of the CSC is to provide e-services in the locality of citizens, by creating the physical service delivery infrastructure for accessing various e-services. The CSC is envisaged to be a Change Instrument that would provide a structured platform for socially-inclusive community participation for development. An individual or organization functioning as a Change Agent, would run the CSC. It is the community participation and collective action, not ICT alone, which lead to sustainable socio-economic development and long-term rural prosperity.
The CSC 2.0 envisages establishment of at least 2.5 lakhs CSCs covering all Gram Panchayats of the country over a period of four years. This would also include strengthening and integrating the existing one lakhs CSCs already operational under the existing scheme and making operational an additional 1.5 CSCs at Gram Panchayat (Preferably at GP premises). It is envisaged as a services/transaction oriented model with a large bouquet of services made available at the CSCs for delivering to the citizens.
Objectives
1. Non-discriminatory access to e-services to rural citizens by making the CSCs complete service delivery centres, utilizing the backend infrastructure already created in terms of other MMPs.
2. Expansion of self-sustaining CSC Network till the Gram Panchayat level-2.5 lakhs CSCs i.e. at least one CSC per Gram Panchayat, more than one preferred.
3. Enablement and consolidation of online services under on technology platform, hence making the service delivery at CSCs outlets accountable, transparent, efficient and traceable, with a technology-driven relationship between all stakeholders.
Outcome:
Availability of Government services of Various Departments at one stop shop in the locality of the citizen. Minimized visits of citizens to different Departments for enquiry and obtaining Government services Extended hours of service - 12 hours as against 8 hours in Government Departments.
