Common Service Centres - CSC Centres

CSC stands for Common Service Centre. The government of India started this program through the Ministry of IT and Electronics. These centres are set up to bridge the digital gap between the urban and rural areas in the country.

A CSC Centres provides various government, banking, and insurance services that can be electronically managed. Since the people in villages may not have access to computers, these CSCs act like a bridge to make these villages inclusive.

Vision of CSC Centres

The CSC Centres is a progressive flagship initiative of the government to make the country digitally connected and inclusive. It is an attempt by the government to build a knowledge economy powered by digital connectedness.

Through this program, the government of India is turning digital infrastructure and services into a utility. It enables access to these services for every citizen on demand. A CSC Centres makes government and financial institutions like banks accessible to everyone.

Services Offered by CSC Centres

A CSC Centres offers a wide variety of services. The most important of them are institutional services like agricultural services for farmers. CSCs also offer consultative services like weather information, soil fertility information, and advice by experts.

Other major services of CSC Centres are providing tele-education and telemedicine. CSCs use their digital infrastructure to have teachers from remote areas dial in to teach. Expert medical advice is obtained through telemedicine.

On the banking side, CSCs provide services like micro-financing and insurance services. They also allow online booking and online bill payments.

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Setting up a CSC Centres

The Government of India allows the setting up of CSC Centres through an application process. The applicant must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply. They should have a minimum education of passing the 10th level exam from a recognized board.

Since the role needs the candidate to be a communicator, the applicant must be fluent in the local language and know basic English. Basic computer skills are an advantage. Passion for driving social change in their area is most important for a person running a CSC Centres.

A CSC centre needs minimum infrastructure. A PC with regular operating systems, an Internet connection, and other common software will be necessary for the setup. A UPS to keep the machine running in case of power cuts is the second requirement.

A webcam video conferencing to be used for consultations, education, and telemedicine will be needed. Biometric systems are needed for identity verification for banking and insurance services.

CSC Centres - CSC 2.0

The government continues to improve digital access to remote areas. To achieve this, it has upgraded each CSC Centres to CSC 2.0. Under this program, 2.5 lakh gram panchayats will get CSCs, and the bouquet of services CSCs provide will also increase.

Setting up and running CSC Centres is a way to create jobs in villages. The government allows Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) to register to run a CSC and earn their livelihood through that.

FAQs on CSC Centres

Q1. What do CSC Centres mean?

A CSC Centre or Common Service Centre is a Ministry of IT and Electronics initiative. These are set up to deliver IT and electronics services to remote villages. This program is set up to make the villages inclusive financially and digitally.

Q2. What kind of services can CSC Centres provide?

CSC centres can provide a range of services like passport, telemedicine, insurance, and pension services.

Q3. How do CSC Centres work?

CSC Centres work as a connecting resource between the government, banks, insurance companies, and other service providers. They use these services to connect remote places in the country with the mainstream digitally.

Q4. Who is a VLE, and what do they have to do with the CSC Centres?

A VLE is a Village Level Entrepreneur who runs CSC Centres and provides various services to the villages where they operate.