About CSC

The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), approved by the Government in May 2006, as part of its commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme to introduce e-governance on a massive scale. The CSCs would provide high quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content and services, in the areas of e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment as well as other private services. A highlight of the CSCs is that it will offer web-enabled e-governance services in rural areas, including application forms, certificates, and utility payments such as electricity, telephone and water bills. The Scheme creates a conducive environment for the private sector and NGOs to play an active role in implementation of the CSC Scheme, thereby becoming a partner of the government in the development of rural India. The PPP model of the CSC scheme envisages a 3-tier structure consisting of the CSC operator (called Village Level Entrepreneur or VLE); the Service Centre Agency (SCA), that will be responsible for a division of 500-1000 CSCs; and a State Designated Agency (SDA) identified by the State Government responsible for managing the implementation over the entire State. The CSCs would provide high quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content and services, in the areas of e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment as well as other private services. A highlight of the CSCs is that it will offer web-enabled e-governance services in rural areas, including application forms, certificates, and utility payments such as electricity, telephone and water bills.        Vision Government of India has formulated the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) with the vision of providing all government services in an integrated manner at the doorstep of the citizen at affordable cost. To achieve this larger mission of the NeGP, the Department of Information & Technology (DIT), Government of India, has planned to rollout out 100,000+ Common Services Centers (CSCs) across the country especially in rural areas by March 2011.  Business to Citizen Services through CSCs   1.      Financial Services   a.      Banking – Business Facilitator and Business Correspondent Services through CSCs                           i.      Services explored through CSCs 1.            Opening of Bank Accounts 2.            Sourcing Loan Applications 3.            Formation of SHG groups 4.            Deposits and Disbursal of cash   Key SCA tie-ups State Bank of India HDFC Bank   b.      Insurance – Life and General Insurance Services through CSCs   Some key Insurance Companies tied up with SCAs   Key SCA tie-ups Life Insurance Corporation of India Birla Sunlife Insurance Max Newyork Life Insurance National Insurance Company Limited HDFC ERGO General Insurance TATA AIG   2.      Education – Online / Offline Education Services through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups   IGNOU – Distance Education Courses Microsoft – Customized e-learning courses TCS – CD based Adult literacy courses ETS – IT Training, Spoken English and Internet courses   3.      Telecom – Sale / Recharge / Bill Collection services through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups   BSNL Idea Cellular Reliance Airtel   4.      Travel – Train / Bus / Air ticket bookings through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups   IRCTC Red Bus   5.      Service Aggregators – Utility Services / Mobile Recharges / Entertainment Services through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups Suvidhaa Infoserve Pay world Oxigen   6.      Astrology & Matrimonial Services – Astrology and Matrimonial Services through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups   Astrovision   Bharat Matrimony      7.      Entertainment Services – Sale and recharge of Dish TV connections   Key SCA tie-ups   TATA Sky Reliance DTH   8.      Health – Health Camps through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups   National Rural Health Mission     9.      Agriculture – Agri Information / Agri Input Sales / Agri Extension Services through CSCs   Key SCA tie-ups Reuters Market Light Agri Watch PHI Seeds Limited   10. Research and Data Collection Exploring opportunities to utilize CSC network for research and data collection   Key Service Provider Nielsen   11. Media and Advertising Exploring opportunities for brand promotion and market analysis of various FMCG products   Key Service Provider Group M   12. Allied Government Departments Department of Posts – Extending Postal Services / Rural Postal Insurance through the CSC Network NABARD – Extending financial assistance for Training Village Level Entrepreneurs G2C Services Directory Online Services Source: http://india.gov.in This section provides you useful links to avail various Citizen Services being provided by the Central Government in India. The list, however, is not exhaustive, as we are committed adding more and more information about other services for which citizens and other stakeholders need to interact with the Government. Online Services from Ministry of Agriculture Mandi Prices online - AGMARKNET   Coconut Directory   Insecticides Product Directory ( Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee)   Insecticides Products: Crop-wise Directory (Central Insecticides Board and Registartion Committee)   Online Directory Registration for Manufacturers (Coconut Development Board)   Register in the Database of Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO)   Online Registration Form for Coir Entrepreneurs   Submit Comments/Queries with the National Horticulture Board   Discussion Forum (Coconut Development Board)   Future Trading Price Information (Coconut Development Board)   Journal Subscription Status   Coconut Journal Subscription   Schemes Application Status (Coconut Development Board)   Search Agricultural Universities and Courses Offered for Foreign Students   Subscribe to PQOI Publications       Online Services from Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries Post Trade-related Messages/Offers on the Coir Board Information Portal   Apply Online for Training Courses and Availability of Various Services in States   Apply Online for Training Centres in Khadi & Village Industries (KVIC)   Check the Status of Your Grievance   Online Grievance Redress Form   Send a reminder or clarification of your Grievance   Online Services from Ministry of Rural Development Check Inspection Report Online for Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Online Services from Ministry of Education Educational Support in India View your Exam Results Online Read NCERT Textbooks Online Online Counselling For Admission in Indian Institutions Find Your Study Centre Address for the National Institute of Open Schooling Online Services from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Verify CGHS Beneficiary Data - NCR Search Intramural Research Scientist Online Services from Ministry of Commerce and Industries Apply Online Trade Enquiry (of Spices) Search for Causelists or Pronouncements of Orders of the Intellectual Property Appelate Board Avail Online Facilities of RCMC (APEDA) Write Feedback to the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Apply for Financial Assistance Online for Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Check Wholesale Price Index Online View your Import Export Code (IEC) Online Lodge your Grievance Online in the Department of Commerce & Industry Check Digit Calculator Online Details for Missing Shipping Bills Export Import Data Bank Online Services from Ministry of Finance Submit Grievance related to PAN Compute Your Tax Liability Online Application for New PAN (through NSDL) E-filing of Central Excise & Service Tax Returns Know Your Location Code & Tariff Registration For Central Excise Assessees Registration for Service Tax Payers Online Application for New PAN (through UTITSL) Changes or Correction in PAN Data (Through NSDL) Search for PAN Card Details (for applications made through UTITSL) Check status of grievance related to PAN View tax payments made in Banks Online application for TAN Online application for changes or corrections in TAN data Search for TAN details Track PAN/TAN Application and e-Return Registration Status (for applications made through NSDL) Registration of E-Return Intermediary PPO Status Enquiry (Central Pension Accounting Office) View Press Releases from the Ministry of Finance Retrieval Form for Parliamentary Question and Answers (Rajya Sabha) Returned PAN Card Query (Income Tax Department) Online Case Status of Companies (Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR)) Track your PAN/TAN application and e- return registration status online Submit your PAN Grievances Online Search PAN Application Center Online Surrender of Duplicate PAN Nos Search TAN Online Know Your PAN Online Search TIN Facilitation Centers near your location Check Online Company case Status Know Your PAN Online Services from Ministry of Science and Technology Department of Science & Technology Vacancies in Department of Biotechnology Online services from Ministry of Railways Get information on Train Movement Online Book your railway ticket online Check the upgraded passengers chart/list for Rajdhani Express and 15 other trains online Check various train details (fare, reservation, availability status, etc) between important railway stations online Check the PNR status of your railway ticket online Check the time table of various trains by providing the train name online Online payment enquiry system for suppliers to Integral Coach Factory Online pension calculator for retired railway employees Online facility to update E-mail address for suppliers of diesel locomotive works, Varanasi Check the online status of various issues related to diesel locomotive at the Diesel Locomotive Works Varanasi portal Check your online recruitment status at the Railway Recruitment Board of Patna Check the status of your recruitment application online at the Railway Recruitment Board of Allahabad portal Check train departure details at various railway stations online Check the train arrival details at various railway stations online Online services from Ministry of Civil Aviation Online Status of Medical Assessment of Licensed Aviation Personnels Search Online for Aircraft Registration Status Check Arrival and Departure Information Online Online Services from Ministry of Environment & Forests Check Pending Projects with the Central Government Online Check the Pending Projects Online for Environment Clearance Check Air Pollution of Major Cities Indian Forest Service Annual Confidential Report System Indian Forest Service, Civil List System Search Online for Type Specimens (Botanical Survey of India) Give your Complaints and Suggestions to the Animal Welfare Board of India Post an Enquiry to the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute Become a member of the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Post a Technical query to the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Give your comments to the National Museum for Natural History Book a Tour to the National Museum for Natural History Give Your Feedback to the Botanical Survey of India The Common Services Centers (CSCs): CSCs are envisioned as the front-end delivery points for Government, private and social sector services to rural citizens of India. The idea is to develop a platform that can enable Government, private and social sector organizations to integrate their social and commercial goals for the benefit of rural populations in the remotest corners of the country through a combination of IT as well as non-IT services.   CSC as a Change Agent:  The CSCs cannot be seen as mere service delivery points in rural India. The CSC has to be positioned as a Change Agent - that will promote rural entrepreneurship, build rural capacities and livelihoods, enable community participation and effect collective action for social change - through a bottom-up model that focuses on the rural citizen. ICT in isolation cannot undertake such monumental socio-economic change. However, Rural Entrepreneurship driven by Government, Private and Social sector agencies, and supported by continuous capacity building and training has the power to undertake dramatic changes in rural incomes as well as attitudes. The intensity of national goals fueled by local entrepreneurial vigor can act as a powerful catalyst to empower rural India. ICT for Rural Empowerment ICT as an Enabler:  ICT can be a powerful enabler of developmental goals as its use can dramatically improve communication and exchange of information for strengthening and creating new economic and social networks. ICT is pervasive and can be applied to the full range of human activity-from personal use to business and government. ICT is multifunctional and flexible, allowing for tailored solutions to meet diverse needs of the population. ICT facilitates disintermediation, as it makes it possible for users to acquire products and services directly from the original provider, reducing the need for intermediaries. ICT is fair, equal and transparent as it does not differentiate on the basis economic status, religion or castes of its users. The Development Challenge:  About two-thirds of India’s predominantly rural population having agriculture as its primary occupation, account for less than one-third of the National Income leading to disparity in incomes in rural and urban India. Government agencies, domestic and international institutions associated with development, and NGOs have been engaged in addressing this persistent development problem, each in their own space and time, armed with their respective development ideologies and tools. Traditional rural development interventions have centered round: a) Rural development programmes and schemes launched either at central, state or local government level; b) Decentralization of Planning; c) Better enforcement of land reforms; and, d) Greater access to credit The strategy has been evolving with changing times and taking into its fold new approaches such as participatory local governance, community development, technology diffusion, and rural entrepreneurship. While the participatory local governance and community development approaches have been well absorbed and adopted by the Government agencies, NGOs and the grassroots alike, the induction of ICT and ‘rural entrepreneurship’ into the rural development domain has been more or less unorganized (despite the promising growth in ICT infrastructure and information system in urban areas).  The work on this ambitious NeGP programme is in progress and currently states are in the process of selection of SCAs. In fact in some of the states like Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Tripura the SCA selection has already been completed. The CSCs would be set up by private franchisees called as Service Center Agencies (SCA) – to be appointed by respective States. The SCAs would further appoint Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) to run and manage the CSCs in pre-defined locations. The Scheme would be implemented in a Public Private Partnership Framework with a Focus on Rural Entrepreneurship & Market Mechanisms. The CSCs would focus on content customization and multi- lingual delivery of end-to-end services for income enhancement in rural areas. These (CSCs) are being designed as ICT-enabled retail distribution outlets for delivery of Government, Social as well as Private Sector services in the areas of Telecom, Agriculture, Health, Education, Entertainment, FMCG products, Banking and Financial services, Utility payments, etc. Each CSC is expected to serve a cluster of 6-7 villages, thereby covering more than six lakh villages across India.