Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Digital Saksharata Abhinandan Samaroh

Gandhinagar: Digital Saksharata Abhinanadan Samaroh will be addressed by Hon’ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 7, 2017 at IIT Gandhinagar. Pradhanmantri Grameen Digital Saksharata Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) is an integral component of Digital India Initiative of the Government. The scheme envisage to make 6 crore citizens digitally literate in rural India. The function will highlight the significance of digital literacy in addressing issue of digital divide/promote digital financial transactions and support in providing access to information, knowledge and skill there by leading to digitally empowered society.

PMGDISHA envisage to provide equal opportunity to rural citizens enabling them to actively participate in nation building and access livelihood through Digital Technology, Devices and Services.

Apart from the Prime Minster, the function will also be presided by Hon’ Minister for Electronics & IT and Law & Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijaibhai Rupani, Hon’ Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri Satya Pal Singh, Hon’ Minister of State for Electronics & IT and Tourism (Independent Charge) Shri K J Alphons, Hon’ Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Nitinbhai Patel, Hon’ State Minister for Education and Revenue, Shri Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, among other dignitaries.

PMGDISHA scheme was initiated in February 2017 by the Government to provide basic digital literacy training to six crore citizens across rural India within two years, targeting at least one person from every household. Citizens trained under PMGDISHA would be skilled in operating digital devices like computers, tablets, smart phones and use Internet in daily life for enhancing their skills and knowledge, access Government to Citizens services, healthcare and financial services as well.

The scheme also focuses on enabling digital financial transactions among the citizens. By seeding Aadhaar number to bank account of the beneficiary and enabling him to access various online Government services like booking of railway tickets, passport application, etc would enable the citizen to leverage technology and participate actively in governance.

So far, more than 55 lakh citizens have been registered on the PMGDISHA portal for digital literacy training, out of which more than 22 lakh citizens have been certified after successfully completing the assessment. The scheme will be implemented through Training Center – One in Every Panchayat (2.5 Lakh Training Center). Corporate through CSR and NGOs having facilities for conduct of training also participates in Digital Literacy program.

Around 7000 training center operator (CSC-VLEs) Common Service Center – Village Level Entrepreneur from various state across the country will participate in the “Digital Saksharata Abhinanadan Samaroh” on 7th Oct 2017 at Gandhinagar. About 500 citizens who have been trained and certified under PMGDISHA would also be attending the event. The Honorable Prime Minister would award five Village Level Entrepreneur and Five Digitally Literate citizen in the function. All the Common Service Center – 2.6 Lacs across the country will telecast the event at Gandhinagar, Mobilizing local citizens, digitally literate candidate at their center on 7th Oct 2017. The event would also be telecasted on National Doordarshan channel.

Common Services Centers (CSC) Scheme is an integral part of “Digital India” initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. The CSCs are ICT enabled front end service delivery points at the village level enabling delivery of Government, Financial, Social and Private Sector services in the areas of agriculture, health, education, entertainment, FMCG products, banking, insurance, pension, utility payments, etc. CSCs are managed and operated by a village level entrepreneur (VLE). Presently there are 2.6Lacs CSCs across the country. 90% of these are managed and operated by Women. Each CSC on average employee 4 to 5 persons.