The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, December 12 — In line with the vision of Prime Minister to democratise technology and empower every citizen, the Government of India continues to advance its landmark Digital India programme, launched in July 2015. The initiative aims to improve lives through digital technologies, expand India’s digital economy, and generate new employment and investment opportunities.
Centered around three major pillars—strengthening digital infrastructure, delivering government services electronically, and promoting digital literacy—the programme has significantly narrowed the urban-rural digital divide. From remote villages to hilly and far-flung regions, technology-driven governance has become more inclusive and accessible.
Digital India encompasses several flagship projects such as DigiLocker for secure cloud-based document access, UPI for revolutionising digital payments, UMANG for mobile-based government service delivery, CoWIN for vaccine management, and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for transparency in public procurement.
To ensure digital services reach rural and remote citizens, Common Service Centres (CSCs) have been established nationwide. Operated by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), these centres deliver over 800 digital services.
As of October 2025, 5.67 lakh CSCs are functional across India, including 4.41 lakh at the Gram Panchayat level.
In the Northeast region alone, the expansion is significant:
Assam leads with 15,511 CSCs, including 14,183 at the GP level.
Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and other states have also recorded strong CSC penetration.
The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), launched to digitally train 6 crore rural households, has successfully trained 6.39 crore individuals across India before its completion in March 2024.
In the Northeast, millions have benefitted—Assam alone trained 23.6 lakh candidates, followed by significant numbers from Tripura, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Department of Telecommunications continues work on BharatNet, the world’s largest rural broadband project, ensuring affordable internet access for every village.
As of October 2025:
2,14,843 Gram Panchayats are service-ready.
Satellite-enabled connectivity is empowering remote regions like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram.
In the Northeast, a total of 6,355 GPs are service-ready across OFC and satellite.
To address industry skill gaps, MeitY launched FutureSkills PRIME in collaboration with NASSCOM, offering:
500+ courses
2,000+ digital fluency pathways
15.78 lakh enrolled candidates, including 41% women and 85% from tier-2/3 cities
The programme is shaping a digitally skilled workforce for future-ready employment opportunities.
Institutions like STPI and NIELIT are encouraging regional technology and entrepreneurship development, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 towns.
NIC’s state and district centres continue to support government offices in implementing ICT applications across India.
These initiatives collectively strengthen the digital footprint of rural and remote India, enabling inclusive technology access for all citizens.
This information was provided by Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, in the Rajya Sabha on December 12, 2025.
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