CSCs to offer digital financial literacy in rural India

Common Services Centres (CSCs), under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, will provide digital financial literacy training and facilitate access to such instruments for one crore rural citizens.
The project was sanctioned yesterday as a sub-component of Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA), which is being implemented by CSC SPV, a release said.
"The project, titled Digital Finance for Rural India: Creating Awareness and Access through CSCs, aims to enable the CSCs to become digital financial hubs, by hosting awareness sessions on government policies and digital finance options available for rural citizens as well as enabling various mechanisms of digital financial services such as... UPI (Unified Payment Interface), bank PoS machines," the release pointed out.

The project will reach out to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country through two lakh CSCs that are operational across rural and semi-urban locations, it said.
"Each CSC would reach out to 40 households in the catchment area, covering one person from each household. Apart from rural citizens, each CSC would target at least 10 local merchants, shopkeepers, artisans per Panchayat to facilitate them in getting PoS machines or digital payment mechanisms," it stated.
The target group covered under the project will include the most vulnerable and poor, with a focus on women, farmers, the marginalised, hawkers, small traders and artisans, the release added.

The project assumes significance in light of the recent demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and the government's efforts to transform India into a less-cash economy.