Common Services Centers (CSCs) are the access points for delivery of various e-governance and business services to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country. It is a pan-India network catering to regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government’s mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society.

As an integral part of Digital India Programme, CSCs offer assisted access
of e-services to citizens with a focus on enhancing governance, delivering
essential government and public utility services, social welfare schemes,
financial services, education and skill development courses, health and
agriculture services and digital literacy, apart from a host of B2C services.

CSCs are envisioned to facilitate a platform that
will enable government, private and social sector organizations to integrate
their social and commercial goals and take benefits of information and
communication tools (ICT) to the remotest corners of the country.

CSCs act as change agents and are much more than
mere service delivery points in rural India.  They promote rural
entrepreneurship, build rural capacities and livelihood, enable community
participation and support collective action for social change through a
bottom-up approach with a focus on the rural citizen.

The Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE) is the key to
the success of CSC operations. While content and services are important, it is
the VLE’s entrepreneurial ability that ensures sustainability of the CSC. A
good VLE not only has financial strength, but is somebody with strong
entrepreneurial traits, social commitment and commands respect and credibility
within the community. The quality of service at the CSCs is as effective as the
quality of VLEs operating them. Selection, proper training and motivation of
the VLE, therefore, play a vital role in the success of CSC scheme.