(a): Yes, Sir. Government has conducted following 2 (two) reviews/surveys for setting up and functioning of Common Services Centre (CSC) project in the Gram Panchayats (GPs) across the country are:
1. Center of Innovation in Public System (CIPS) in the Year 2014
2. A mid-term impact assessment on CSC scheme - Conducted by Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad in the year 2018-19.
Details of findings are at Annexure.
(b): There are 2,53,134 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. As on 30th June 2019, 2,66,041 CSCs are functioning in 2,40,592 GPs. The rest of the Gram Panchayats are yet to be covered.
(c): Government of India has established a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC-SPV). CSC-SPV has a mandate to manage and establish CSC centres across the country particularly in rural areas. Currently, 2,66,041 CSCs are functioning in Gram Panchayats. These CSCs are extending Government-to-Citizens (G2C) and Business-to-Citizens (B2C) services to the population in these Gram Panchayats.
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Annexure
Brief findings of various Surveys/Assessment Reports
1. Assessment Study of Common Services Centres in Seven States by CIPS, in March 2014
An independent assessment study was undertaken by the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS), Hyderabad. The purpose of the study was to obtain meaningful pointers as regards (i) the nature and extent of the success of the CSC project in achieving its purpose and objectives; (ii) the administrative issues affecting the performance of the CSCs; and (iii) the sustainability of the CSCs in the long run. Study was conducted in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tripura.
The main parameters of the study were: a) Profiling the CSCs across states; b) Analyzing the CSC models across states; c) Identifying the factors that contribute to the financial sustainability of a VLE; d) Providing recommendations on revitalizing the CSCs that are presently not viable; e) Suggesting futuristic models for convergence of services of various departments at CSCs; f) Arriving at recommendations on the services to be provided by VLEs; g) Suggesting steps to make the CSCs more profitable and viable.
2. Mid-Term impact assessment on CSC scheme - Conducted by Indian School of Business, Hyderabad
• Central and State Government to encourage and promote the growth of entrepreneurship, which would result in benefits and prospects of taking up entrepreneurship as a career option.
• Broadband internet access and connectivity to the last mile would enable greater success rates of both existing and aspiring VLEs who want to set up and lead CSC centres across the far-flung areas of the country.
• To provide training to the VLEs about business strategies, notably, marketing, finance, operations, and investments in human capital that facilitate identification of market opportunities and development of sustainable businesses around such opportunities.
• Greater investments in the digital literacy of the citizens would enable them to a wealth of information and thereby their awareness of various products and services that they can afford and avail.
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