What are the benefits of CSC?
How to register for CSC services?
What are the eligibility criteria for CSC registration?
What are the documents required for CSC registration?
How much does it cost to register for CSC services?
Is there any other information I need to know about CSCs?
These are some of the questions that come to every mind who heard about CSC for the first time.
Some people may already have some idea about CSCs, but most of the people in our country are still not aware of CSCs and their benefits.
In this article, we will try to cover all these topics so that by the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of CSCs.
Let’s begin with the definition of CSC.
What Is CSC?
CSC stands for Common Service Centres. These are physical facilities for providing e-governance services to citizens in rural and remote areas of our country.
CSCs are one-stop shops for a range of government services, including but not limited to birth certificate registration, death certificate registration, pension schemes, utility bill payments, and more.
CSCs are operated by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), who are trained and certified by the CSCSPV (Common Service Centre Society Promotion Viability).
The CSC e-Governance Services India Limited is the nodal agency responsible for the implementation of CSCs in India.
What are the benefits of CSC?
There are many benefits of CSC, both for the citizens and for the VLEs.
Some of the key benefits of CSC are listed below:
- CSCs provide easy access to government services for citizens in rural and remote areas.
- CSCs help reduce corruption by ensuring transparency and accountability in the delivery of government services.
- CSCs create employment opportunities for youth, women, and other marginalized groups.
- CSCs promote digital literacy and inclusion in rural and remote areas.
- CSCs help build capacity in local communities to deliver e-governance services.
There are hundreds of other benefits of CSCs which are not possible to list in this single article.
But the above-mentioned benefits are sufficient to understand the importance of CSCs in our country.
Who Can Apply For A CSC Centre?
Now that we know what CSCs are and what are their benefits, let’s talk about how you can apply for a CSC center.
- Must be a citizen of India
- Above 18 years of age
- Have completed at least Class 10 or equivalent
- Basic computer literacy skills
- The ability to speak and read the local language
What is the minimum infrastructure needed to start a CSC Center?
A CSC center can be set up in a shop, office, or any other suitable location.
The minimum infrastructure requirements for setting up a CSC are as follows:
- One computer with an internet connection
- Scanner and printer
- Furniture such as tables, chairs, etc.
How to register for CSC services?
Now that you know what CSC is and what are its benefits, you might be interested in knowing how to register for CSC Center.
The registration process is very simple and can be completed online in a few minutes.
- All you need to do is go to the official website of CSC (register.csc.gov.in) and click on the “Click Here To Register” button.
- This will take you to the registration form which you need to fill out with all the required information.
- On the form select the CSC VLE from the drop-down menu.
- After that, it will ask you to enter the TEC Certificate number(We will explain you in detail below).
- Put your mobile number, fill in the OTP and enter the Captcha.
- Now click on the Submit button.
After completing these steps, a new form will open asking you to enter your details, AADHAR Number, Gender, State, Location, and other information.
Fill out all the required information and click on the submit button.
Once you have completed all these steps, next you have to validate your AADHAR Card.
On the next page, enter the OTP sent to your AADHAR connected mobile number and click on verify.
After that, you have to fill in your Address, PAN number, Banking details, and other information.
Once you have completed all these steps, your CSC registration is complete.
Now, the team will validate your application and if everything is in order, you will receive a confirmation email from CSC.
After that, you can log in to your CSC Profile and start providing e-governance services to citizens in your area.
Documents Required for CSC Registration
Now that you know the process of CSC registration, let’s take a look at the documents required for CSC registration.
The following documents are required for CSC registration:
- AADHAR Card
- PAN Card
- TEC Certificate (Telecentre Entrepreneur Course)
- One Passport size photograph
- One self-addressed envelope
- Valid ID Proof (Driving License/Voter ID/Passport)
- Canceled cheque leaf or bank statement
- Proof of Address (Electricity Bill/Telephone Bill/Ration Card)
- Duly filled CSC registration form
Once you have all these documents, you can start the CSC registration process.
How To Get The TEC Certificate?
You need to have a TEC certificate to register for CSC services.
TEC is an abbreviation for Telecentre Entrepreneur Course.
It is a government organization that issues certificates to VLEs who want to provide CSC services.
To get the TEC certificate, you need to first apply for it online on the official website of TEC (http://www.cscentrepreneur.in/).
- Click on the login with us.
- Click on the register.
- Put all the information and submit.
- After that, you need to make a payment of Rs. 1480/- to enter the course.
- Once you have made the payment, you will be given access to the course material.
- You need to study the course material and give the online exam.
- Once you pass the exam, you will be issued a TEC certificate.
This is how you can get the TEC certificate which is required for CSC registration.
Services Offered By CSC
CSCs offer a wide range of services to citizens of India.
The following are some of the most popular services offered by CSCs:
Aadhaar Services: CSCs provide various Aadhaar related services such as Aadhaar enrollment, updating, and printing.
Passport Services: CSCs have been authorized by the government to provide passport-related services such as application and renewal.
Pension Services: CSCs offer pension-related services such as application and disbursal.
Insurance Services: CSCs provide various insurance services such as policy sale, premium payment, and claim settlement.
Utility Bill Payment: CSCs also offer utility bill payment services such as electricity, water, and gas.
Other Services: CSCs also provide other services such as flight and train ticket booking, bus ticket booking, mobile recharge, etc.
Let us discuss all the services offered by CSCs in detail.
Government to Citizen
The goal of the CSC scheme is to provide government services to citizens. Central Government Ministries and departments offer various services through the Digital Seva portal. This service is available to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country with the help of CSCs.
- Bharat Billpay: Bharat BillPay is a system that lets you pay your bills for things like electricity, mobile phone service, broadband, and landline service. It’s run by the Reserve Bank of India and the National Payments Corporation of India. This system is reliable and safe to use.
- FASTags: The NHAI’s FASTag is an Electronic Toll Collection system in India. The tag is a reloadable card that allows you to pass through the toll plaza without stopping for cash transactions thanks to its simplicity of use. The device, which uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and is attached to the vehicle’s windscreen after the tag account has been activated, is now operational on more than 425 toll plazas across national and state highways.
- Passport: In 2014, the Ministry of External Affairs partnered with CSC to begin offering Passport Service Vouchers through CSCs in rural areas. Payment of fees and scheduling of appointment for a trip to a Passport Kendra are among the services accessible through CSCs. Between 2016 and 2017, approximately 2.19 million passports were processed through the CSC network throughout India.
- PAN Card: In collaboration with the UTI Infrastructure Technology And Services Limited (UTIITSL) and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), CSCs offer new PAN Card applications. In February 2016, NSDL began providing PAN Card services to CSCs. During 2016-17, 28.94 million Applications for a New PAN Card were processed by CSCs.
- Swacch Bharat Abhiyan: CSCs are pivotal in the implementation of SBA. CSCs have been tasked with creating awareness about SBA, facilitating the application process for citizens, and providing digital literacy training to Swachhagrahi. CSCs have also been asked to support the construction of toilets and help maintain them.
So far we have discussed various services offered by CSC to individuals or citizens, now let’s see what all services CSC offers to businesses.
Business to Citizen
There are several services that CSCs offer to businesses. These include:
- GST Services: CSCs help businesses with the GST registration process. CSCs also provide GST return filing and payment services.
- Income Tax Services: CSCs assist businesses with income tax-related services such as filing of returns, payment of taxes, etc.
- VAT Services: CSCs offer various value-added tax (VAT) services to businesses such as VAT registration, filing of returns, and payment of taxes.
- Mobile Recharge: CSCs provide mobile recharge services for all major telecom operators in India.
- DTH Recharge: CSCs offer DTH recharge services for all major DTH service providers in India.
- Electricity Bill Payment: CSCs offer electricity bill payment services for all major electricity boards in India.
- Flight Ticket Booking: CSCs offer flight ticket booking services for all major airlines operating in India.
These are some of the important services CSCs offers to businesses. Now let’s see how CSCs are beneficial to Financial Inclusion.
Financial Inclusion
CSCs play a very important role in financial inclusion. CSCs provide various banking services such as the opening of bank accounts, deposit of cash, withdrawal of cash, etc. CSCs also offer other financial services such as life insurance, health insurance, and pension schemes.
CSCs have helped in providing access to banking services to a large number of people living in rural and remote areas. CSCs have also helped in increasing the penetration of insurance products in rural areas.
- Digital Finance Inclusion, Awareness & Access
- VLE Bazaar
- Skill Development
- GST Subidha
- Banking
- Insurance Services
- Pension Scheme
- PMFBY
There are many services offered by CSCs, and that is not possible to cover all of them in a single article. We have tried to cover some of the important and most popular services offered by CSCs.
We are providing you with the official website of CSCs, where you can get more information about CSCs.
The official website of CSC is: https://csc.gov.in/
FAQs
We have some frequently asked questions about CSCs, let’s have a look at them.
Q: What is the meaning of CSC e-governance?
Ans: CSC e-Governance Service India Limited is a company that was created by the government to help with the Common Services Centers Scheme. This company monitors how well the program is doing and makes sure it runs smoothly.
Q: How many CSC VLEs are there in India?
Ans: As of March 2022, there are around three lakh CSC VLEs in India.
Q: What is the CSC full form?
Ans: CSC stands for Common Service Centers. They are physical centers where people can go to get various government services.
Q: Who is the owner of CSC?
Ans: CSC e-Governance Services India Limited is the owner of CSC. It is a company that was created by the government to help with the Common Services Centers Scheme.
Q: Who started CSC in India?
Ans: The CSC Scheme was launched by the Indian Government in 2009.
Q: What is the benefit of the CSC center?
Ans: A CSC is a government, private, and social sector service that provides integrated and seamless access to rural Indians. Local unemployed, educated youngsters run the organization by providing direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Q: Is CSC a government company?
Ans: CSC e-Governance Services India Limited is a company that was created by the government to help with the Common Services Centers Scheme. However, CSCs are not government companies.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article on CSCs helpful. In this article, we have tried to cover all the important aspects of CSCs such as their introduction, benefits, how to register, digital finance inclusion, etc.
If you have any further questions about CSCs, you can visit the official website or contact a CSC VLE in your area.
