📌 Introduction
Digital literacy is no longer a luxury, it has become a necessity in today’s fast-changing world. To empower rural India, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan (PMGDISHA) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
This scheme aims to make 6 crore rural citizens digitally literate and cover 40% of rural households by training at least one member from every eligible family. By focusing on digitally illiterate people between 14 to 60 years, the scheme is playing a huge role in bridging the digital gap.
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🎯 Objectives of PMGDISHA
The main objective of the PMGDISHA scheme is to bring rural India into the digital world. The scheme ensures that citizens can easily use computers, smartphones, and the internet for their daily needs.
Some key goals are:
- ✔️ To provide basic digital literacy to rural citizens.
- ✔️ To empower people to access government services online.
- ✔️ To promote digital payments and reduce dependence on cash.
- ✔️ To ensure social inclusion of marginalized groups such as SC, ST, women, differently-abled persons, and minorities.
With this scheme, rural citizens are now being trained to confidently use digital platforms for their social and economic development.
🏡 Who Can Benefit? (Eligibility Criteria)
Not everyone can apply for this scheme. The eligibility rules are simple and focus on the rural poor and digitally illiterate households.
- 📍 Target Group: Only one member per household where no one is digitally literate.
- 👩🦱 Age Limit: Between 14 years and 60 years.
- 📴 Priority Groups:
- Non-smartphone users
- Antyodaya households
- College drop-outs
- Adult literacy mission participants
- Digitally illiterate school students (Class 9th to 12th) if ICT facilities are not available in their schools
- 🙌 Preference is given to:
- SC and ST
- BPL families
- Women
- Differently-abled persons
- Minorities
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🚫 Who is Not Eligible? (Exclusions)
- ❌ Panchayats that fall under urban areas.
- ❌ Households where at least one member is already digitally literate.
- ❌ Citizens living in urban agglomerations listed under Appendix-I of the guidelines.
This ensures that the scheme benefits only the truly needy households in rural India.
🎁 Benefits of PMGDISHA
The scheme provides many life-changing benefits for rural citizens:
- 💻 Training in Digital Devices
Citizens learn to use computers, tablets, and smartphones effectively. - 📧 Email and Internet Skills
People are trained to send emails, browse the internet, and search information online. - 🏛️ Access to Government Services
Citizens can now apply for caste certificate, income certificate, domicile certificate, and PAN card online. - 💳 Digital Payments
People are taught to use UPI, AEPS, e-Wallets, Debit/Credit Cards, and PoS machines for cashless transactions. - 📂 Digital Locker
Beneficiaries can store important documents safely online. - 🎫 Online Services
Citizens can book railway tickets, pay electricity bills, apply for passports, and even recharge mobile phones online.
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🏫 Training Details
The PMGDISHA training course is simple, practical, and useful for daily life.
- ⏳ Course Duration: 20 Hours
- 🗓️ Completion Time: Minimum 10 days – Maximum 30 days
📚 Course Modules:
- Introduction to Digital Devices
- Operating Digital Devices
- Introduction to the Internet
- Communication using the Internet
- Applications of the Internet (Government services & Digital Payments)
🎓 Learning Outcomes:
- 📲 Basic knowledge of digital devices
- 🌍 Safe internet browsing
- 💬 Online communication skills
- 💸 Cashless transactions through UPI, AEPS, Cards, Wallets
- 📂 Using Digital Locker
- 🏛️ Accessing citizen-centric government services
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🏢 How Training Centres Work
Training centres play a very important role in the success of PMGDISHA.
- 🏫 Centres are set up in identified Districts, Blocks, and Gram Panchayats.
- 📱 Mobile delivery of content is also available so that learners can refresh their knowledge anytime.
- 🎥 Audio-visual training content is designed for those who cannot read or write.
- 📘 Course material is available in 22 Indian languages apart from English.
This ensures inclusivity and accessibility for all.
📝 Application Process
The application process is very simple:
📍 Step 1 – Identification of Beneficiaries
CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC-SPV) identifies eligible beneficiaries in collaboration with DeGS, Gram Panchayats, and BDOs.
📍 Step 2 – Enrollment
- Beneficiaries enroll at the nearest PMGDISHA Training Centre.
- Aadhaar is mandatory for registration.
- A unique Username and Password is provided to every participant.
📍 Step 3 – Training and Certification
- Training of 20 hours is provided.
- After completion, candidates appear for an online assessment test.
- Successful candidates receive a Government-approved Digital Literacy Certificate.
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📑 Documents Required
To apply under PMGDISHA, you need only a few documents:
- Aadhaar Number
- Proof of Age / Date of Birth
That’s it! With these two, enrollment becomes quick and easy.
💰 Training Fee
The training is free for beneficiaries. However, a training fee of ₹300 per candidate is paid directly by the Government to the respective training centres after successful certification.
This makes the scheme completely free for rural citizens.
👥 Role of Training Partners
Training partners are key to delivering quality digital education.
They must:
- ✅ Own or set up Training Centres in rural areas.
- ✅ Ensure courses follow scheme requirements.
- ✅ Monitor and report centre performance.
- ✅ Maintain proper accounts and processes.
Accredited partners receive one-year accreditation which can be renewed based on performance.
📊 Target and Coverage
- 🎯 Each Gram Panchayat will train 200-300 people.
- 🎯 Special focus on Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana villages.
- 🎯 By covering 6 crore citizens, the scheme will benefit nearly 40% of rural households.
🌟 Conclusion
The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan (PMGDISHA) is one of the most ambitious programs under Digital India. It is not just about teaching people to use computers or mobile phones; it is about transforming rural India into a digitally empowered society.
By providing digital literacy to SCs, STs, BPL families, women, differently-abled persons, and minorities, the scheme ensures inclusive growth. It is a big step toward reducing the digital divide and empowering every rural household.
📌 With PMGDISHA, rural citizens can now confidently use the internet, access government schemes, and adopt digital payments – truly making India a Digital Bharat.
👉 For more such detailed guides on government schemes, stay connected with mygovscheme.com.
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