Digital India at the Grassroots: The Changing Landscape of Public Service Delivery through Common Service Centres
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59436/jsiane.438.2583-2093Keywords:
Digital India, common service centres, e-governance, digital divide, rural development, digital literacy, public service delivery, ICT4DAbstract
The Digital India Mission identifies Common Service Centres (CSCs) as pivotal institutions for last-mile digital governance and citizen–state engagement. This paper conducts a critical review of related literature, policy frameworks, and government reports to evaluate the role, performance, and challenges of CSCs in facilitating public service delivery across rural and semi-urban India. Employing a structured literature review methodology, the study synthesises insights across four key dimensions: digital infrastructure, human–digital capability, governance and accountability, and citizens’ experiences at CSCs. The findings reveal persistent challenges, including deficits in digital literacy, uneven infrastructural development, bureaucratic inefficiencies, gender and socioeconomic disparities, and regional imbalances that affect CSC functionality and inclusivity. The analysis further indicates that CSCs operate as dual spaces both empowering and exclusionary shaped by mediated access, local governance structures, and social hierarchies. To conceptualise these dynamics, the paper proposes a framework situating CSCs within broader socio-technical systems of governance, capability development, and market interaction. The study concludes with targeted policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficiency and equity of digital public service delivery. These include strengthening institutional accountability, promoting digital capacity building, and ensuring inclusive access to digital infrastructure in marginalised regions.
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