Cabinet clears Rs2,351 crore digital literacy scheme
Under the scheme 60 million rural households will be made digitally literate in two years
New Delhi: The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday cleared a Rs2,351 crore scheme to make 60 million rural households digitally literate in two years—a step aimed at promoting a less-cash economy.
The move comes in the wake of a rapid expansion in digital transactions in the country after the discontinuation of high-value currency bills from 9 November.
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The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan or PMGDISHA will begin with digitally training 2.5 million candidates in the current financial year, 27.5 million in 2017-18 and 30 million in 2018-19. Each of the 250,000 gram panchayats are expected to register an average of 200-300 candidates to ensure equitable geographical reach, said an official statement.
Ministry of electronics and information technology will implement the scheme with states and union territories. It will train individuals on performing cashless transactions through mobile phones, digital wallets, mobile banking, unified payments interface (UPI) and Aadhaar enabled payment system (AEPS).
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The cabinet was also briefed on a framework agreement signed between India and Vietnam last year on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes. The statement said the pact signed in September during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam will provide impetus to explore newer research activities.
Credit and debit card transactions through card swiping machines, which stood at 166 million in November, shot up to 311 million in December before declining to 183.15 million in January.
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