guwahati assam has become the first state in the northeast to set up a digital village in all districts under the digital india campaign in the first phase of the campaign 700 villages will be digitalised across the country with digital banking teaching and telemedicine being the three major features stateowned egovernance entity csc spv special purpose vehicle under the union ministry of electronics and information technology meity is playing a key role in implementing the mission a digital village has been successfully established in all 33 districts of the state during the pandemic situation a majority of the states population resides in rural areas and has no access to modern technologies it has created great disparities between rural and urban populations gyan doley northeast regional head at common services centers cscs said he added that despite being very talented the rural population has always been deprived of all opportunities and avenues of development in order to overcome these challenges the project digital village has been conceptualized as a onestop service solution to empower rural hinterlands with an objective to connect digitally and deliver integrated benefits related to internet connectivity education skill health financial inclusion and sanitation to remove the digital divide and ensure comprehensive developmentin a digital village citizens can avail various online services of the central and state governments and private players alike as the world faces one of its biggest health and humanitarian crises in the form of the covid19 pandemic india too has taken swift and strong measures to curb the spread of the virus in these circumstances digital platforms and services offered in a digital village have become critical doley added informing that around 15000 beneficiaries from the 33 digital villages of the state have now a onestop solution for computer education telemedicine online consultation with veterinary doctors amongst their priority needsjoyshree roy a beneficiary of the campaign in kamrup metro said without visiting the hospital physically i was able to get a doctors consultation it was really helpful during the lockdown period the telemedicine platform which is now available in my entire village is a great initiativehitkamal das another beneficiary of the project said he can now easily operate computers smartphones and other electronic gadgets which has been possible only because of csc digital literacy has also helped me financially he addedthe digital villages are positioned to be change agents promoting rural entrepreneurship building capacities and livelihoods through community participation and collective action in these digital villages cscs are creating awareness through financial inclusion awareness campaigns on useful and affordable products and digital payment tools including kiosk banking insurance and pension schemes