New Delhi: In the remote Mayurbhanj district of Odisha—mostly tribal-dominated, technology is changing lives. Despite being 60-70% of the district being under forest cover, access to various digital services remains unhindered. Geographical and educational challenges have been overpowered, thanks Manjulata, a village-level entrepreneur linked to the Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC SPV). Battling odds, the homemaker-turned-a digital services facilitator, Manjulata has set a remarkable example by delivering the benefits of Digital India to every citizen in her village and area around it.
Her efforts in providing digital banking services to villagers at their doorsteps drew appreciation from the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, at an event celebrating 10 years of Digital India. The event was organized by CSC SPV under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi.
We’re proud to share that our CSC VLE Mrs. Manjulata Chhattar from Mayurbhanj, Odisha was honoured by Hon’ble IT Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on 16th CSC Diwas for her 8 years of outstanding service through CSC.https://t.co/wqjx9pYVD7
— CSC SPV Odisha (@OdishaSpv) July 17, 2025
Ms Manjulata from Mayurbhanj, Odisha, is making a difference in people’s lives through CSC. pic.twitter.com/oyGlFzvQTY
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 17, 2025
Later, the minister shared a video on social media of Majulata taking to the stage to talk about her journey of learning digital skills herself to be able to provide help others in her village. In the video, Manjulata shares how villagers are now availing the benefits of various government schemes hassle-free due to the advantages of doorstep digital banking. She claims to have made the lives of women, pensioners, disabled and other backward groups easier.
The minister also made the following key announcements at the event.
- Free AI training for 10 lakh individuals, with priority for all VLEs.
- Urged all VLEs to start offering IRCTC services.
- Committed to speaking with Chief Ministers to integrate state IT agencies with CSC-SPV.
What is Digital India and CSC?
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, the Digital India program is aimed at making technology accessible to every Indian. Over the decade (2015–2025), the initiative has bridged the digital divide and transformed governance, financial inclusion, and internet accessibility, making India the world’s third-largest digital economy.
CSC SPV, established in 2009 under MeitY, has emerged as one of the world’s largest digital service delivery ecosystems, with over 5.5 lakh operational centres. Each CSC is operated by a Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE), a local changemaker who provides citizen-centric services including:
- Aadhaar enrolment and updates
- PAN card and passport services
- Banking and insurance
- Telemedicine and education services
- Skill development and legal aid through Tele-Law
- Agriculture services, Grameen eStore (B2B), utility bill payments, and more
What Vaishnaw said? “VLE brothers and sisters across the country have set a remarkable example by delivering the benefits of Digital India to every citizen. When the world questioned how a tea seller or a vegetable vendor could use digital payments, today that dream has come true—UPI payments have surpassed Visa transactions. This is the strength of 1.4 billion Indians,” he said.
