Which ministry is responsible for implementing DISHA?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Explanation
There is an important distinction to note regarding the acronym DISHA in government initiatives, which determines the correct ministry based on the context of your specific test paper:
Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA): This was a major national digital literacy mission launched under the Digital India umbrella. Its primary goal was to provide IT literacy training to citizens in rural households, empowering them to operate computers, tablets, and smartphones. Because it focuses entirely on digital education and IT infrastructure, it is implemented and managed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This matches Option 2 from your test's answer key.
District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA): In other general studies frameworks, DISHA refers to a committee set up to ensure better coordination among elected representatives (MPs/MLAs) for the time-bound implementation of 42 flagship schemes. This specific committee initiative is run by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Given the choices and the official key, the question evaluates the digital literacy initiative (Digital Saksharta Abhiyan), making MeitY the designated ministry.
Key Points
The DISHA digital literacy program was designed to bridge the digital divide in rural India by targeting non-computing households.
The scheme aimed to make at least one person in every eligible household digitally literate, covering core skills like sending emails, browsing the internet, and accessing government e-services.
Following the initial DISHA rollout, MeitY expanded its rural digital literacy footprint by launching the PMGDISHA (Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan) to cover 6 crore rural households.
Additional Facts
The operational implementation on the ground for MeitY's digital literacy drives is heavily supported by CSC (Common Services Centres) e-Governance Services India Limited.
The training under this initiative is completely free for marginalized communities, including SC, ST, and BPL families.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: What is the full form of PMGDISHA, the follow-up digital literacy scheme managed by MeitY?
Answer: It stands for Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan.
Question: Which agency helps MeitY implement the digital literacy training centers at the village level across India?
Answer: The Common Services Centres (CSC) scheme acts as the primary delivery point for these rural training programs.