A government document can now travel without its paper original. DigiLocker allows an issuer’s digital record to be retrieved and shared, while UMANG brings services from different departments into one interface. Those practical changes sit inside Digital India, the umbrella programme launched in July 2015. [1]
Its scope is broader than an app. It combines connectivity, public digital infrastructure, service delivery and the ability to use those services. The results therefore need several measures: a working service, a usable connection and a person able to complete the task. A registration total answers only part of that story. [1] [5]
Building on an earlier network
Digital government did not start in 2015. The National e-Governance Plan was approved in 2006, and the Cabinet sanctioned a network of 100,000 rural Common Service Centres that year. The original design already envisaged local entrepreneurs helping people obtain certificates, submit applications and pay bills. [2]
Digital India expanded that approach. The ministry reported 83,950 functional CSCs in May 2014 and 5,01,731 in May 2026. These centres offer an assisted route for people who lack a device, confidence or the skills to navigate a portal alone. Their work connects Union platforms with state departments, district offices and private operators. [3]
An assisted service still depends on what happens behind the screen. A submitted application and an issued certificate are different events; counting centres does not establish that every centre offers every service or that every application is resolved promptly.
Platforms at scale
As of 31 July 2026, UMANG offered about 2,575 services and had more than 11.66 crore registered users, according to a parliamentary statement released in August. The catalogue establishes breadth; registrations do not mean that all those accounts are active each month. DigiLocker’s issued documents and document-access transactions likewise measure different activities. [4]
Digital literacy formed another strand. PMGDISHA began in 2017 and concluded on 31 March 2024. In its March 2026 reply, the ministry reported that more than 6.39 crore people had been trained against a six-crore target. Training completion is an administrative outcome; retained skill and successful independent use require separate evidence. [1]
Access within the household
The National Statistics Office’s January–March 2025 telecom survey found internet access within the premises of 83.3% of rural households and 91.6% of urban households. It covered 34,950 households, providing a different view from platform registrations. [5]
Household access did not give every member the same control. Among rural people aged 15 and above, 80.7% of men owned a mobile phone, compared with 48.4% of women. Reported internet use in the preceding three months was also lower among rural women than men. The survey measured access and use, rather than the effect of one programme. [5]
The expanding CSC network remains relevant to that gap. A public service may be available online while the person entitled to it still needs help at a counter. Digital India’s assisted and self-service routes continue alongside each other. [3]