Miscellaneous Schemes under Ministry of Communications

National Broadband Mission (NBM)

Aim

The mission was launched to ensure the fast-track growth of digital communication infrastructure in India. Its goal is to achieve three key principles of broadband services:

1. Universality – broadband should reach everyone, including rural areas.
2. Affordability – it should be cost-effective.
3. Quality – internet speed and services must meet global standards.

Key Components & Targets

• Broadband to Villages: Through BharatNet Project, 1.81 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) have already been made service ready.
• Broadband Speed: Aim to achieve 50 Mbps speed across the country by 2024-25.
• Fiberization: Increase Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) length up to 50 lakh km by 2024-25.

Other Components

• Installation of new towers.
• Fiberization of telecom towers and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS).
• Mapping of fiber infrastructure to know where gaps exist.

Funding

• The mission is funded largely by industry participation.
• Government contributes around 10% through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

Tarang Sanchar Portal

This is an information portal linked to mobile towers and their compliance with radiation norms.

• Provides data on Mobile Towers and Electro-Magnetic Frequency (EMF) Emission compliance.
• Citizens can access this information by paying a small fee.
• The purpose is to dispel fears about radiation from towers by providing transparent, scientific data.

Sanchar Saathi Portal

This is about ensuring safe and secure communication, a major part of Digital India.

• Key Purpose: To help people block, track, and verify the genuineness of mobile devices.
• Implemented by: Department of Telecom.

Main Modules

1. CEIR (Centralized Equipment Identity Register)
   • Allows blocking or tracking of lost/stolen mobile devices.
2. Know Your Mobile
   • Helps people check the authenticity of mobile connections in their name.
3. ASTR (Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification)
   • Identifies fraudulent subscribers and prevents misuse of SIMs.

Bharat eMart

• Background: India Post, along with CAIT (Confederation of All India Traders) and Tripta Technologies, launched this initiative.
• Purpose: To provide a logistics and delivery platform for small traders across the country.
• Features:
  • Provides pick-up of consignments from traders and ensures delivery at the doorsteps of customers.
  • Around 8 crore traders are registered on this platform.
  • Helps small traders by providing logistics support → reduces their burden of supply chain.
  • Indirectly promotes employment and boosts small businesses.

👉 Think of Bharat eMart as India Post’s own “Amazon-style” platform, but focused on supporting local traders.

Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)

• What is it? A citizen-centric portal launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• Purpose: To help trace and block lost or stolen mobile devices so that they cannot be misused.
• How it works?
  • Once reported, telecom operators block the device across all networks in India.
  • To report, the user needs:
    • Mobile number of SIM,
    • IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number,
    • A copy of the purchase invoice.
• Significance: It ensures that stolen devices become useless, discouraging theft and protecting users.

👉 In simple terms, CEIR is like a “blacklist system” for stolen mobiles at the national level.

DARPAN Project (Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India)

• Aim: To improve service delivery and promote financial inclusion of the unbanked rural population.
• How?
  • Provides a low-power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster (BPM).
  • A DARPAN-PLI App was launched for easy collection of premiums for Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI).
• Impact:
  • Empowers post offices in villages with digital tools.
  • Makes rural postal services more efficient and transparent.

👉 DARPAN is basically the digital transformation of India Post’s rural branches, making them part of Digital India.

Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana

• Aim: To provide affordable life insurance to rural households through the postal network.
• Implementation:
  • In every revenue district, at least one village with 100+ households is chosen.
  • Each household is given at least one RPLI (Rural Postal Life Insurance) policy.
• Special Features of PLI/RPLI:
  • Provides insurance to rural and weaker sections.
  • Low Premium + High Bonus = unique attraction.
• Integration: All villages covered under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana are automatically converted into Sampoorna Bima Grams.

👉 This scheme uses India Post’s wide reach to ensure that every rural family has access to insurance, bridging the rural-urban insurance gap.

Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana

• SPARSH stands for Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby.
• Aim: To promote the collection and study of postal stamps (Philately) among school children.
• Key Feature:
  • Students from Class VI to IX with good academic records and an interest in Philately are given annual scholarships.
  • This is not just about stamps; it is about cultivating research, curiosity, and preserving India’s postal heritage.

👉 In short, this scheme uses a “hobby” to encourage creativity and learning among children.

Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI)

• Launch: By the Department of Telecommunications in 2020.
• Purpose: To expand public Wi-Fi networks across India and ensure affordable broadband internet for all.

PM-WANI Ecosystem

1. Public Data Office (PDO) – Sets up and manages Wi-Fi hotspots.
2. Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) – Authorises PDOs and handles accounting.
3. App Provider – Develops mobile apps to help people find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and register easily.
4. Central Registry – Maintains records of all App Providers and specifications.

👉 PM-WANI is like creating digital “chai tapris” (tea stalls) for internet—Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere, accessible to all, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.

Sangam: Digital Twin Initiative

• Objective: To revolutionize infrastructure planning and design by using futuristic technologies such as:
  • Digital Twin Technology – virtual models of physical systems that mimic real-world behavior using sensor data.
  • AI and IoT for smart insights.
  • 5G/6G communication for high-speed data integration.

Implementation Stages

1. Stage I: Exploratory – Define objectives, scope, and impact.
2. Stage II: Requirements – Create precise use cases and technical requirements.

Collaborative Approach

• Involves government, academia, and private sector working together.
• Aim is to develop sustainable and innovative infrastructure.

👉 Imagine a “digital twin” of a city: planners can simulate traffic, pollution, or energy consumption in real-time before making actual decisions—saving both money and resources.

Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme

• Purpose: To fund R&D in rural-specific communication technology.
• Launched: In 2022 by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), under Department of Telecommunications.
• Focus:
  • Encourage start-ups, research institutes, and industry to develop indigenous telecom technologies.
  • Promote solutions designed specifically for rural and remote areas.
• Financial Incentive: Grants are given to Indian entities to create home-grown telecom solutions.
• Implementing Agency: TCOE India (Telecom Centres of Excellence) and C-DOT.

👉 Think of TTDF as the government’s way of saying: “Instead of importing telecom tech, let us build our own, suited to Indian villages.”