Akodara village in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat has earned the coveted tag of becoming India’s first digital village in India.
The village with a total population of 1,191 people and 250 households uses a various cashless system for payments of goods and services.
All transactions in the village are carried out through digital modes like SMS, net-banking or debit cards.
Key Points
The village was adopted by ICICI Bank under its Digital Village Project in 2015 and made cashless by adopting digital technology.
The project was launched in January 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochar to mark 60-year-celebration of the ICICI group’s existence.
All households in village have savings account in local ICICI Bank branch.
The bank has provided training to villagers to embrace digital technology to reduce dependence on cash.
The village has almost 100% financial rate and all mobile banking is done in Hindi, English and Gujarati languages.
It also has its own official website. The villagers’ most important transactions selling agri-produce at the local market or mandi or selling milk at the co-operative society have been made cashless.
It has primary, secondary and higher secondary schools equipped with smart boards, computers and tablets.
It can be said that this village has become prime example of how e-banking can be practically implemented in Indian villages without much difficulty to make India cashless economy.
Current Affairs 28th November, 2016 Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, September, 2016 Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, October, 2016
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