₹3,942 crore for amended BharatNet in Chhattisgarh
On 18 August 2026 Digital Bharat Nidhi signed an agreement with Chhattisgarh, CSBIL, BSNL and CHiPS to roll out the Amended BharatNet Program in the state. The Centre approved ₹3,942 crore. It will cover 11,682 Gram Panchayats and give on-demand connectivity to 8,328 villages, with over three lakh rural home fibre connections expected.
- Date
- 18 Aug 2026, Sanchar Bhawan
- Funder
- Digital Bharat Nidhi (DoT)
- Support
- ₹3,942 crore
- Gram Panchayats
- 11,682
- Villages on demand
- 8,328
- Model
- State-led, through CSBIL
The Amended BharatNet Program in Chhattisgarh: what happened?
BharatNet was meant to take fibre to every Gram Panchayat. Early phases left gaps and fragile links. The amended programme upgrades and extends the network so that villages get reliable broadband.
- 4,048 Phase I Gram Panchayats will move from linear to ring topology for resilience.
- 5,964 Phase II and 1,670 newly created Gram Panchayats will be covered.
- The Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Program on 4 August 2023.
What is Digital Bharat Nidhi?
- It was earlier the Universal Service Obligation Fund, set up under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003.
- Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, USOF became Digital Bharat Nidhi.
- It funds BharatNet, 4G saturation and mobile services in remote, LWE, border and island areas.
Why does the Amended BharatNet Program in Chhattisgarh matter?
- Digital inclusion: Broadband for e-governance, education and telemedicine.
- Resilience: Ring topology keeps links up if one path fails.
What can Prelims ask on the Amended BharatNet Program in Chhattisgarh?
- Digital Bharat Nidhi: earlier USOF; renamed under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
- Amended BharatNet Program: approved 4 August 2023.
How to use this in Mains
- As per PIB (2026-08-18): DBN (DoT), Chhattisgarh, BSNL and others signed an agreement for the amended BharatNet programme with ₹3,942 crore support.
- BharatNet is the backbone of rural digital inclusion.
Quotable data pointDBN (DoT), Chhattisgarh, BSNL and others signed an agreement for the amended BharatNet programme with ₹3,942 crore support.
PIB: Communications: BharatNet Chhattisgarh, 18 Aug 2026
Exam angle
Prelims: DBN.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Digital Bharat Nidhi is the new name of which fund?
Answer (b) & explanation
PIB (Communications), 18 Aug 2026.
Questions students ask about this
What was signed for Chhattisgarh on 18 August 2026?
An agreement to implement the Amended BharatNet Program in the state with ₹3,942 crore of central support.
How many Gram Panchayats will be covered?
11,682, plus on-demand connectivity to 8,328 villages.
What is Digital Bharat Nidhi?
The former Universal Service Obligation Fund, renamed under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
Keep studying
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Official source: PIB: Communications: BharatNet Chhattisgarh, 18 Aug 2026
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending