- Why in news
- On 12 March 2026, the Communications Minister told the Rajya Sabha that ₹2,229.35 crore had been disbursed from Digital Bharat Nidhi for mobile services in rural Odisha, as of 28 February 2026.
- What it is
- Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) is the fund that replaced the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). It pays for telecom services in underserved rural, remote and urban areas. It is set up under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and is meant to give universal access to telecom services.
- Mandate
- DBN supports universal service by promoting access to and delivery of telecom services in underserved rural, remote and urban areas.
- National tower projects
- As on 28 Feb 2026, 34,780 towers were planned under 12 DBN-funded projects to connect 46,331 villages.
- Odisha share
- 5,182 towers are planned in Odisha to cover 7,157 villages.
- Fifth Schedule districts
- 4,470 of the towers are in 13 Odisha districts notified under the Fifth Schedule.
- Legal basis
- DBN is the successor to USOF and is provided for in the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
Don’t confuse with Fifth vs Sixth Schedule: Fifth covers Scheduled Areas in states like Odisha; Sixth covers tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Don’t confuse with USOF vs DBN: USOF was the earlier fund under the Telegraph Act; DBN is its successor under the 2023 Act.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Funding towers in unviable areas narrows the rural-urban digital divide.
- A large share of Odisha's towers is in tribal Fifth Schedule districts, which improves access for tribal communities.
Problems
- Remote and forest terrain raises tower cost and delays rollout.
- Power supply and backhaul are weak in such areas, so sustaining operations is hard.
Way forward
- Use shared infrastructure and renewable power for towers.
- Track rollout against the planned targets and publish district-wise progress.
Put in your answer
DBN tower projects: 34,780 towers planned for 46,331 villages under 12 projects, as on 28 Feb 2026.
- 2013Mains GS2 · Q14Comment on PURA's basis in establishing rural connectivity.
- 2016Mains ESSAY · Q4Essay: whether digital economy levels or creates economic inequality.
- 2021Mains GS2 · Q16Whether rural digital illiteracy and ICT inaccessibility hindered socio-economic development.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Pairs
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following pairs:
- 1.Digital Bharat Nidhi — Successor to the Universal Service Obligation Fund, provided for in the Telecommunications Act, 2023
- 2.Digital Bharat Nidhi — Funds telecom services only in underserved rural areas
- 3.Fifth Schedule of the Constitution — Administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.Digital Bharat Nidhi has a mandate to support universal telecom service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas.
True. Its mandate covers underserved rural, remote and urban areas.
2.Digital Bharat Nidhi is the successor to the Universal Service Obligation Fund.
True. DBN replaced USOF under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
3.Digital Bharat Nidhi was created under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
False. It is under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which replaced the 1885 Act.
4.As on 28 February 2026, 34,780 mobile towers were planned under 12 DBN-funded projects nationwide.
True. 34,780 towers under 12 projects, for 46,331 villages.
5.Most of Odisha's planned DBN towers are in districts notified under the Fifth Schedule.
True. 4,470 of 5,182 towers are in 13 Fifth Schedule districts.
6.The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
False. That is the Sixth Schedule; the Fifth Schedule covers Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in other states such as Odisha.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.