Previous Year Question
Saksham project approved by Govt. of India is related to
Skill development of SC and ST population
A military unit for effective disaster management
A new indirect tax network
Creating self-confidence among ‘Divyang’ youth.
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Project SAKSHAM was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 28 September 2016. It was a new Indirect Tax Network (Systems Integration) project of the then Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). The total estimated cost of the project was ₹2,256 crore, to be incurred over seven years.
The major objective of the project was to upgrade CBEC's IT infrastructure so that it could be integrated with the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). Processing of GSTN data relating to registration, payment and returns through CBEC's backend systems formed part of this infrastructure.
Project SAKSHAM was not limited to GST. It was also designed to support the existing e-services of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT), and other taxpayer-friendly digital initiatives.
Therefore, the name “Saksham” should not be confused here with a skill-development or Divyang welfare scheme. In this question, SAKSHAM refers to an indirect-tax IT infrastructure project.
Current Status (2026): The erstwhile CBEC is now the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). CBIC's official SAKSHAM portal/dashboard continues to provide multiple departmental applications under an umbrella interface.