RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
Rural Development refers to the process of improving or uplifting the living conditions of the people living in rural areas. After our independence, the conditions of the villages have been improved. The problems of our villagers are many and various. For their solution, intelligent guidance of both the government and the people is needed.
The people of India live mostly in rural areas (villages). Therefore, it is in the heart of the villages that the nation lives. Indeed, “the soul of India is in the toil of the rural areas”. The welfare of India depends upon the prosperity of the villages.
The ways and means of rural development:
i. Education of the masses
ii. Establishment of night schools for adults
iii. Improvement of sanitation
iv. Provisions for cheap medical aid
v. Construction of good roads
vi. Establishment of co-operative credit societies
Educated people should go to the villages and settle there. Mass education should be introduced to remove the ignorance of the villagers. It should be made both compulsory and free. Night schools should be set up for the adults to teach them elementary Hygiene and scientific methods of cultivation.
For the improvement of sanitation, jungles should be cut down. Arrangements should be made for the supply of pure drinking water on a large scale. Tube-wells should be sunk; new wells and ponds should be dug. Every village should be equipped with a hospital and a charitable dispensary for providing proper medical aid to the villagers.
Roads and other means of communication in the rural areas should be improved. The government should teach the farmers scientific methods of cultivation and supply them with implements of agriculture.
Co-operative Credit Societies should be set up to advance loans to the peasants. Arbitration boards should settle disputes and differences. Cottage industries should receive encouragement. Educational films should be exhibited.
Good libraries should be provided in every village. In this way, each village should be developed into a self-sufficient unit. It is a happy sign that our government is doing its best to improve the condition of the villages through various schemes of rural uplift. It’s the progress hitherto made that has not been up to the mark.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
The Independent Indian Government has launched various developmental programmes to assist the rural sector to march towards progress. Though the general purpose of all these programmes remains the same, that is, achieving rural development and promoting rural welfare, the specific purposes and the main thrust of these programmes are not the same.
Firstly, some of the development activities were production-oriented. For example: Community Development Projects – 1952 [CDP]; Land Reforms [1950]; Poverty Alleviation Programmes [PAPs] such as IRDP: Integrated Rural Development Programme [1978], etc.
Secondly, some of the activities are undertaken not for productive purposes but for improving the living standards of people. For Example, Food For Work Programme [1977]; Tribal Development Programme [1959]; National Rural Employment Programme [NREP]; Training Rural Youth for Self-Employment – TRYSEM [1979], etc.
Thirdly, some programmes were intended to increase assets and benefits people economically. For example, Rural Employment Programme; Minimum Agricultural Wage; IRDP; etc.
Fourthly, some programmes are basically aimed at alleviating poverty and unemployment. For example, NREP; TRYSEM; DPAP [Drought Prone Area Programme – 1979]; and so on.
Fifthly, some programmes were announced as a matter of political exigencies under which category we may include, for example, “Garibi Hatao” and “Twenty Point Programme.” They were announced by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the period of emergency [1975-77].
The following are the various developmental activities that the Government launched for the benefit of the people.
Community Development Program [1952] and National Extension Services [1953]: With the launching of the Community Development Program and establishing a network of National Extension Services in the villages a beginning was made to create awareness among rural communities of the potential and means of development. This institutional infrastructure at the grass-root level facilitated the abolition of the intermediary landlords system and implemented land reforms that enabled farmers to adopt technologies in agriculture.
Panchayati Raj [1959]: Panchayati Raj was created on October 2, 1959, on the recommendations of the Balvantray Mehta Study Team (1957). The team had suggested a scheme of democratic decentralization for streamlining the Community Development programme (1952), which had been introduced to bring about a silent revolution in rural society by awakening the dormant forces of progress in it. The scheme provided for a three-tier structure of Panchayati Raj with the Gram Panchayat at the base, the Panchayat Samiti in the middle and Zila Parishad at the top. The Panchayati Raj underwent the phase of development (1959-1964), the phase of stagnation (1964-1971) and the phase of decay (1971-1977).
High Yielding Variety Programme [1960]: Green revolution has been the most spectacular success story from India which made the country self-reliant in food-grain production. The success is a manifestation of futuristic vision, faith, courage and sincere efforts on the part of the scientists and the Government of the day. One choice before the country was to go for the spread of new seeds of high yielding varieties (HYV) of wheat and rice. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is one of the main architects of the Indian Green Revolution, which started in the 1960s and pulled the country from the pawl and gloom of hunger and malnutrition and saved millions of lives.
RECENT RUNNING GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
Indira Awaas Yojana [1995]: IAY is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development to provide houses to the poor in rural areas. The objective of the Indira Awaas Yojana is primarily to help construction/upgradation of dwelling units of members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, freed bonded labourers, minorities in the below the poverty line and other below poverty line non-SC/ST rural households by providing them with a lump sum financial assistance.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana [2000]: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25th December 2000 as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide all-weather road connectivity in rural areas of the country. The programme envisages connecting all habitations with a population of 500 persons and above in the plain areas and 250 persons and above in hill States, the tribal and the desert areas. According to the latest figures made available by the State Governments under a survey to identify Core Network as part of the PMGSY programme, about 1.67 lakh Unconnected Habitations are eligible for coverage under the programme. This involves the construction of about 3.71 lakh km. of roads for New Connectivity and 3.68 lakh km. under upgradation.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act [2005]: The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, (MGNREGA) was notified on September 7, 2005. The objective of the Act is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
National Social Assistance Programme [1995]: The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) then comprised of National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS). These programmes were meant for providing social assistance benefit to the aged, the BPL households in the case of death of the primary breadwinner and for maternity. These programmes were aimed to ensure minimum national standards in addition to the benefits that the States were then providing or would provide in future. Thus, presently NSAP now comprises of the following five schemes:
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): Under the scheme, BPL persons aged 60 years or above are entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 200/- up to 79 years of age and Rs.500/- thereafter.
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): BPL widows aged 40-59 years are entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 200/-.
Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS): BPL persons aged 18-59 years with severe and multiple disabilities are entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 200.
National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS): Under the scheme, a BPL household is entitled to a lump sum amount of money on the death of a primary breadwinner aged between 18 and 64 years. The amount of assistance is Rs. 10,000.
Annapurna: Under the scheme, 10 kg of food grains per month are provided free of cost to those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under NOAPS.
PURA [2004-05]: PURA aims to achieve a holistic and accelerated development of compact areas around a potential growth centre in a gram panchayat (or a group of gram panchayats) by providing livelihood opportunities and urban amenities to improve the quality of life in rural areas. It recognizes the rapid growth potential of rural India if enhanced connectivity and infrastructure are provided. The rural population would then be empowered and enabled to create opportunities and livelihoods for themselves on a sustainable and growing basis. Aajeevika Skills is the skill and placement initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India (MoRD). It evolved out of the need to diversify incomes of the rural poor and to cater to the occupational aspirations of their youth. The programme’s focus is on skilling and placement in the formal sector for rural youth who are poor.
Aajeevika Skills [2009]: Its origins in the ‘Special Projects’ component of the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). Besides helping to reduce poverty, it rides on the hopes and aspirations for a better quality of life in large sections of the rural poor. Ajeevika Skills aims to skill rural youth who are poor and provide them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. Skilling and placement under Aajeevika Skills involve eight distinct steps-
Awareness building within the community on the opportunities.
Identifying rural youth who are poor.
Mobilising rural youth who are interested.
Counselling of youth and parents.
Selection based on aptitude.
Imparting knowledge industry-linked skills and attitudes that enhance employability.
Watershed Development (Revised – 2001): The Watershed approach has conventionally aimed at treating degraded lands with the help of low cost and locally accessed technologies such as in-situ soil and moisture conservation measures, afforestation etc. and through a participatory approach that seeks to secure close involvement of the user-communities. The broad objective was the promotion of the overall economic development and improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the resource-poor sections of people inhabiting the programme areas. Many projects designed within this approach were, at different points of time, taken up by the Government of India. The Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and the Desert Development Programme (DDP) were brought into the watershed mode in 1987. The Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) launched in 1989 under the aegis of the National Wasteland Development Board also aimed at the development of wastelands on a watershed basis. The focus of these programmes has, with the advent of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) shifted to the enhancement of the viability and quality of rural livelihood support systems.
HARIYALI [2003]: New projects under the area development programmes shall be implemented in accordance with the Guidelines for Hariyali with effect from 1.4.2003. The main objectives are Objectives of harvesting every drop of rainwater for purposes of irrigation, plantations including horticulture and floriculture, pasture development, fisheries etc. to create sustainable sources of income for the village community as well as for drinking water supplies. Ensuring overall development of rural areas through the Gram Panchayats and creating regular sources of income for the Panchayats from rainwater harvesting and management.
National Horticulture Mission [2005]: To promote holistic growth of the horticulture sector through area based regionally differentiated strategies, the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) was launched in the country, during the Xth Plan with effect from 2005-06. The scheme has enhanced horticulture production, improved nutritional security and income support to farm households and others; has established convergence and synergy among multiple ongoing and planned programmes for horticulture development. The scheme has also helped in generating employment for skilled and unskilled persons, especially unemployed youth.
Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms [2005]: The scheme was launched in May 2005 with an objective to support State Governments efforts to revitalize their extension system. The scheme promotes a decentralized farmer-driven and farmer-accountable extension system through a new institutional arrangement for technology dissemination in the form of Agriculture.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana [2007]: To provide benefits to the farmer community, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY ) during the Financial Year 2007-08 to encourage the States to invest more towards agriculture and allied sectors so as to achieve 4% annual growth. This would help in increasing production and productivity. The Ministry has envisaged an outlay of Rs.25,000/- crore for the 12th Five Year Plan. The scheme requires the States to prepare District and State Agriculture Plans for the creation of such infrastructure, which is essential to catalyze the existing production scenario for achieving higher production. The scheme provides adequate flexibility and autonomy to the State Governments in the selection, planning and implementation of projects under this new flagship scheme.
National Food Security Mission [2007]: Understanding the importance of food security, the National Development Council in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May 2007 adopted a resolution to launch Food Security Mission comprising of rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of rice by 10 million tons, wheat by 8 million tons and pulses by 2 million tons by the end of Eleventh Plan. Accordingly, National Food Security Mission has been launched since Rabi 2007 with a financial outlay of Rs. 4882 crore (Eleventh plan period).
Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana [2009]: To improve the present status of women in Agriculture, and to enhance the opportunities for her empowerment, the Government of India has announced “Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana” (MKSP), as a sub-component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and decided to provide support to the tune of Rs. 100 crore during the 2010-11 budget. The primary objective of the MKSP is to empower women in agriculture by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity, as also create and sustain agriculture-based livelihoods of rural women.
Sustainable development intervention in rural areas largely depends on the successful and effective implementation of rural development programmes. Since independence, the country has formulated various rural development programmes and has restructured and revamped them envisaging their wider outreach and acceptability. However, the issues, challenges and concerns relating to the implementation of the rural development programmes have remained more or less the same. The need of the hour is the convergence of all development interventions at the grass-root level so as to enhance necessary infrastructure in the backward regions and ensure capacity building and skill up-gradation.
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