UNIT 5 SIGNIFICANCE OF RURAL Significance of

Rural
DEVELOPMENT Development

Structure
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Importance of Rural Development
5.3 Need for Rural Development
5.4 Contribution to National Economy
5.4.1 Contribution of Agricultural Sector
[Link] Contribution to GDP

[Link] Contribution to Employment

[Link] Source of Raw Materials and Markets for Industrial Goods

[Link] Access to Cheap and Healthy Food

5.4.2 Contribution of Non – Agricultural Sector

[Link] Contribution to Employment Growth

[Link] Contribution to GDP

5.5 Rural Priorities – Government Priorities

5.5.1 Improve Agricultural Productivity
5.5.2 Conserve Natural Resources
5.5.3 Expand Rural Infrastructure
5.5.4 Strengthen Capacity for Knowledge Generation
5.5.5 Access to Food
5.6 Different Stakeholders
5.6.1 Government Organizations
5.6.2 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
5.6.3 Cooperatives
5.6.4 Nongovernment Organizations (NGOs)
5.7 Let Us Sum Up
5.8 Key Words
5.9 References and Suggested Readings

5.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:

• analyze the importance of rural development in fostering the growth of

rural India;
• understand the need for rural development as a necessity in India;
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 Rural • explain the contribution of agricultural sector and non-agricultural sector
Development
in national economy;
• define the government priorities for action in food, agriculture and rural
development
• outline the role of different stakeholders engaged in rural development in
India

5.1 INTRODUCTION
Rural development can be viewed as a process, as a phenomenon, as a
strategy and as a discipline. In rural sector, agriculture subsector is the most
prominent. No program of India’s development can ever succeed if it
neglects the rural sector. There are many physical, technological, economic,
socio-cultural, institutional, organizational, and political factors that affect the
level and pace of rural development. To achieve the objectives of rural
development efficiently, it is necessary that a set of appropriate instruments
be identified for each of the objectives of the policy for rural development.
Of all the organizations, the government has been and will continue in the
future to be the most important actor in the field of rural development. The
role of government should be to define the roles of other agencies, coordinate
and regulate their activities. Given the multidisciplinary nature of rural
development, and the multitude of governmental and nongovernmental
agencies engaged in the implementation of diverse agricultural and rural
development programs with different – and often conflicting – objectives, it
is absolutely essential that the different development programs in operation in
an area be integrated and coordinated for optimum results.

5.2 IMPORTANCE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The effective development of the country lies in the development of every
aspect within rural communities. These include, health, employment
opportunities, infrastructure, education, housing, environmental conditions
and the civic amenities. Rural India is still in an underdeveloped state as
compared to urban areas. The reason behind this is low literacy rate,
unemployment, poverty, etc. The lack of knowledge and failure to understand
the modern techniques and methods are also responsible for low level of
living.

Rural development programmes, schemes and measures formed by the

government play an essential role to make their life more comfortable and
easier and thus contribute in the development of the country. These
programmes and schemes are formulated after recognizing the needs of rural
communities to improve their living conditions.
Rural development has considerable importance in India. No program of
India’s development can ever succeed if it neglects the rural sector. The main
objective of the rural development programme is to raise the socio-economic
and health status of rural people. It has gained importance due to following
reasons:
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a) Rural development programmes creates equitable opportunities for rural Significance of
Rural
peoples to fulfil their basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, Development
employment and education.
b) Rural development has gained importance as it puts equal emphasis on
economic development along with transformation of individuals.
c) It encourages participation of individuals and communities in various
programmes, decentralization of planning, better enforcement of land
reforms and larger access to credit.
d) Agriculture subsector in rural sector plays a crucial role in India’s
economy which contributes nearly 18% of India’s GDP. It is also an
important source of foreign exchange and raw materials for India’s major
agro-industries and provides a larger market for industrial products.
e) Rural development gained importance in establishing linkages between
agricultural sector and non – agricultural sector. Non – agricultural sector
plays a crucial role in absorbing unemployed rural workforce as
agricultural sector alone cannot create full employment in rural areas.
f) Illiteracy is an obstacle to social and economic development. Rural
development puts stress on educating the rural masses as majority of the
populations resides in rural areas. UNESCO in 1964 recognized that
education is the true alchemy with which India can bring its next golden
age.
g) Rural development is important for minimizing the disparity between
urban elite and rural poor.

Check Your Progress-I

Note: i) Write your answer in the space provided below.
ii) Check your answer by reading the text once again.
1) Explain the importance of Rural Development.
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2) What do you mean by Rural Development?
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 Rural
Development
5.3 NEED FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Rural development is a dynamic process which is mainly concerned with the
rural areas. The need for rural development lies in the words of Mahatma
Gandhi in the development of Harijan. He wrote in 1936 that:

‘India is to be found not in its few cities but in its 7,00,000 villages but town
dwellers have believed that India is to be found in its towns and the villages
are created to meet our needs. We have hardly paused to enquire if those poor
folk of rural areas get sufficient needs to eat and cloth themselves well and
whether they have a roof to shelter themselves from sun and rain.’

Rural development is, therefore, an absolute and urgent necessity in India.

The need for rural development is discussed under five broad categories:

1) Development of Infrastructure Facilities: For healthy and productive

life and to fulfil basic needs, we need proper infrastructure. In rural
areas, infrastructure assets, such as, schools, roads, hospitals, water
supplies, irrigation facilities, bridges and markets needs to be
strengthened for overall development. There is a need for continuous
provision of new infrastructure and maintenance of existing
infrastructure for sustainable rural development.
2) Poverty Alleviation: As majority of poor resides in the rural areas, most
of the rural development programmes focuses on poverty alleviation
through innovative programmes of wage and self employment. An
integrated approach including governmental and non-governmental
agencies, villagers, panchayats, industries, etc. is needed to reduce
poverty imbalance between urban and rural areas.
3) Development of Health Facilities: The system of rural healthcare is one
of the biggest challenges in improving the health status of rural people.
The maternal and infant mortality rates remain high in rural areas. Lack
of quality healthcare and lack of access to basic health facilities is seen in
rural India. There is an urgent need to improve the healthcare services in
rural areas.
4) Development of Productive and Human Resources: The drastic
informant rural areas our major concern. The quality of workforce and
development of productive resources are the key determinants for
sustainable rural development. It can be done by improving literacy rate,
quality education, skill development, training, etc.
5) Education and Employment: Education has long been recognized as a
potential means for rural development. It plays an important role in
making people economically conscious. Rural development and
educational development are inseparable. The play crucial roles in
employment generation for the rural workforce.

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5.4 CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL Significance of
Rural
ECONOMY Development

India’s economy is predominantly rural in character. This is so because rural

India comprises of the two – thirds of the country population and constitutes
half in the national income. One of the largest components that provides hub
to the rural economy is agriculture. Agriculture has been the backbone of the
Indian economy. However, there is a gradual shift from agricultural to non –
agricultural activities and thus rural people derive their income from non –
farm activities as well. The agricultural sector comprises agriculture and
allied economic activities. A part from agricultural sector, the non –
agricultural sector also plays an important role in contributing towards Indian
economy through small – scale village industries, rural craft, etc.

5.4.1 Contribution of Agricultural Sector

India is primarily an agrarian society. Agriculture and related activities play
vital roles in the economic growth of the country. It is clear from the fact that
60% of the population still depends on agriculture for livelihood and survival.

[Link] Contribution to GDP: The rural economy will play a vital role in
making the Indian economy a 5 trillion dollar economy. The government of
India eyes contribution of 1 trillion dollar from agriculture. Agriculture and
allied activities contributed 15.96% to the GDP in 2019. Although, the share
of agriculture in the GDP has been declining, although, the secondary and
tertiary sectors of economy are expanding at the higher rate.
[Link] Contribution to Employment: Growth of rural areas and agricultural
sector acts as a main source of livelihood and employment for about half of
the India’s population. In India, around 47.4% (in 2014) of total population
derives its income from agriculture as compared to other countries. Thus, it
can be said that the rural development helps in providing livelihood and
employment by strengthening the agricultural and its allied sectors.

[Link] Source of Raw Materials and Market for Industrial Goods: The
principal source of raw materials for industries like sugar, jute, cotton, edible
oils, leather and tobacco is derived from agriculture. Many other industries
also depend on agriculture for their development. Rural development helps in
maintaining the quality and flow of such materials for effective and efficient
growth of these leading industries which play a vital role in national
development. Rural areas also provide a good and ready market for many
industrials goods, such as, pesticides, insecticides, poultry feeds, etc. It also
provides a ready market for many consumer goods as well.

[Link] Access to Cheap and Healthy Food: Economic development is

characterized by a substantial increase in the demand for food. India has
abundant availability of a wide variety of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers,
live-stock and seafood. Diverse climatic conditions and a long coastline have
contributed to India's position as a leading food producer. If we look at the
dairy/milk production, India is the top most-milk producing country in the
world.
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 Rural 5.4.2 Contribution of Non – Agricultural Sector
Development
If agriculture were the only occupation in the rural areas, this would mean
that rural earnings may not be going up in comparison with the rest of the
country. However, while agriculture dominates the rural scene, it is not the
only economic activity there. As the land available for expansion of
agriculture becomes increasingly scarce, opportunities for non-farm
employment must expand if deepening rural poverty is to be avoided. The
non-agricultural sector holds the key to faster economic development of the
country. It has potential for generating employment and increased income in
the rural areas.

[Link] Contribution to Employment Growth: Non – agricultural sector

plays a crucial role in generating employment for the unemployed rural
workforce. More than one third of the rural workers found engaged in non –
farm work. It has increased the growth of employment in the rural areas from
last two decades. Non – farm growth was fostered by massive public
investment in infrastructure and poverty reduction. Casualization of labor is
one of the feature of non – farm employment. They are usually unskilled
daily wage jobs. Wages of casual labourers has increased at the fastest pace
in recent years. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) has played an important role in pushing the rural casual wage
rate upward.
[Link] Contribution to Gross Domestic Product: The contribution of rural
non-farm sector has increased in recent years in comparison to agricultural
sector. It contributes to around one – third to the country’s GDP, whereas that
of agriculture has declined over the same period of time. It has been observed
that the “push” and “pull” forces are responsible for rapid growth of non-
farm sector. Push factor works when labours found themselves unable to
fulfil household needs from the agriculture produce, thus to increase the
household income they move towards the non – farm sector as a safe option
for themselves, where they do not have the risk of crop failure as well. The
pull forces i.e. urbanization has been identified as a prime motivator for the
non-farm growth. This sector plays a crucial role in boosting industrial
growth and ensuring the success of the “Make in India” program.

Check Your Progress-II

Note: i) Write your answer in the space provided below.
ii) Check your answer by reading the text once again.
1) Discuss the need for Rural Development.
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2) National Economy and Rural Development. Significance of
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5.5 RURAL AND GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES

Despite rapid urbanization, about two-third of the India’s population still
lives in rural areas. The quality and access to services—i.e., basic education
and health, water and sanitation, roads, and electricity—are lagging far
behind in rural areas compared to those in urban areas. This disparity created
by urban-bias has led to economic conditions that put rural populations at a
major disadvantage and induce young and skilled people to migrate to urban
areas. Because of these disadvantageous economic and infrastructure
conditions, (i) farm productivity is much lower than the economic potential,
(ii) returns on farm labor and investment are much lower compared to those
of nonfarm enterprises, (iii) private investment in farming and rural
enterprises is much lower and does not create critical mass for increased
economic activity, (iv) adoption of modern technology is slower, (v) cost of
agricultural production is higher, (vi) post harvest losses are high, and (vii)
rural-to-urban migration is much higher than it would be otherwise. More
focused and balanced development in rural areas will slow down and/or will
reverse these trends and generate significant benefits for the whole society.
Sustainable development of each community should be strategically planned
and directed in order to move from the current condition towards the
condition desirable in the future. Sustainable development also includes the
coordination of various development aspects and opposing motives in the
programs of certain sectors (social, economic and environmental).

The following are the important areas of government priorities for action for
the development of the rural poor:

5.5.1 Improve Agricultural Productivity

Improving agricultural productivity is important in order to improve farmer
incomes, and it requires increases in yield, better productivity through the
efficient utilization of resources, reduction in crop losses, and ensuring that
farmers receive fair prices for output. The key objectives of this priority area
are to increase agricultural output and productivity, raise rural living
standards, improve market access and support agribusiness.
The phenomenal benefits from focusing on improving access to seeds
highlight the need to prioritize policies that will achieve the most for farmers.
The primary tools will be the increased use of new technologies, technical
support to members and sub regions, support to agribusiness and capacity
building. The main strategies to improve the agricultural productivity in India
are to increase the production potential of soil, improving supply through rain 79
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 Rural water harvesting, improve efficiency in the financial delivery system, need
Development
for farming system orientation, need for market reform, etc.

5.5.2 Conserving Natural Resources

Natural resources play an important role in the process of rural development.
Land, water, plant and animal genetic resources enable agriculture, fisheries
and forestry to contribute to food production and rural development.
Combining them with appropriate technologies, financial capital, labour,
infrastructure and institutions enhances their productivity.
Rural communities, in particular, are greatly affected by the increasing use of
natural resources. To many of them, development is about livelihood and
survival rather than increasing productivity and accumulation of wealth.
Management of natural resources seems to be the only way forward to sustain
the livability of rural communities. Management of natural resources requires
collaborative works from various stakeholders as the use and un-use of
natural resources depend upon a number of factors including historical,
political, economic, social and cultural.
Government approach to a sustainable use of natural resources
includes practices that:

• Encourage the protection and restoration of water sources, and promote

water use optimization.
• Require the implementation of systems for wastewater treatment before
reuse or disposal.
• Foster soil conservation and improved carbon stocks.
• Promote waste reduction, recycling and responsible disposal.
5.5.3 Expand Rural Infrastructure
The presence of appropriate physical and social infrastructure is a core need
to support agriculture and rural development and to facilitate effective
forward and backward linkages to farm produce. Infrastructure assets such as
rural roads, tracks, bridges, irrigation schemes, water supplies, schools, health
centers and markets are needed in rural areas for the local population to fulfill
their basic needs and live a social and economic productive life. The
strategies and methods for the effective and sustainable provision of
infrastructure in rural areas (in particular rural roads) using local resource-
based approaches have now been adopted by a large number of governments
and international development agencies. This is a clear recognition of the
effectiveness of such approaches to livelihood improvements in rural areas.
The major infrastructure development programs now underway in India are
the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY), the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), and
the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The creation of the RIDF under
the NABARD was a major landmark in the government’s effort to improve
the rural infrastructure. In spite of the crucial importance of infrastructure,
significant deficiencies have persisted in rural infrastructure across Indian
states. The quantity and quality of infrastructure facilities are substantially
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lower in rural areas than in urban areas. A relatively low density of Significance of
Rural
population, low household incomes and the absence of scale economies are Development
considered to be challenges to the expansion of basic infrastructure facilities
in rural areas.

5.5.4 Strengthen Capacity for Knowledge Generation

Success in promoting rapid improvements in livelihoods and food security
through on-farm investments depends on small-scale farmers having good
access to relevant knowledge. This requires the provision of effective
knowledge-generation and dissemination systems, aiming to strengthen links
among farmers, agricultural educators, researchers, extension workers and
communicators.
Improving the effectiveness of agricultural extension usually involves
supporting the decentralization of services and making them more responsive
to farmers’ needs. It requires creating conditions for the emergence of
multiple-service providers, including not only public sector services, but also
services provided by NGOs and the private sector. Strengthening capacity in
education in relation to the Anti-Hunger Programme requires an emphasis on
the basic educational needs of rural people, covering all technical disciplines
related to sustainable agricultural and rural development. Although a large
number of factors are responsible for such a poor state of affairs and many
approaches and strategies have been to improve the situation, the lack of
knowledge management seems to us to be one of the reasons why most of the
rural development schemes are not cost-effectively designed nor effectively
implemented.

5.5.5 Access to Food

India currently has the largest number of undernourished people in the world
and this is in spite of the fact that it has made substantial progress in health
determinants over the past decades and ranks second worldwide in farm
output. Gaining access to healthy and affordable food can be a challenge for
rural residents. Many rural areas lack food retailers and are considered food
deserts: areas with limited supplies of fresh, affordable foods.
Food security has been one of the major developmental objectives in India.
Though India has sufficient food production yet the achievement did not
percolate down to households.

Check Your Progress-III

Note: i) Write your answer in the space provided below.
ii) Check your answer by reading the text once again.
1) Describe the Rural and Government priorities.
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 Rural 2) Natural Resources and Rural Development.
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5.6 DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS

Rural India has high potential for accelerating county’s overall socio-
economic development. Although the government has strived to enhance
socio-economic living conditions of rural people through various schemes
and five years plans and projects. But the development process is not the
responsibility of government alone. For sustainable growth and development
of rural India involvement of multi stakeholders is very necessary.
Grass roots level planning is an important strategy for development in any
sector. There are many physical, technological, economic, socio-cultural,
institutional, organizational, and political factors that affect the level and pace
of rural development. It implies planning at all levels: household, village,
district, state, and nation. For grass roots planning, the data required have to
be collected through suitable participatory method by involving stake-holders
for better results.

Different stakeholders engaged in rural development in India are briefly

described as under:

5.6.1 Government Organizations

For the overall development of the country, rural development programmes
and schemes play an important role. Government acts as an important
organization for the rural development in all developing countries including
India. Public bureaucracy carries out all the responsibility of the state for
fulfilling all sorts of development. The primary role of the government is to
setup institutions that provide all the facilities and needed helps for better
results.

The main functions of the government organizations can be seen at the

following six levels:
a) Facilitating policy formulation;
b) Harmonizing the actions of various economic agents and coordinating
program implementation;
c) Providing incentives for collective action and self-regulation;
d) Enforcing regulations and policies;
e) Resolving conflicts and providing arbitrations;
f) Providing technical assistance.

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The government organizations for rural development in India aim to better Significance of
Rural
the social and economic lives of the poor people by providing financial aid to Development
them. Few such organizations that have contributed greatly to the
development and welfare of the Indian rural sector are: National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Khadi and Village
Industries Commission, Centre for Science and Technology for Rural
Development, Ministry of Rural Development etc. These organizations works
for providing livelihood opportunities, basic housing to BPL households,
social assistance to the elderly, capacity development and training, promoting
involvement of voluntary agencies, rural connectivity etc.
Major programmes that are being operated by the Ministry of Rural
Development are: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA) for providing wage employment,, National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) for self employment and skill development,
Housing for All : Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Grameen (PMAY-G) for
providing housing to BPL households, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY) for construction of quality roads, National Social Assistance
Programme (NSAP) for social pension, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
RURBAN Mission and Integrated Watershed Management Programme
(IWMP) for improving the productivity of the land.

5.6.2 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)

Panchayati Raj Institutions have been introduced under the 73rd Amendment
Act of the Constitution of India in 1992. Panchayati Raj Institution constitute
is the core decentralized institution for development of planning and
programme implementation. Through Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rural
Development includes measures to improve the rural infrastructure, improve
income of rural households and delivery systems pertaining to education,
health and safety mechanisms. It was Gandhiji who realized the importance
of the village panchayats as an important instrument of rural development,
and promoting and nurturing democracy at grassroots. The panchayats are
expected to play an important role in rural development in India after
independence.
In January 1957, the Government of India appointed a committee under the
chairmanship of Balwantray Mehta to study the working of the community
development programmes and suggest how best it could be maintained and
implemented. The committee recommended three-tier system of local
government where village panchayats were to be formed at the village level,
panchayats samitis at the block level and zila parishads at the district level.
For the implementation of the schemes and proper economic development,
PRIs are enabled with adequate powers and responsibilities. The
implementation of democratic decentralization through the PRIs was meant
to give an opportunity for local initiative and participation in the
developmental activities. The future of the country really depends upon
effective Panchayati Raj and people’s participation or co-operation. It is the
only effective instrument which can put speed and substance in our planning
process and ensure the most effective use of the country’s resources for
productivity.
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 Rural On 25th December 2002, under Drinking Water Sector, a new initiative
Development
'Swajal Dhara' empowering the Panchayats to formulate, implement, operate
and maintain drinking water Projects was launched. In order to further
involve PRIs in the development process, a new initiative 'Hariyali' was
launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister on 27th January, 2003. Hariyali was
launched to strengthen and involve Panchayati Raj Institutions in the
implementation of watershed development programmes namely IWDP,
DPAP and DDP.

5.6.3 Cooperatives
A co-operative is a form of organisation that is widely prevalent in
developing countries including India. It has great potential as an instrument
of rural development. A co-operative is generally viewed as an autonomous
association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common social and
economic needs and/or objectives. Thus, a co-operative is a socio-economic
organisation that is expected to have its member’s interest truly at heart. It is
based on certain values and principles of its own, which distinguish it from
other forms of organizations.
The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) Congress held in Manchester
on September 23, 1995, adopted the following seven principles:
i) Voluntary and open membership;
ii) Democratic member control;
iii) Member economic participation and limited interest on share capital;
iv) Autonomy and independence;
v) Provision of co-operative education, training and information;
vi) Co-operation among co-operatives; and
vii) Concern for community.

Most of the rural cooperatives are not financially viable due to

mismanagement. Cooperatives needs to be managed by professional
managers, if they are to survive and grow in the wake of India’s new
economic policy characterized by deregulation, delicensing, privatization,
and globalization.

5.6.4 Voluntary Agencies/Nongovernment Organizations

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged as viable forces for
the articulation of people’s needs and grievances. NGOs are not a new
phenomenon in India. Voluntary effort has always been an important part of
Indian culture and social tradition. The need for organizing people into
accredited associations and their involvement and participation in rural
development has now been fully recognized. In the recent years, they have
increased in considerable number, acquired greater importance and
significance and put up many new experiments in the field of rural
development because government organization has not been able to reach the
people, particularly the rural poor in regard to rural development at the
desired level. The task of development is so huge and complicated that just
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implementing government plans is not sufficient to fix the problem. To Significance of
Rural
achieve this, a holistic vision and collaborative efforts involving various Development
departments, agencies and even NGOs is required. Owing to such a great
need, the number of NGOs in India is increasing rapidly and, at present, there
are about 25,000 to 30,000 active NGOs in India.
As with every five-year plan, the role of NGOs in the rural development of
India is growing, so NGOs are now attracting professionals from different
fields. NGOs act as planners and implementers of developmental plans. They
help in mobilizing the local resources to be used for development. NGOs help
in building a self-reliant and sustainable society. These agencies play the role
of mediator between people and government. NGOs are actually the
facilitator of development, education and professionalization.

At the national level, the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and
Rural Technology (CAPART) is the nodal agency responsible for promoting
voluntary action in rural development. It aims at encouraging, promoting, and
assisting voluntary action for rural development. CAPART makes financial
assistance available to NGOs under the following schemes:
1) Promotion of voluntary action in rural development
2) Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas
3) Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP)
4) Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP)
5) Organization of beneficiaries of anti-poverty programs
6) MGNREGA and NRLM
7) Advancement of Rural Technology Scheme (ARTS)
8) Panchayati Raj (PR)
9) Rehabilitation of disabled people

NGOs have a special advantage over other forms of organizations in

educating and training rural people, in enlisting their participation in rural
development programs, and in working closely with them.

Check Your Progress-IV

Note: i) Write your answer in the space provided below.
ii) Check your answer by reading the text once again.
1) Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Development.
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2) What is the role of voluntary agencies and NGO’s?
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 Rural
Development
5.7 LET US SUM UP
This unit must have given you some idea of the importance of rural
development in India. As you already know by now that no program of
India’s development can ever succeed if it neglects the rural sector. Rural
development is important for minimizing the disparity between urban elite
and rural poor. Rural development is, therefore, an absolute and urgent
necessity in India. Despite rapid urbanization, about two-third of the India’s
population still lives in rural areas. The quality and access to services—i.e.,
basic education and health, water and sanitation, roads, and electricity—are
lagging far behind in rural areas compared to those in urban areas. Rural
India has high potential for accelerating county’s overall socio-economic
development. But the development process is not the responsibility of
government alone. For grass roots planning, the data required have to be
collected through suitable participatory method by involving stake-holders
for better results. Different stakeholders engaged in rural development in
India are government organizations, Panchayati raj institutions, cooperatives
and non-government organizations.

5.8 KEY WORDS

Rural : The term rural development is a subset of broader term

Development “development”. It implies an overall sustained
improvement in the quality of life of rural people.

Organization : The term “organization” is used to refer to any

government or governmental subdivision or agency,
corporation, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or
any other association of people.

Policy : The term “policy” may be defined as a definite course of

action selected from among alternatives and in light of
given conditions to guide and usually to determine
present and future decision.

Check Your Progress

Note: a) Write your answers in the space provided.
b) Check your answers with the text provided in the unit.
1) (c) List of questions be framed by the writer of this unit
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5.9 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED Significance of
Rural
READINGS Development

Singh, K. 2009. Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management.

SAGE Publication India Pvt. Ltd

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