Rural development is the cornerstone of sustainable development, and the SDGs recognize its importance. The truth, however, is different in that rural issues tend to take a backseat compared to urban problems.

2. Rural development is the cornerstone of sustainable
development, and the SDGs recognize its importance.
Rural-urban inequality in development and living conditions is
leading to migration as a survival strategy for the rural
population.
Regional inequality is worsening and the need of the hour is to
find criteria and measures to overcome this situation.
Urban And Rural Development

3. The factors that lead to the rural-urban development divide can be outlined as
follows:
What Are The Factors That Lead To The Rural-
Urban Gap?
Limited
investment
in rural areas
Implementation of
rural development
policies or a
compartmentalized
approach
Limited access
to urban
markets
Shrinking
demography
Social
issues
Unavailability of
basic
infrastructure

4. What Are The Urban-Rural
Linkages?
Rural and urban areas are
interdependent, which holds importance
to their respective development in social
and economic spheres. These linkages
play a crucial role in national
development through bi-directional flows
of goods and services, information,
people, and technology.
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5. What Are The Urban-Rural
Linkages?
Urban-rural linkage can provide the rationale to identify the
need for changes in policy interventions in the following areas:
Demographic
Linkages
Economic
transactions and
innovation
activities
Delivery of
public
services
Exchange in
amenities and
environmental
goods
Multi-level local
participation

6. What Are The Differing Approaches To
Urban And Rural Development?
Rural development approaches are different than for urban
development, and they tend to change across geographies and
regions.
In a vast country like India, rural development focuses primarily on
the development of resources required for day-to-day activities.
In the case of urban development, the focus area shifts to better
systems, traffic management, transportation, infrastructure,
management of buildings, management of institutions, etc.

7. What Are The Differing Approaches To
Urban And Rural Development?
Rural and urban development
play complementary roles in
overall economic development.
They must grow and prosper
simultaneously for the
improvement of the Human
Development Index.

8. Does India Need To Change Its Focus?
While there has been rapid urbanization, rural areas have not
reaped the benefits of development. These areas still face issues
such as malnourishment, illiteracy, unemployment, and lack of
basic infrastructure, etc. Indian rural communities need to
grow in tandem with urban areas, and the standard of life
must improve there for inclusive growth to occur.

9. To Conclude
While there is no defined criterion for ensuring a balanced urban-
rural development, private, nonprofit, and public institutions
need to come together on this vexing issue. This rural-urban
gap is a long-standing issue in India. However, the
implementation of robust policies and strategies will lead to
balanced urban-rural development and an integrated
approach.

10. Thank You