1. The Etawah Project was conceived in 1945 and launched in 1948 in Mahewa Village, India to improve conditions in an average rural district. 2. Led by American planner Albert Mayer, the project's objectives were to increase agricultural production, build community spirit, and gain villagers' confidence through education and demonstrations. 3. Activities included improving crop yields through soil conservation, green manure, seeds, and fertilizers, as well as training villagers and coordinating government departments. 4. The project achieved convincing success in wheat production and solved unemployment issues, but success declined after Mayer's departure in 1957.

2. Etawah Project -1948
UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES GKVK BANGALORE
AEX-201

5. • The idea of this pilot project was
conceived in 1945 but was put into
action in September, 1948 at Mahewa
Village about 11 miles away from
Etawah in United Province. Lt. Col.
Albert Mayer of U.S.A

6. Objectives
• 1. To see the extent of improvement possible in
an average district.
2. To see how quickly results could be achieved.
3. To ascertain the permanency and applicability
of results to other areas.
4. To find out methods of gaining and growing
confidence of the villagers.
5. To build up a sense of community living.
6. To build up a spirit of self help in the villagers

7. Activities
• 1. Broadening the mental horizons of
the villagers by educative and
persuasive approach.
2. Training of village level workers.
3. Co-ordination between
Departments and Agencies.
4. Conducting demonstrations.
5. Covered subjects like crop yields,
soil conservations, animal husbandry
sanitation and social education

8. American planner and urbanist Albert Mayer in
Etawah

9. Horace Holmes, Chief of the Agricultural Group of the
Point Four Program in India, speaks with Indians in Etawa

10. Mayer studied all the other projects and form
them he came to the conclusion that
• A programme based on the need of the people.
• This programme extended by conducting demonstration and
evaluation work.
• The programme include cottage industries development so that
subsidiary occupation could be developed.
• A project has to be well organized and planned.
• Rural development should take into account all the aspects of
the human being. It is not enough to have a programme for just
one class or group of people.
• In this project major emphasis was given on increasing
agricultural production by the use of green manure, better seeds,
agricultural implements fertilizers, adult education and
reactivation of saline soils.

11. • Initiallytheworkwasstartedin64villages.
• Afterone yearthe numberof villagescoveredby theprojectwentupto 97.
• In1951,another125 villageswereincluded.
• FinallythisprojectwasmergedwiththeNationalExtensionService(NES)block.
• The most convincing achievement of this project was in agriculture, particularly in wheat production due to
adoptionof improvedproductiontechnologies.
• Thisprojectsolvedtheproblemof unemploymentandunder-employments.
• There was 53.3 per cent expenditure on capital works, which resulted in making available of good roads, and
otherstructures.
• SuccessgainedinEtawahcouldnot be maintainedafterMayer'sdeparturein1957.