Rural development in India has changed focus over time from agricultural development to a more inclusive approach addressing quality of life factors like health, education, and gender equality. Key challenges include high rural poverty rates, undernutrition, and dependence on small-scale farming. Current programs aim to boost rural employment and infrastructure through initiatives like NREGA, Bharat Nirman, and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, as well as provide social services and assistance through schemes like the National Social Assistance Programme and Indira Awas Yojana. Decentralized planning through strengthened panchayati raj institutions also aims to better address local needs.

1. RURAL DEVELOPMENT
IN INDIA

2. The Concept of Rural Devt.
 Has changed in the past three decades
 Until 70’s RD was synonymous with agri. devt.
 80’s – ‘a strategy designed to improve the eco. and
soc. life of a specific group of people – the rural poor ’

Concerns were deepening rural poverty
 Changing concept of devt.

Emergence of diversified rural economy

Non-income dimensions of poverty recognised
 Today – Inclusive RD.
 Goes beyond growth , income and output
 Quality of life – health, edn, nutrition, living conditions
 Reduction in gender equalities

3. Challenges in Rural Development
 71% of India’s popn. is rural
 29% of rural popn. (>200 million people) is below
the national poverty line.
 Rural poverty declined at 0.73% per year over the
period 1993-2005, down from 0.81% in 1983-94.
 46% of rural children under five, 40% of adult
women and 38% of adult men are underweight
(compared to 33%, 25% and 26% for urban).
 59% are small and marginal farmers and landless
labourers who depend on agriculture.

4.  Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, West
Bengal and Bihar together account for 40% of India’s
rural poor.
 16% of India’s population is classified as scheduled
caste, and 8% as scheduled tribe. These groups are
dominantly poor and rural and face particular socio-
cultural barriers to development.
 Source: Compiled from various sources including National Census (2001),
National Sample Survey, 61st round (2004/05); National Family Health Survey
3 (2005/06); Mahendra Dev and Ravi ‘Poverty and Inequality: All India and
States, 1983-2005’. Economic and PoliticalWeekly. (2007). pp 509-521.

5. Community Development Programme
Gandhian notion of CD

Rural upliftment and reconstruction

19 Point programme – Khadi & Village, Industries,
Sanitation, Health care, Economic equity,
Communal Harmony, Education, Women
Empowerment
CD assumed high propriety after independence

1952 GOI launched 55 CD projects each covering
300 villages / popn.of 30,000

1953 National Extension Service project – similar
objective, to cover larger areas
 Began as a comprehensive development effort to
rebuild rural life and livelihood.

6.  CD blocks treated as admin. units for planning and
devt. with separate budget.
 By first 5yr plan (1952-57) – 1114 blocks covering
163,000 villages were operation
 By the sixties CDP covered the entire country
 Economic progress was core objective
 CDP was the main programme until the 3rd 5 Yr
plan.
 Comprehensive in content
 Objective was to create conditions for high living
standards and upliftment of rural poor
 Agriculture, Animal husbandry, Roads, Health,
Education, Housing, Employment

7. Implementation Facets of CDPs
 Headed by a block development officer

BDO assisted by eight Extension Officers
 One each for agriculture, animal husb, Panchayat, co-operation
rural industries, rural engineering, social education, women and
child welfare
 VLV – BDO – Dist. Collector – Devt
Comssioner– Planning Commssion

Govt officials prepared plan under Plng Commsn
 Initially no chance for community to demand any
facility to solve their problem

Later advisory committee

8.  1950s to mid 1970s – little achievement
 Economy slower compare to East and South- East
Asian counterparts
 Land Reform Act 1956 – could not help poor and
helpless esp. in North India
 Increase in poverty in late sixties and early seventies
 Govt compelled to import food grain

9. Panchayti Raj Institutions
 1957 Balwant Rai Mehta Commitee appointed to
suggest measures to remove obstacles from CDP
 Three tier system of local Govt. –
 Gram Panchayat (Village level),
 Panchayat Samiti (Block level),
 Zilla Parishad (District level)
 The three-tier system aimed to link Govt. and elected
representative.
 To decenterlise decision making
 To shift decision making closer to people and
encourage their participation
 To place Bureaucracy under people’s control

10.  PRIs only partially able to meet these expections
 Elite capture of PRIs
 Welfare of weaker sections ignored
 Mid 60s
 Focus shifted to agriculture production
 Technological orientation to agriculture
 Central Govt. brings special Program's bypassing
PRIs
 SFDA (Small Farmers Devt Agency),

11.  IAAP (Intensive Agricultural Programmes)

IADP (Intensive Agricultural District Programme)

TDA (Tribal Development Agency)

MFAL (Marginal, Small Farmers and Agricultural
Labourers Development Agency )
 Command Area Development,
 Drought Prone Area and Hill Area
 All these were financed and operated directly by the
Central Govt.
 Agri initiative of late 60s increase food production
 Benefits reaped by rich, non-poor farmers in irrigated
areas.
 Small and Marginal Farmers trailed
 Productivity increase from the Green Revolution in
1970s- 80s, however, did reduce rural poverty

12. Integrated Rural Devt. Programme
 IRDP introduced in 1979 for rural poor and
weaker sections of society
 Earlier Programmes relied on delivery systems
which supressed self-reliance
 Shift from community devt. to schematised
planning

13.  Linkage between infrastructure and employment
scheme drawn
 Programme design has credit based self- employment
activity and not as subsidy distribution exercise
 Decentralization of programme implementation through
DRDA and Block Authority
 Sub schemes –
 Devt. Of women and children (DWCRA),
 Traning of Rural Youth for Self -employment (TRYSEM),

National Rural Employment Programme (NREP),

Jawahar Rojar Yojana (JRY)

14.  By Mid 80s – there are improvements in meeting the
minimum needs of poor .
 Progress in Elementary education, Health, Water
supply, Roads
 Still around 1993-94, was 32% of population was
poor
 In SC & ST this was higher by 17-22%
 Small land holding , Landlessness, Illiteracy were key
factors

15. Decentralized Planning For Rural Devt.
 Based on Sivaraman Committee report, Planning
Comn. urged states in 1987 to consider Block as unit
of Planning
 At Dist. level District Planning and Development
council / District planning Board – has elected and
nominated reps headed by a minister or district
collector or a non official
 It planned, coordinated, monitored, reviewed, and
finalized plan at block level

16.  However people’s participation were still limited
 Gap between Bureaucracy and people
Panchayati Raj Reforms
 73rd amendment in 1992
 Empowered PRIs to participate in devt. and
decentralized planning
 Dependency of villagers on Govt. officials and
machinery reduced

17.  29 items of Devt. Transferred to PRIs –
 Agriculture
 Forestry and Envt.
 Industry infrastructure,
 Minimum needs
 Social welfare
 Poverty alleviation
 Maint. of community assets
 More than 34 lakh elected reps of Panchayats
 Broadest rep. base in any country in world
 Reservation for weaker section & women
 Gram sabha – Forum for discussion and annual
planning
 Self help groups 9th five year plan(1997-2002)

18. Between 1990 and present Phase
 Liberal economic policies and reforms
introduced in the early 1990s
 Driven by rapid growth in the manufacturing
and service sectors
 Growth rate in agriculture has declined since
1997 and remains low.
 The share of agriculture in GDP has declined
from 43% in 1970 to 22% in 2004.
 Public investment in irrigation has fallen

19. Thrust areas
 Economy growing at around 8%
 Paradigm policy shift in rural development - rural poor
treated as resource, an integral part of the devt. strategy,
and not as a burden
 Objectives are to

Bridging the rural-urban divide.

Guaranteeing wage employment and ensuring food security

Making rural people the arbiters of their own destiny and to
provide for their economic uplift by self employment

Creating rural infrastructure for better economic
opportunities and growth

Ensuring dignified living – shelter,water, clean envt.

Restoring lost or depleted productivity of the land for better
livelihood opportunities
Approved outlay
1st 2 yrs of 11th Plan (2007- 2012)
Rs 36560 crores and 42400 crores

20. Bharat Nirman
 Under Bharat Nirman, developmental works are
undertaken in the areas of irrigation, road, rural
housing, rural water supply, rural electrification and
rural telecommunication connectivity.
 Three of the goals of Bharat Nirman fall within the
mandate of the Min. of Rural Development:
 rural connectivity
 rural housing
 rural water supply
 Specific targets so that there is accountability in the
progress of this initiative.
 Bharat Nirman an effort to unlock rural India's
growth potential and key for ushering a new era
 'National Common Minimum Programme' (NCMP)

21. Key Programmes
 'National Rural Employment Guarantee Act'2005
(NREGA)
 Act guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial
year to every household
 a social safety net for the vulnerable groups and an
opportunity to combine growth with equity
 Structured towards harnessing the rural work-force, not
as recipients of doles, but as productive partners in our
economic process
 assets created result in sustained employment for the
area for future growth employment and self-sufficiency
 Operationalised from 2nd February, 2006 in 200
selected districts, extended to 130 more districts in 2007-
08.
 The remaining districts (around 275) of the country under
the ambit of NREGA from 1st of April, 2008

22. Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(SGRY)
 launched on 25th September 2001
 objectives of providing additional wage
employment ensuring food security while
creating durable community, social &
economic infrastructure and assets in the
rural areas
 SGRY along with National Food for Work
Programme (NFFWP) have been
subsumed in the NREGA districts

23. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
(SGSY):
 Self employment programme for the rural poor.
 The assisted families (Swarozgaris) may be individuals
or groups (Self-Help Groups).
 Emphasis is on the group approach
 To bring the assisted poor families above the poverty
line by providing them income generating assets through
a mix of bank credits and government subsidy
 Organization of poor into Self-Help Groups and taking
care of training, credit, technology infrastructure and
marketing
 Implemented by the District Rural Development
Agencies (DRDAs) with the active participation of PRI’s
the Banks, the line Departments, and NGO’s

24. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY)
 Launched December, 2000
 100% centrally sponsored scheme to provide
connectivity to unconnected habitations
 Road connectivity to all habitations with a
population of thousand (500 in case of hilly or
tribal areas) with all weather roads by 2009
 Will lead to rural employment opportunities,
better access to regulated and fair market, better
access to health, education and other public
services
 Bridge the rural-urban divide and pave the path
of economic growth.

25. Indira Awas Yojana (IAY)
 Since 1985-86 to help build or upgrade homes
to householdsbelow the poverty line
 Ceiling on construction assistance under the IAY
currently is Rs. 25,000/- per unit for the plain
areas and Rs.27,500/- for the hilly
terrains/difficult areas
 To impart transparency to the selection process
of beneficiaries, a 'permanent waitlist' is being
prepared under IAY.
 60 lakh houses are to be constructed in a period
of 4 year from 2005-06
 Against this overall target, 15.52 lakh were built
in 2005-06 and 14.98 lakh homes in 2006-07

26. National Social Assistance Programme
(NSAP)
 To provide public assistance to its citizens in case of
unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement within
the limit of the economic capacity of the State
 Launched for fulfillment of this obligation in 1995-96.

National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS)
• -Rs.200 per month from1st April 2006,

National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)

National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS).

(IGNOAPS) launched on 19.11.2007
• citizens above the age of 65 years and living below the poverty line
 Annapurna Scheme for providing free good grains to the
elderly

27. Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme
ARWSP
 Central government supplements States’ efforts
for providing safe drinking water and sanitation
by providing financial and technical assistance
under two centrally sponsored programmes

'Accelerated Rural Water Supply' (ARWSP)

'Central Rural Sanitation Programme' (CRSP).
 By 2009, 55,067 uncovered, 3.31 lakh slipped back
and 2.17 lakh quality affected habitations are to be
addressed

approximately 6 lakhs habitations where water supply
is a problem to be covered

28. 'Total Sanitation Campaign' (TSC)
 'Central Rural Sanitation Programme‘ (CRSP)
launched in 1986 aims at improving the quality
of life of the rural poor and to provide privacy
and dignity to women in rural areas.
 In 1999, 'Total Sanitation Campaign' (TSC)
under restructured CRSP was launched to
promote sanitation in rural areas.
 Follows participatory demand-responsive
approach, educating the rural households about
the benefits of proper sanitation and hygiene

29. Selected Institutions
National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD)
More than 50 years of existence is an apex
body for undertaking.
 Training
 Research
 Action research
 Consultancy functions

30. Council for Advancement of People’s Action and
Rural Technology (CAPART) Founded in 1986
For improving the quality of life in the rural areas, particularly
the poor and socially disadvantaged . People below the
poverty line, scheduled castes and tribes, bonded labour,
women and people with disabilities are priority focus groups
for CAPART.
The major goals of CAPART are:
To support voluntary organisations in implementing projects for
sustainable development in rural areas.
• To act as a national nodal point for development and
promotion of appropriate rural technologies.
• To promote and support voluntary action and people's
participation for rural development, through capacity-building
for voluntary organisations and rural communities.

31.  To act as a data bank and clearing house for information on
the voluntary sector, rural technologies and rural
development.
 Facilitating community action for development.
 Building awareness on critical development issues.
 Building and strengthening village-level people and
organisations.
 Promoting the development and dissemination of appropriate
rural technologies.
 Strengthening the capacities of voluntary organisations in
rural areas.
 Creating employment opportunities and economic self-
reliance.
 Creation of community assets and fulfilment of basic needs.
 Conservation and regeneration of the environment and natural
resources.
 Enabling women, persons with disabilities and other
disadvantaged groups to participate in development

32. End note
“The long arms of the states shortening and the reach of
the market forces is being extended but unevenly…
The question is no longer whether decentralised
collective action can be effective, but under what
circumstances it is appropriate, and how positive
synergy between the state, market and civil
organisations can most efficiently and fairly supply
public goods…
--------Norman Uphoff

33. III Review of Rural Development
Programmes in India
 Broad features for Rural Development Programmes in
Five Year Plans
 Began as a comprehensive development effort to rebuild
rural life and livelihood.
 Community Development Programme was the main
programme until the Third Five year plan.
 Became a bundle of special programmes with focus on
poverty alleviation.
 RDP has also been a top-down centrally guided and
centrally sponsored programme.
 Hardly any state government has made special resource
commitment for RD Programmes.
 A large body of literature shows limited impact on poverty
removal / reduction through RDP.

34. C. D. P. as a Mini Plan for RD Provision in the 2ndFive Year Plan
Rs. In Crore
1.Personnel and Equipments 52
2.Agricultural, Animal Husbandry,
Minor Irrigation land reclamation etc. 55
3.Communication 18
4.Rural Arts and Crafts 5
5.Education 12
6.Social Education 10
7.Health and Sanitation 20
8.Housing (Project Staff + Rural Housing) 16
9.CD Centre 12
TOTAL 200
4.2% of total plan outlay.
3,100 blocks and 3,70,000 villages were covered by the beginning of the
third plan.
1crore= 10 million

35. Features of Community Development as National
Extension Programme
 Areas of intensive efforts for over all development of social
and economic life.
 Different development agencies of Government to work as a
team.
 Villagers came together for bringing about social changes are
assisted to seek and enable their participation in execution of
economic development programs self-help and co-operation
are recognised as principles to guide.
 Cover all rural families especially those who are
"underprivileged".

36. Co-operatives –Co-operative farming
 Development Panchayats actively responsible
 Landholding consolidation / Land Reforms Agricultural.
 Development Small and village industry
 Women and Youth get special focus
 Intensive work in Tribal area

37. Third Five Year Plan(1961-66)
 The village production plan Glimpses of Sustainable economic
development?
 Agricultural Production Programs
 Full utilisation of irrigation facilities
by maintaining field channels
 repair and maintain commu. Irrigation works.
 increases area under multiple cropping.
 spread of improved seeds
 composting and green manure, fertilisers
 Improved agricultural practices –Soil conservation, contourbunding,
dry farming, drainage, land reclamation, plant protection.
 individual and community minor irrigation projects
 improved implements
 production of vegetables and fruits

38.  Development of poultry, fish, dairy
 Animal Husbandry –stud bulls castration
 Development of Village fuel plantation and
pastures.
• Panchayat Development Socio-political
• DPAP –DDP Focus on Natural Resources
􀂄 Aims:
• Optimum utilisation of land, water and
livestock resources.
• Restoration of ecological balance
• Stabilising the income of poor
• Arrest desertification advancement

39. Key Elements:
1. Development & Management of water
resources
2. Soil and Moisture conservation
3. Afforestation–Social + Farm forestry
4. Development of pasture lands
5. Livestock and dairy development
6. Restructuring cropping pattern
7. development subsidiary occupation

40. Financial Resources Centre's share (50:50basis)
Rs.crores(10 million)
IRDP 750
DPAP 175 (Rs.15 lakhs per block)
DDP 50
NREP 980
+ Special Areas Programme�
 Water Resources -over exploited –crisis
 Land Resources -degradation on rise
 Forest Resources -degraded and under threat
 Common Property
Resources -Open access & degraded mostly

41. Fourth Five Year Plan(1969-74)
 By the end of 3rd Five Year Plan coverage is all
villages in 5265 blocks
 Welding together Panchayati Raj and CD
 Balwant Rai MehtaCommittee –The three-tier system
village, block, district link Government, and elected
representative.
 Studies on Area Planning Concept of Growth Centre
introduced growth centre to be promoted and woven
into district plans.

42. Fifth Five Year Plan(1974-78)
The Slimmest Volume!
 In 1975 20 point programme is introduced.
 Community Development Programme does
not find place in text and discussion.

43. Sixth Five Year Plan(1980-85)
RD Through Special Programmes
 Achievements in previous plan lauded
Network of extension and development service established
 Land reforms successful

Rural community aware and ready to adopt technical advances (GRT
adoption as evidence).

Special area programmes introduced.

DPAP mid 1970s Drought Areas
 DDP late 1970s Desert Areas
 SFDA, MFAL since 1971 Small, marginal farmers and Agricultural
labourers.
 RD to focus on special employment and income generation
programmes for poor. Focus shifted to individual Household based
support.
 All individual / Household Programme merged and Integrated Rural
Development Programme is born (IRDP).

44. Seventh Five Year Plan(1985-90)
“The approach to the Seventh Plan reiterates
the goal of bringing down the percentage of
population below the poverty line to less than
10 by 1994-95”
…Therefore, the special programmes will be
continued at an accelerated rate.

45. Eighth Five Year Plan(1992-97)
List of Programmes Reviewed �
 IRDP (1980)
 TRYSEM (1979)
 DWCRA (1982)
 NREP (1980)
 RLEGP (1983)
 JRY (1990)
 MEGS (1971-72) Maharashtra
 SEPG (1991) Gujarat
 DPAP (1973)
 DDP(1978)
Voluntary sector to help. Rest same as 7thF.Y.P.

46. Ninth Five Year Plan(1997-02)
Introduction of Integrated Watershed Development Programmes
 DPAP, DDP + People in Centre
 Contradictions between Agricultural Irrigation and RD Programmes
 Impact of GRT (agro mechanical + bio-chemical) on
ecological/environmental parameters.
 District Planning and RD Programmes
 People as if they matter
 Assessment of local area, resource base, people –existing situation.
 Natural Resource base as unit for improving resource productivity.
 Use of individual, social, local and indigenous knowledge.
 Formulation of sustainable development plans.
 Community Development Facilitation.

47. Tenth Five Year Plan(2002-07)
Strategy for Equity and Social Justice
“Agricultural Development must be viewed as a core element
of plan, since growth in this sector is likely to lead to the
widest spread of benefits especially to the rural poor. The first
generation of reforms concentrated on the industrial economy
and reforms in the agricultural sector were neglected. This
must change in the Tenth Plan.”
Box 1.3, p.9, Volume-I

Five Year Plan 2002-2007
P.C.GoI, 2002

48. Growth Strategy
 Creating Gainful Employment Opportunities
 Deal with policy constraints that discourage growth
in employment.
 Agriculture in extended sense
 Tourism, Transport Special Programs
 Retailing
 SSI
 IT & Communication –enabled service
 Other New services