The Marthandam Experiment aimed to develop rural communities near Trivandrum, India spiritually, mentally, and physically starting in 1921. Demonstration centers were set up including night schools, weekly markets, extension work, and farms. This led to improvements in areas like education, economic opportunities, and attitudes. However, the experiment faced challenges including inadequate funding, lack of government support, and over-reliance on a single leader, which caused issues after his death. Suggestions for improvement included better knowledge transfer in agriculture and promoting sustainability, food security, and social inclusion.

1. MARTHANDAM
EXPERIMENT

2. INTRODUCTION
 Focus on South India (near Trivandrum)
 Objective: 3 fold development (Spiritual, Mental & Physical)
 Intervention with the help of Dr. Spencer Hatch, an American in 1921
through extension secretary
 ‘self help with intimate expert council’
 Movement called as Rural Reconstruction

3. PROCESS
 Demonstration centers was setup
1. Night schools
2. Weekly market
3. Extension work
4. Guide village organizations
5. It had demonstration farms, prized animals, bee keeping centres
“Through self help and cooperation”

4. Cont.
 Spiritual development
 Mental development
 Physical development
 Social development
 Economic development

5. RESULTS ACHIEVED
 Systematic and well organized intervention by professionals
 Workers helped other states of Baroda, Mysore, Cochin etc.
 Change in the attitude of rural people
 Animators (village sevika)
 Tried to understand the felt needs rather than perceived needs as in Sriniketan
experiment.
 More focus on stereotype activities and marketing
 Successful output: egg selling club, honey club

6. SHORTCOMINGS
 Inadequate funds
 Insufficient govt. help
 Activities organized in Marthandam & village workers don’t stay in villages
 Religious bias
 Program was centered only on one person.After his death, conflict in
questions regarding the leadership between YMCA & church association

7. SUGGESTIONS:
 fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture.
 sustainable forest management;
 promoting food chain organization and animal welfare
 restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture
 promoting resource efficiency and
 promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development
in rural areas.