Rural Development has been receiving increasing attention of the governments across the world. In the Indian context, rural development assumes special significance for two important reasons. First, about two-thirds of the population still lives in villages and there cannot be any progress so long as rural areas remain backward. Second, the backwardness of the rural sector would be a major impediment to the overall progress of the economy. The industrial sector cannot think of sufficient demand for its products so long as the rural incomes are low.
The rural areas suffer from poor infrastructural facilities. The villages are yet to emerge as the main centres of production activity. The proclivity is to produce goods in urban areas, even to meet the basic needs of rural consumers. This apart, the rural population requires not one but a few inputs and services. These have to be provided at the right time and in the right sequence. This demands the right kind of co-ordination amongst agencies extending help to the rural sector.
Given the unfavourable power structure in rural India, the benefits of the Revolution or even the anti-poverty programmes do not reach to benefit the rural population. The workers and small producers in India cannot put in their best in an inequitous atmosphere. Therefore, production suffers. Also, the rural sector cannot take advantage of opportunities available so long as the institutions are dominated by the rich.
The rural people should take active part in all stages of the planning process. At present, they look up to the government for each and everything. This dependency syndrome needs to be dispelled. People`s participation in the development sphere is crucial. The people must be made fully aware of the opportunities available and how to take advantage of them.
Contents :
Part One: Rural Development: An Overview
1. Rural Development: Nature and Scope
2. Approaches to Rural Development
3. Gandhian Approach to Rural Development
4. The Political Economy of Rural Poverty
5. Rural Unemployment in India
6. Rural Migration
7. Rural Development and The Eighth Plan
8. Rural Development in The Ninth Plan (1997-2002)
9. Rural Development in The Tenth Plan
10. Rural Development in The Eleventh Plan, 2007-12
Part Two: Agriculture and Allied Programmes
11. Agriculture and Indian Economy
12. Food And Non-Food Crops and Trends in Yields
13. The Green Revolution
14. Food Security in India
15. Irrigation and Indian Agriculture
16. Trends in Agricultural Exports
17. Agricultural Price Policy of India
18. Forest Resources of India
19. Rural Industrialisation in India
20. Technology For Rural Development
Part Three: Rural Power Structure
21. Land Reforms in India
22. Plight of Agricultural Labourers
23. Conditions of Rural Artisans
24. Organising The Rural Poor
Part Four: Special Schemes
25. Rationale of Special Schemes
26. Employment Generation Programmes
27. National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGY)
28. Integrated Rural Development Programme
29. Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
30. Training Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM)
31. Tribal Development Programmes
32. Development of Women and Children In Rural Areas (DWCRA)
33. Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Development Programmes
Part Five: Rural Banking in India
34. Rural Indebtedness and Rural Credit
35. The Cooperatives
36. The Commercial Banks
37. The Differential Interest Rate Scheme
38. The Lead Bank Scheme
39. Service Area Approach
40. Regional Rural Banks
41. National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development
42. Techniques of Lending For Agriculture
43. The Problem of Overdues
44. Microfinance in India
Part Six: Rural Delivery System
45. Agricultural Marketing in India
46. Rural Development Administration and Panchayati Raj Institutions
47. People`s Participation in Rural Development
48. Rural Development: Role of Voluntary Agencies
49. Public Distribution System in The Rural Context
50. Basic Needs of Rural India
51. Communication for Rural Development
Part Seven: Rural Development − Experiences of Select Countries
52. Rural Development in China
53. Rural Development in Pakistan
54. Rural Development in Bangladesh
55. Rural Development in Sri Lanka
56. Rural Development in The Philippines
57. Rural Development in Tanzania
Select Bibliography
