Introduction to Rural Development

 Introduction to Rural Development

Dr. Alok Pawar

• Concept of Rural Development - Meaning and Definition
• Scope and Importance of Rural Development
• Approaches of Rural Development
• Need for Rural Development 

Rural Area

We know that the three main needs of human beings are Food, Clothing, and Shelter. Humans are always struggling to fulfill these needs. When primitive man invented fire to cook and eat food instead of eating it raw, he might not have lived in a proper house like we do now. He lived in a wandering world. When he wandered further in the sun, wind, and rain conditions, clothes were also invented as these three things affected his body. A man who used to wear leaves of big trees or Valkale, in the beginning, is today wearing proper clothes. Not only clothes, but the same man also needed somewhere to settle down. He wanted to stop his wanderings and therefore he also took refuge in a Nivara i.e. a good place (Shelter).

If we think about the same thing about man, we see that man has made many improvements for himself, his family, or even the community in which he lives and grows to get the comforts that he wants. This improvement highlights many changes in his quality of life. The qualitative change that takes place over time can also be called the development of the individual, his family, or his community.

In some places, during the development, it continued as slowly as in the beginning. Some people have gone too far and started to develop only and only things that are in harmony with nature. They began to prefer similar industries that would primarily involve things derived from nature. Now if we think of such development, we think of rural areas. People in rural areas use natural soil and river water for farming. In some rural areas, people make things like baskets, Zhaps, Supli from bamboo. The sale of milk from cows and buffaloes is also done in rural areas. Raising goats-sheep-chickens and selling their meat also takes place in rural areas. We see many businesses that depend on the first things in nature growing out of them. 

If rural areas are to be properly understood, it is essential to understand the difference between rural and urban areas.

Difference between Rural Area and Urban Area

The difference on the Basis	Urban Area	Rural Area
Area Covered	Urban areas include cities, suburbs, and towns.	Rural areas usually consist of villages and hilly areas which are mainly undeveloped.
Land Usage	Available land is used for development purposes. On the other hand, land that has not been used for developmental purposes is also not available	Lands are observed free. Sometimes these open lands also serve as fodder for grazing animals.
Population	Densely populated	Sparsely populated
Shortage of Land	There is a shortage of land. The land has to be used for new development works.	There is no shortage of land.
Pollution	Urban areas experience a lot of pollution, and increasing population, vehicles, and industries add to the pollution.	These areas have less population, no more polluting vehicles, and agriculture-based industries so pollution is very less compared to urban areas.
Greenery	There is not much greenery, due to which the land here is occupied by residential buildings, industries, markets, and roads.	There is more greenery compared to urban areas
Availability of Jobs	The available jobs are widely spread across various sectors like government, services, manufacturing, trade, education, health, and commerce.	The jobs available are of limited nature and appear to be agriculturally based.
Opportunities	The problem of social barriers is significantly less. Religion, caste, and traditional traditions do not come in the way of jobs and education. Everyone has equal opportunities.	Due to social barriers such as gender, religion, caste, and culture, personal development seems to lag behind in rural areas. Some people seem to lack equal opportunities.
Main instruments of exchange	Government jobs, industries, and services	Agriculture and agro-based activities
Modernization	It appears to be abundant	Appears less. Traditional things are still very much preferred

 

Concept of Rural Development

Rural development is a policy designed to improve the economic and social life of rural people whose standard of living is poor or average. First of all, if we understand the concept of rural development, only then we can realize what things are involved in it, which can lead to the complete development of the rural areas and the people there.

 

India is known as a developing country. According to statistics in this country firstly in 1961 82% of people lived in rural areas. The same proportion increased to 80.1% in 1971. It is seen that the rural population has decreased by only two percent. Keeping statistics aside, even today the rural population is more than the urban population.

 

When it comes to the rural area, this area tries to satisfy the hunger needs not only of itself but also of the surrounding region. We also see it as the basic duty of the countryside to supply the raw material be it foodgrains. Whenever there is a need for unskilled workers in the city, the supply of those workers also comes from rural areas. At the same time, if you are supplied with food grains, raw materials,s or labor from the rural areas, then the rural areas need to be developed.

 

If you think about India, India is called the country of villages. Cities were built in India where the British developed some territory or where trade was high. Be it the capital places or the traditional culture of India is that of pilgrimage sites. Such places also turned into cities. The rest are still villages. Many people prefer to work in their fields in rural areas rather than work for low wages in the city.

 

Realizing that rural India is not developing as it should, Mahatma Gandhi gave the message 'Go to the village'. 'Charkha' was the symbol of the rural campaign he planned. In India, where some do not have enough clothes to wear, the 'charkha' represented rural development in rural areas where even cotton growing could not provide clothing for the people here. After that National Planning Committee of the National Congress, Indian Agricultural Economics Committee, Sriniketan Gram Vikas Kendra, Firka Vikas Yojana, Madras, and many organizations working on the development of rural areas in which many things like agriculture, rural industries, village education, health, communication facilities, etc.

 

After the independence of India, three principles were implemented in the development of rural areas

(1) Development of financial businesses

(2) Development of social needs and facilities like education, health

(3) Change in ideological, cultural, and social attitudes

 

(1) Development of financial businesses

If we consider the rural areas, the number of people who work based on agriculture is more. But agriculture and the income from it is very little. Other businesses also do not thrive in rural areas. The number of people making their livelihood from agriculture increases and unemployment also increases as the birth rate in the population increases.

 

Another major disadvantage of population growth is the fragmentation of agriculture resulting in smallholder farmers. Due to the traditional method of farming, the income from it is also low. Landless agricultural laborers and marginal farmers are abundant in rural areas.

 

In rural areas, in addition to commercial agriculture, carpenters, blacksmiths, Chambhars, Mangs, Gawlis, etc., and mundane professional people such as potters, Teli, Koshti, Teli, barbers, Dhobi are also found. All these businesses are on the verge of being completely destroyed due to the increased industrialization in the city. Hence, those professionals also appear unstable in terms of money. They need to be revived with new technologies.

 

To improve agricultural practices, land improvement, dams and lakes should be facilitated in overall water planning in rural areas. Those who have more than one child in the household should also engage in a maximum number of businesses. If and only if we provide transportation facilities, markets, and technical services, we can develop economic activities along with agriculture in rural areas.

 

(2) Development of social needs and facilities like education, health

Sanitation and health facilities are very few in rural areas. In rural areas, there is a lack of essential services such as clean drinking water, sewers, drainage facilities, major roads, street lights, 24-hour clinics, and medicines.

 

Education is also rare in rural areas. Adequate primary education facilities are not available in many rural areas. For secondary – higher secondary and college education, students have to travel long distances to the city or taluka. This also increases migration.

 

Another significant means of social education was the availability of recreation and extensive education, in rural areas mainly in the villages of Maharashtra, there was the facility of Talimi's, i.e. physical fitness. In the meantime, this training stopped. That was in bad condition. In rural areas, there should be the provision of playgrounds, libraries, and other sports facilities.

 

(3) Change in ideological, cultural, and social attitudes

Even today, if you go to the rural areas, you can see that the people there are preserving their culture. If you look at some of the best examples of this culture, you can see them cultivating nature. But one aspect of this culture is its customs and traditions. It goes without saying that it is very important in rural areas. The caste system is of unique importance in rural areas. Due to a lack of education and social transformation is not possible in rural areas as fast as it is possible in cities. Therefore, untouchability and casteism are seen increasing in rural areas. In rural areas, those who are considered inferior in this caste system also find work inferior. Mistreatment, underpaid work, and poor treatment.

 

In these things, it is necessary for the government, and people working spontaneously in the village to pay attention to these things and make changes.

 

Rural Development 

Many writers have proposed some definitions of rural development, some of them are as follows;

Rural development involves efforts that are economical and social in nature and intended to encourage concepts of retention, growth, and expansion in areas outside cities, including improving the quality of life for rural residents through such activity.

- Christopher L. Atkinson 

Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas.

- Wikipedia

Rural development is a strategy designed to improve the economic and social life of the rural poor. 

- Agarwal

Rural development is a planned system of qualitative changes brought about by bringing people together in rural areas to improve the quality of life in rural areas.

- Dr. Alok Pawar

In each of the above definitions of rural development, the authors state that positive change is expected. This change is done for some purpose. It can also be said from the definitions that this development should be sustainable, it should be beneficial to the quality of life there.

 

Scope of Rural Development

Till now we have seen that according to the size of India maximum of 70% of the area is occupied by rural areas. The rural areas of each place are also not homogeneous and there are many differences. Some rural areas are located in hilly areas, some in plains, and some rural areas are located along rivers or seashores. Some rural areas face extreme rainfall while some areas experience dry drought. These problems are different in every region. It is necessary to deal with these problems and develop them here. So we can also say that the scope of rural development is very large.

We can explain the scope of rural development from the following few development points.

 

1. Development of agriculture and rural businesses

65% to 70% of the population in rural areas are solely dependent on agriculture and agro-based occupations. The problems in rural areas are also seen to be interdependent. For example, the number of children in a single household is higher as the population is higher in rural areas. Thus large farms are traditionally divided and a farmer becomes a smallholder.

These small farming units make it difficult to develop agriculture. The income of small farmers also decreases. These farmers face difficulties in using the technology required for farming like tractors, harvesting machines, etc. Therefore, the development of businesses in rural areas along with agriculture becomes important from the scope point of view. It is equally important to give a new direction to these developments.

Some rural areas have excellent ancient religious sites. Religious places or historical monuments also work well for rural development. A lot of manpower is developed from villages for facilities like people who provide complete up-to-date information about these things or places, people who make flowers and flower garlands for religious places, people who prepare food, hotels for accommodation and food and drink facilities of the people visiting the places. All these things can be developed through the scope of rural development.

 

2. Basic Amenities

If there is to be developed in rural areas, it is necessary to have basic amenities. Development from the point of view of basic convenience is a development that lasts for a long time. Markets are needed to promote farmers and other businesses in rural areas in basic amenities. There is a need for communication facilities to transport goods between agriculture - houses - markets. Since the materials of the farmers are heavy, from that point of view the transportation facilities like bus-tempo-rail should also be good. Apart from this, only if the water and electricity supply is organized are the scope of these basic amenities can be seen to be increased.

3. Industrial development

Businesses operating in rural areas are very small scale. Capital in it is also minimal. The machinery and manpower required for it are also of small nature, only and only raw materials are produced from the things proud

ced in rural areas. Further, these raw materials are processed and manufactured in urban areas. Due to this, the income of businessmen in rural areas is less than that of urban areas. This major issue can be a major hindrance in terms of development.

There are milk collection centers in rural areas. However, industries that process the same milk and make curd, buttermilk, Shrikhand, and Paneer are set up in urban areas. The scope becomes important from the point of view of which industrial development can be started in rural areas and raw materials can be available.

4. Social development

Different people live in rural areas. If we consider their group, people of many castes and religions live together. The influence of that culture can be seen in all of them. Along with the good things in the culture, some rotten things are also deeply rooted in the minds of the rural people, in which superstitions are prominent. By clinging to those things, the rural people live more and more backward lives. For example, if a person is bitten by a snake or a scorpion, some people find it more appropriate to seek solutions through mantra-tantra rather than going to the doctor and seeking medical treatment.

It is seen that the scope of rural development has increased by studying such customs in society and taking appropriate measures to bring about social development.

5. Human Resource Development

Rural development takes place if and only if the people in rural areas develop. The development of rural people mainly depends on education, if they get an education they can master the work they do. Rural people need to develop a certain skill in themselves and cultivate it somewhere. That way it will help in getting a skilled workforce in the industries. If some facilities are developed in rural industries also, it will help in human resource development in rural areas.

The scope of development of human resources is necessary for industrial businesses in rural areas to achieve economic dynamism.

6. Development of natural resources

There are many resources in rural areas which are not fully utilized by anyone in the rural areas. So for many days and years, they remain as they are. They don't get the attention they deserve. In rural areas, there is some fallow land on which no crops are produced. Even though rivers, streams, groundwater, and sea areas are available, they are not utilized if they are not facilitated for use as fishing or other aquatic resources. Besides, if there is livestock or mineral wealth, it should also be utilized in rural areas. It is also necessary to look at its proper use in the scope of rural development.

 

7. Population Control:

The rural population is always seen to grow faster than the urban population. In urban areas, education or government coercion mechanisms are in check. In rural areas, the birth rate is seen to rise as sometimes the son's attachment or other jobs require more children. Younger children are primarily responsible for older sisters. It stops the education of little girls in rural areas. A few years ago, efforts were made to stop the birth rate by the Gram Panchayat 'Asha' in the village and an appointed person. But if the family decides to have children, Asha can do nothing and the population continues to grow.

As the population increases, economic development is disrupted somewhere. So it is not a problem to say that population control plays an important role somewhere in the case of rural development.

Importance of rural development

Consider the following development points:

• Construction of metro in rural areas while developing rural areas.
• Making cement highways like developed roads.
• To completely modernize and develop the existing traditional agriculture.
• To remove the old houses in the rural areas, which are made of stone, mud, wood, and clay, and to develop them into solid houses like the houses in the city.

So can we say that there is development? The answer to this question is absolutely not. Development in rural areas should be done in such a way that it will be beneficial to the people of rural areas for the maximum period of time, useful for their development. There is no metro in rural areas, but transport and communication facilities should be made available to the people of rural areas in terms of houses and markets.

Knowing the rural conditions is very important for the development of rural areas. To know the situation there means to understand the good and bad things there, to examine them. These problems should be understood in a very scientific manner and solutions should be found in such a way that they should last for a long period of time. We can say that finding the problem and solving it properly is the first importance in terms of development in rural areas.

The economy of India is completely dependent on agriculture. When Mahatma Gandhi was there, 80% of Indian people lived in rural areas. Currently, this figure has reached 70%. Gandhiji said that if the development of the entire area is to be achieved, maximum attention should be paid to the rural areas. And so they used to say, 'Go to the village'. Development can happen only if and only if the geography of rural areas is developed. Therefore, attention should be paid to the development of villages i.e. rural areas which can meet the people thereby providing them with basic facilities like food, clothing, and shelter. For development, it is important to look not only at these three basic facilities but also at the education and health of the people in rural areas. Nowadays it is important to include education and health in basic amenities.

Many people in the rural population face problems like poverty due to various reasons like various problems in agriculture, insufficient water, drought, and fewer employment opportunities. Due to easy employment facilities in urban areas and more comfort compared to rural areas, people do not have to lag behind in economic terms. Hence economic disparity is seen between rural and urban areas. When the Sixth Five-Year Plan was prepared by the government, efforts were made to eliminate this disparity. A massive campaign was planned. Despite all this, have the problems in the rural areas been solved? Not yet. Considering this as a problem, we should consider the importance of rural development.

If and only if there is an increase in the number of people in the rural areas, all the amenities there, the entire rural area can become prosperous. It will help not only the common rural man but also India economically. We need all these as stepping stones for rural development.

Approaches of Rural Development

Rural development is never started and rural development is completed. Rural development is a continuous process. The main duty of rural development is to remove the problems of the people in rural areas and raise their standard of living. Many plans are planned to keep in mind the objective of developing this rural area. Some approaches of view that appear from it, they are as follows;

1) Multi-objective approach

2) Minimal package approach

3) Focus group approach

4) Area development approach

5) Integrated development approach