Elements and Challenges of Rural Development.pdf

Meaning of development, sustainable development, basic issues in rural development, challenges in rural development

1. Unit-1: Rural Planning and
Development
(Concept, Elements and Importance
of Rural Development)
Prepared by:
Ankur Sachdeva
Assistant Professor, ME

2. Development and its objectives…
•Developmentisauniversallycherishedgoalofindividuals,families,communitiesandnationsall
overtheworld.
•Developmentisalsonaturalinthesensethatallformsoflifeonplanetearthhaveaninherenturge
tosurviveanddevelop.
•‘Development’isasubjectiveandvalue-loadedconceptand,hence,therecannotbeaconsensusas
toitsmeaning
ObjectivesofDevelopment
•Increaseinrealincomepercapita(economicgrowth).
•Improvementindistributionofincome(equity).
•Politicalandeconomicfreedom.
•Equitableaccesstoresources,education,healthcare,employmentopportunitiesandjustice.

3. Sustainable Development
•Sustainabledevelopmentisdevelopmentthatmeetstheneedsofthepresentwithout
compromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds.
•Itemphasizestheneedforsocietytoensureinter-generationalequityinthesensethatthepresent
generationdoesnotconsumesomuchastoforeclosetheoptionofthefuturegenerationstoenjoy
atleastthepresentlevelofconsumptionandwell-being
•Sustainabledevelopmentimpliesaprocessinwhichthesetofdesirablesocietalobjectivesorthe
developmentindexdoesnotdecreaseovertime

4. Rural Development
•Ruraldevelopmentconnotestheoveralldevelopmentofruralareaswithaviewtoimprovethe
qualityoflifeofruralpeople.
•Itisacomprehensiveandmultidimensionalconceptandencompassesthedevelopmentof
agricultureandalliedactivities,villageandcottageindustries;crafts,socio-economicinfrastructure,
communityservicesandfacilities,and,aboveall,thehumanresourcesinruralareas.
•Ruraldevelopmentcanbeconceptualizedasaprocess,aphenomenon,astrategy,andadiscipline.
•Asaprocess,itimpliestheengagementofindividuals,communities,andnationsinpursuitof
theircherishedgoalsovertime.
•Asaphenomenon,ruraldevelopmentistheendresultofinteractionsbetweenvarious
physical,technological,economic,socio-culturalandinstitutionalfactors.
•Asastrategy,itisdesignedtoimprovetheeconomicandsocialwell-beingofaspecificgroup
ofpeople,thatis,theruralpoor.As
•adiscipline,itismultidisciplinaryinnature,representinganintersectionofagricultural,social,
behavioural,engineeringandmanagementsciences.

5. Basic Elements of Rural Development
1.BasicNecessitiesofLife:
•Peoplehavecertainbasicneeds,withoutwhichitwouldbeimpossible(orverydifficult)for
themtosurvive.Thebasicnecessitiesincludefood,clothes,shelter,basicliteracy,primary
healthcare,andsecurityoflifeandproperty.Whenanyoneorallofthemareabsentorin
criticallyshortsupply,wemaystatethataconditionof‘absoluteunderdevelopment’exists.
Provisionofbasicnecessitiesoflifetoeverybodyistheprimaryresponsibilityofalleconomies,
whethertheyarecapitalist,socialistormixed.Inthissense,wemayclaimthateconomic
growth(increasedpercapitaavailabilityofbasicnecessities)isanecessaryconditionfor
improvementofthe‘qualityoflife’ofruralpeople,whichisruraldevelopment.
2.Self-respect:
•Everypersonandeverynationseekssomesortofself-respect,dignityorhonour.Absenceor
denialofself-respectindicateslackofdevelopment.
3.Freedom:
•Inthiscontext,freedomreferstopoliticalorideologicalfreedom,economicfreedomand
freedomfromsocialservitude.Aslongasasocietyisboundbytheservitudeofmentonature,
ignorance,othermen,institutionsanddogmaticbeliefs,itcannotclaimtohaveachievedthe
goalof‘development’.Servitudeinanyformreflectsastateofunderdevelopment.

6. Why Rural Development is important?
•Withmorethan740millionofitspeoplelivinginruralareasandwiththeruralsectorcontributing
about18percentofitsgrossdomesticproduct(GDP),nostrategyofsocio-economicdevelopment
forIndiathatneglectsruralpeopleandagriculturecanbesuccessful.
•Ruraldevelopmentisinfactasinequanonofoveralldevelopment.
•Agricultureisthemajorsourceoflivelihoodintheruralsector.
•MahatmaGandhioncesaidthattherealprogressofIndiadidnotmeansimplythegrowthand
expansionofindustrialurbancentersbutmainlythedevelopmentofthevillages.
•Thisideaofvillagedevelopmentbeingatthecenteroftheoveralldevelopmentofthenationis
relevanteventoday.
•Itisbecausemorethantwo-thirdofIndia’spopulationdependsonagriculturethatisyettobecome
productiveenoughtoprovideforthem;one-fourthofruralIndiastilllivesinabjectpoverty.
•ThatisthereasonwhywehavetoseeadevelopedruralIndiaifournationhastorealizereal
progress.

7. ChallengesforRuralDevelopment
•Ruraldevelopmentessentiallyfocusesonactionforthedevelopmentofareas
thatarelaggingbehindintheoveralldevelopmentofthevillageeconomy.
•Someoftheareaswhicharechallengingandneedfreshinitiativesfor
developmentinruralIndiainclude
•Developmentofhumanresourcesincluding–literacy,morespecifically,femaleliteracy,
educationandskilldevelopment–health,addressingbothsanitationandpublichealth
•Landreforms
•Developmentoftheproductiveresourcesofeachlocality
•Infrastructuredevelopmentlikeelectricity,irrigation,credit,marketing,transportfacilities
includingconstructionofvillageroadsandfeederroadstonearbyhighways,facilitiesfor
agricultureresearchandextension,andinformationdissemination
•Specialmeasuresforalleviationofpovertyandbringingaboutsignificantimprovementinthe
livingconditionsoftheweakersectionsofthepopulationemphasizingaccesstoproductive
employmentopportunities

8. ChallengesforRuralDevelopment
•Allthismeansthatpeopleengagedinfarmandnon-farmactivitiesin
ruralareashavetobeprovidedwithvariousmeansthathelpthem
increasetheproductivity.
•Theyalsoneedtobegivenopportunitiestodiversifyintovariousnon-
farmproductiveactivitiessuchasfoodprocessing.
•Enablingthembetterandmoreaffordableaccesstohealthcare,
sanitationfacilitiesatworkplacesandhomesandeducationforall
wouldalsoneedtobegiventoppriorityforrapidruraldevelopment.

9. SustainableDevelopmentinRuralAreas
•Sustainableruraldevelopmentisvitaltotheeconomic,socialandenvironmental
viabilityofnations.
•Itisessentialforpovertyeradicationsinceglobalpovertyisoverwhelminglyrural.
•Themanifestationofpovertygoesbeyondtheurban-ruraldivide,ithas
subregionalandregionalcontexts.
•Itisthereforecritical,andthereisgreatvaluetobegained,bycoordinatingrural
developmentinitiativesthatcontributetosustainablelivelihoodsthroughefforts
attheglobal,regional,nationalandlocallevels,asappropriate.
•Strategiestodealwithruraldevelopmentshouldtakeintoconsiderationthe
remotenessandpotentialsinruralareasandprovidetargeteddifferentiated
approaches.

10. SustainableDevelopmentinRuralAreas
•Ahealthyanddynamicagriculturalsectorisanimportantfoundationofruraldevelopment,generatingstrong
linkagestoothereconomicsectors.
•Rurallivelihoodsareenhancedthrougheffectiveparticipationofruralpeopleandruralcommunitiesinthe
managementoftheirownsocial,economicandenvironmentalobjectivesbyempoweringpeopleinruralareas,
particularlywomenandyouth,includingthroughorganizationssuchaslocalcooperativesandbyapplyingthe
bottom-upapproach.
•Closeeconomicintegrationofruralareaswithneighbouringurbanareasandthecreationofruraloff-farm
employmentcannarrowrural-urbandisparities,expandopportunitiesandencouragetheretentionofskilled
people,includingyouth,inruralareas.
•Thereisconsiderablepotentialforruraljobcreationnotonlyinfarming,agroprocessingandruralindustrybutalso
inbuildingruralinfrastructure,inthesustainablemanagementofnaturalresources,wasteandresidues.
•Ruralcommunitiesindevelopingcountriesarestillfacedwithchallengesrelatedtoaccesstobasicservices,
economicopportunitiesandsomedegreeofincoherencewithregardtoplanningrelatedtorural-urbandivide.
•Investmentsinenvironmentalprotection,ruralinfrastructureandinruralhealthandeducationarecriticalto
sustainableruraldevelopmentandcanenhancenationalwell-being.
•Beyondmeetingbasicneeds,investmentsmustbelinkedtothepotentialtoraiseproductivityandincome.
•Thevulnerabilitiesoftheruralpoortotheeconomicandfinancialcrisisandtoclimatechangeandwatershortage
mustbeaddressed.
•Thesuccessofsustainableruraldevelopmentdependson,interalia,developingandimplementingcomprehensive
strategiesfordealingwithclimatechange,drought,desertificationandnaturaldisaster.