The compilation of these Rural Development Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.
Rural Development of India
We all are well aware of the ever-climbing cost of living. But do you know that according to the census of 2011, about one-third of rural India survives on a sum of Rs 5000 to make ends meet for their whole household? This obvious urban-rural divide calls for our attention. So let us learn about rural development in India and its absolute importance.
Rural Development in India
Rural development is a topic that is pretty easy to understand but hard to implement. It focuses upon the upliftment and development of the sections of rural economies, that experience grave poverty issues and effectively aims at developing their productivity. It also emphasizes the need to address various pressing issues of village economies that hinder growth and improve these areas. Some areas that need urgent attention for Rural Development in India are:
- Public health and sanitation
- Literacy
- Female empowerment
- Enforcement of law and order
- Land reforms
- Infrastructure development like irrigation, electricity, etc.
- Availability of credit
- Eradication of poverty
- Image result for rural development in India
Need for Rural Development in India
The rural economy is an example of an agrarian economy. Although farming and agriculture are some of the most important primary activities, the problem lies in the fact that they share in the GDP of the agriculture sector is on a constant decline. At the same time, about two-thirds of India’s population depends on agriculture. As a result, productivity is not up to the mark, with conditions only getting worse.
Moreover, public investment declined since 1991 coupled with a lack of adequate infrastructure, credit, transport, employment, etc. Henceforth the agricultural output has grown at only 3.2% during 2007-2011. All these factors have been denting the process of development. Therefore there is a need to focus on rural development and not just urban development.
Scope for Improvement
The primary area to improve should be providing employment in rural areas and improving the productivity of the agricultural sector. Often villages in our countries are not in sync with the urban areas because of bad connectivity. Eventually, this leads to segregation and a social divide between urban and rural areas. In essence, the infrastructure of rural areas should drastically improve. Even after so many years of Independence, stigmas like the caste system still have a grip on rural people.
Quality education can help in achieving the goal of eradication of such social evils. The dwindling literacy rates in rural India, especially for females, are a major matter of concern. There is a need for land and technical reforms. Modern technologies like organic farming should be incorporated to improve outputs and profits. Lastly, people should be given access to easy credit and loans by improving the banking system in rural areas.
It can be easily concluded, that for the development of an economy in both rural and urban areas need to be focused upon. Rural areas need drastic changes in areas like infrastructure, credit availability, literacy, poverty eradication, etc. The schemes that are already in place with the aim of rural development need a new outlook and proper updating. Accordingly, the government needs to act for the upliftment of rural India.
Example:
Question:
What are the key issues in Rural Development?
Answer:
The key issues in Rural Development are
- Development of alternate occupations other than agriculture
- Investment in Human Capital in rural areas
- Land Reforms
- Development of Infrastructure in rural areas
- Availability to affordable credit