RURAL DEVELOPMENT: ADMINISTRATION &

PLANNING
UNIT-1 (KHU-701)

TOPICS-

Program in agriculture sector and social security scheme

PROGRAMS IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
• Agriculture is a vital part of the economy of any country and its development is critical to the development
of the country’s economy as a whole. The Grow More Food Campaign (GMFC) was India’s first organized
effort to increase food production. It was launched in 1943. After independence, due attention has been
given for development of public extension system in India. The GMFC was evaluated in 1952 by a
government appointed committee.
• One of the recommendations of the committee was that an extension agency should be set up for rural
work which would reach every farmer and assist in the coordinated development of rural life. It was out of
this background and experience that India’s Community Development Programme (CDP) was initiated in
1952. Initially the CDP was introduced in 55 project areas. But demand for expansion of CDP led to another
scheme called National Extension Service which was launched in 1953

The large-scale food deficits of late 1950s compelled the national Government to
rethink its comprehensive rural development strategy and to concentrate solely
on increasing food production. This was the beginning of the intensive approach
through Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) in 1960. After that
some more programmes were launched for agricultural development.
PROGRAMS IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
INTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAMME (IADP): The Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) was
launched in the country from kharif, 1960. Initially this was started with 7 districts (Thanjavur, West Godavari,
Sahabad, Raipur, Aligarh, Ludhiana and Pali.). This programme was also popularly known as “package programme”.
Objectives:
i. The immediate goal was to achieve rapid increases in agricultural production through a concentration of financial,
technical, extension and administrative resources.
ii. Its aim in the long run is to achieve a self-generating ‘break through’ in productivity and raise the production potential
by stimulating the human and physical process of change.
iii. The programme was also intended to provide lessons for extending such intense agricultural production programmes
to other areas.
Salient Features:
i. Provided factors of production simultaneously, timely and adequately to farmers
ii. Essential inputs like fertilizer etc. were made available 100 per cent of the requirement
iii. Credit was provided to any farmer who joins the programme and had the potential to
get increased yield.
iv. More agricultural and cooperatives staffs were posted.
v. Provisions were made for composite demonstration instead of single factor demonstration
PROGRAMS IN SOCIAL SECURITY
Democratic decentralization & centrally supported Social Assistance Programs were 2 major initiatives
of the government. The National Social Assistance Program (NSAP), launched, marks a significant step
towards fulfilling the Directive Principles of State Policy. The NSAP has 3 components: a) National Old
Age Pension Scheme; b) National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)c) National Maternity Benefit Scheme.
The NSAP is a centrally-sponsored program aiming to ensure a minimum national standard of social
assistance over and above the assistance that states provide from their own resources. The NOAPS
provides the monthly pension to destitute BPL persons above the age of 65 years. The NFBS is the
scheme for BPL families who are given some amount after the breadwinner’s death. The NMBS
provides support for nutritional intake for pregnant women. In addition to NSAP, the Annapurna scheme
provides food security to senior citizens eligible for pension under NOAPS. Still, it could not receive it
due to budget constraints.

Land Reforms: In the agro-based economy, the structure of land ownership is

central to the wellbeing of the people. The government has strived to change an
ownership pattern of cultivable land, the abolition of intermediaries, the abolition
of zamindari, ceiling laws, the security of tenure to tenants, consolidation of land
holdings, and banning of a tenancy are a few measures undertaken. The land
record management system is the pre-condition for an effective land reform
program. The scheme for Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating
of Land Records was introduced in Orissa and Bihar.
PROGRAMS IN SOCIAL SECURITY
Some Social Security Schemes:
Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) – Helping micro-enterprises by extending loans to
beneficiaries to purchase assets and subsidizing asset costs. To raise the families of identified target
groups living below the poverty line by developing sustainable self-employment opportunities in the
rural sector.
Public Distribution System (PDS) – Distribution of subsidized food and non-food items to India’s poor.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)– Providing meals to school children and improving their nutritional
status.
National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) – Financial compensation provided to kin in a below poverty line
primary breadwinner’s natural death.
National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) – A pension scheme for people of old age.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) – Help provide livelihood
security by guaranteeing minimum days of work for rural labor.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) – To ensure financial inclusion by
affordably ensuring access to financial services.
PROGRAMS IN SOCIAL SECURITY
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana- A housing scheme for the rural poor.
National Maternity Benefit Scheme- To provide Rs.6000 to a pregnant mother aged above 19 years. The
sum is provided normally 12–8 weeks before the birth in three installments and can also be availed
even after the child’s death.
State Rural connectivity: Under PMGSY, all-weather roads’ construction is not permitted if the villages
are less than 500 meters away from the main route/road. The roads and bridges will be covered and
connected under the scheme with state support.
PROGRAMS IN AREA OF SOCIAL SECTOR
The Ministry of Rural Development is engaged in implementing a number of schemes which aim at enabling
rural people to improve the quality of their lives. Complete eradication of poverty and the ushering in of
speedy socioeconomic progress is the goal of India. Accordingly, the thrust of the rural development
programmes is on all-round economic and social transformation of rural areas, through a multi-pronged
strategy, aimed at reaching out to the most disadvantaged sections of society. High priority is being
accorded to the provisions of cleaning drinking water to all villages, houses to the rural homeless and to
connecting all villages with rural roads. The year, 1999-2000, has witnessed significant developments, in
that several rural development programmes have been restructured to enhance their effectiveness and
sustainability. In addition to the revamping of self-employment/wage employment programmes and rural
water supply and sanitation schemes, those relating to area development, land reforms and housing have
been further refined in order to obtain optimum results.
The Action Plan consists of the following elements : * Provision for upgradation of unserviceable kutcha
houses under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). * Change in the criteria of allocation under the Rural Housing
Schemes. * Credit-cum-Subsidy Scheme for Rural Housing. * Innovative Stream
for Rural Housing and Habitat Development. Rural Building Centres.
• Enhancement of Equity contribution by the Ministry of Rural Development to
HUDCO. * Samagra Awas Yojana. * National Mission for Rural Housing and Habitat.
PROGRAMS IN AREA OF SOCIAL SECTOR
INDIRA AWAS YOJANA: The Government of India is implementing Indira Awas Yojana since the year 1985-86
with an objective of providing dwelling units free of cost to the members of Scheduled. Castes. Scheduled Tribes
and freed bonded labourers living below the poverty line in rural areas. From the year 19993-94, its scope has
been extended to cover non-scheduled caste and non-scheduled tribe rural poor, subject to the condition that
the benefits to non SCs/STs shall not be more than 40 percent of IAY allocation. Benefits of the scheme have also
been extended to the families of ex-servicemen of the armed and paramilitary forces killed in action. Three
percent of the houses are reserved for the below poverty line disabled persons living in rural areas. The ceiling on
construction assistance under the Indira Awas Yojana currently is Rs. 20,000 per unit for plain areas and Rs.
22,000 for hilly/difficult areas. The Gram Sabha is empowered to select the beneficiaries under the scheme.
Further, the allotment of dwelling units should be in the name of the female member of the beneficiary
household. Alternatively, it can be allotted in the name of both husband and wife. Sanitary latrine and smokeless
chullah are integral party of the IAY house.

The construction of the house is the responsibility of the beneficiary. The IAY house
is not to be constructed and delivered by any external agency, such as, Government
Departments, NGOs, etc. Since the inception of the scheme till December, 1999,
about 57 lakh houses have been constructed under IAY with an expenditure of Rs.
9173.24 crore approximately.