RURAL DEVELOPMENT

MEANING:
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.

Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural

resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in global production networks and
increased urbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Increasingly rural tourism, niche
manufacturers, and recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant
economic drivers. The need for rural communities to approach development from a wider
perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely
creating incentive for agricultural or resource-based businesses.

FEATURES OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

Rural development refers to the process of improving the economic, social, and environmental
well-being of rural areas. The features of rural development include:

1. Agriculture:
Agriculture is a primary economic activity in rural areas, and rural development focuses
on improving agricultural productivity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
2. Infrastructure:
Rural development aims to improve infrastructure in rural areas, including roads, water
supply, electricity, and telecommunications.
3. Employment:
Rural development aims to create employment opportunities in rural areas by promoting
entrepreneurship, small businesses, and industries.
4. Education and Health:
Rural development aims to improve access to quality education and healthcare services in
rural areas.
5. Environment:
Rural development focuses on sustainable development practices that preserve and protect
the environment and natural resources.
 6. Social Services:
Rural development aims to improve access to basic social services, such as housing,
sanitation, and clean drinking water.
7. Community Participation:
Rural development emphasizes the importance of community participation in the
development process to ensure that the needs and priorities of the local community are met.
8. Poverty Reduction:
Rural development aims to reduce poverty in rural areas by promoting economic growth,
creating employment opportunities, and improving access to basic services.
9. Gender Equality:
Rural development aims to promote gender equality by addressing gender-based
discrimination and empowering women to participate in the development process.

OBJECTIVES OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

The objectives composed by the government in the sixth five-year plan for rural
development are:

• To achieve enhanced production and productivity in rural areas

• To bring about a greater socio-economic equity
• To bring about a spatial balance in social and economic development
• To bring about improvement in the ecological environment so that it may be
conducive to growth and happiness
• To develop broad based community participation in the process of development.

IMPORTANCE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

The Indian rural economy is an integral component of the economy as a whole. Rural development
is geared towards improving the quality of life of the rural people by reducing poverty by providing
self-employment and wage employment programs, providing drinking water, electricity, highway
connectivity, health, housing, and education facilities to rural residents, strengthening Panchayati
raj institutions, and strengthening community infrastructure. The role of rural development is
important not only for the majority of the population who live in rural areas but also for the overall
economic development of a country. In the process of the evolution of the country, the process of
rural development is becoming increasingly important than it was in the past. The objective of this
approach is to achieve increased productivity, greater socio-economic equality and ambition, and
stability in social and economic development. There is a primary objective of decreasing the
widespread famine that exists in approximately 70 percent of rural areas and providing ample and
healthy food to all. Additionally, the secondary responsibility is to ensure access to clothing and
footwear, a clean environment and house, medical attention, recreational facilities, education, and
communication.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA:

The development of the rural economy in India is one of the most important factors for the growth
of the Indian economy. The Indian economy is largely based on agriculture. In India, agriculture
accounts for nearly one-fifth of our gross domestic product. A number of programs pertaining to
rural development in India have been planned by the Indian Government to stimulate the growth
of agriculture. For the development of the rural sector in India, the Ministry of Rural
Development is the apex body for formulating policies, regulations, and acts. The rural businesses
and economies are dominated by agriculture, handicrafts, fisheries, poultry, and dairy products.

Several changes have taken place over the years in rural development in India in terms of its
emphasis, approaches, strategies, and programs. Rural development now possesses a new
understanding and outlook due to these changes. It is only through the involvement of rural
development's clients that rural development can become richer and more meaningful. In the same
way that implementation is the touchstone of planning, rural development is based on people's
involvement. Participation of the people is one of the most fundamental prerequisites for a
successful development process, from both a methodological and a philosophical standpoint. It is
important for those involved in development planning and administration to involve different
groups of rural people in the plans, aiming to make them participatory.
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

STATISTICS INDIA 2021:

Approximately 3/4th of the country's total population lives in the rural areas today (75%) of India.
According to Census Bureau data, 68.84% of the population lives in rural areas. These areas have
historically lagged far behind the economic growth of the nation. Rural areas remain often reliant
on agriculture as a source of livelihood. More than two-thirds of the Indian population relies on
agriculture for their livelihoods. Agriculture will help rural areas and people prosper, so its
development will contribute to rural improvement. The vast majority of poor people reside in rural
areas. As a result, they lack access to basic necessities such as food, health care, sanitation,
etc. Education, health, and other public services are inherently more difficult for rural residents to
access than they are for urban residents. In addition to human rights abuses, gender inequality,
poor working conditions, and violations of indigenous land rights, rural residents are more likely
to deal with human rights violations. The emergence of rural discontent, polarization, and unrest
is a consequence of rural inequalities in India. Rural areas are home to nearly half of India's
population, including four out of five people living below the poverty level.

Most of India's extreme poverty is concentrated in rural areas. Furthermore, rural residents
generally have less access to education, health, and other essential services. Aside from
agricultural production and distribution, human rights abuses are often to be found in the
production and distribution of agricultural products, such as coffee, tea, bananas, and palm oil.
Many of these products have been found to be sold in supply chains that are characterized by
gender inequality, poor working conditions, and violations of indigenous land rights. Inclusion of
rural populations and improving their well-being must become a priority, otherwise sustainable
development cannot occur. In the current model of rural development, there is insufficient
protection for the planet's health. The depletion, degradation, and pollution of water and land
resources are common problems in rural areas. Continual loss of forests and wilderness further
exacerbates climate change and increases the occurrence of zoonotic diseases, including COVID-
19. As a result of climate change, agriculture and rural economies are experiencing more adverse
effects, creating a vicious cycle.

How Can We Tackle Rural Crisis:

Recent years have seen rural development take on global significance, especially among
developing nations. For a country like India where the majority of the population, 65% of the
people, live in rural areas, such a report is of particular importance. In light of these statistics, the
Pledge Foundation has entered into an agreement to participate and assist in the overall
development of rural areas.
Need for Rural Development in India:

The rural economy is an example of an agrarian economy. Although farming and agriculture are one
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, the 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.
CONCLUSION:

The conclusion operates a return on the objective of this work, which was to provide elements of
understanding on the dynamics of rural and peri-urban territories, combining regional science and
works more explicitly dedicated to rural development and the policy relating thereto. The need to
take fully into account the territorial dimension—i.e. a fine knowledge of identity, governance,
organizational aspects and local resources, etc.—is emphasized as a central element for
understanding the diversity of trajectories and patterns of rural and peri-urban areas, and
implement appropriate public policies. But think future patterns of development rural areas also
means paying attention to adaptation and resilience processes, energy transition and climate
change issues, and new initiatives—often marked by technology and collaborative dimensions—
that bloom everywhere on the planet. The development and implementation of experimental,
interdisciplinary and participatory research devices is in this context a crucial need.