Unit-I Rural Planning and Development The Concept of Rural Development Rural - Is an area, where the people are engaged in primary industry in the sense that they produce things directly for the first time in cooperation with nature as stated by Srivastava (1961). A society or community can be classified as rural based on the criteria of lower population density. less social differentiation, less social and spatial mobility, slow rate of social change, etc, Agriculture would be the major occupation of rural area. Development: It refers to growth, evolution, stage of inducement or progress. ‘This progress or growth is gradual and had sequential phases. Always there is increasing, differentiation. It also refers to the overall movement towards greater efficiency and complex situations. Rural Development (RD): is a process which aims at improving the well bei and self realization of people living outside the urbanized areas through collective process, According to Agarwal (1989) rural development is and social life of eural poor. strategy designed! to improve the economic ‘Scope and Importance of Rural Development Roral development include hou a dynamic process which is mainly concerned with the rural areas. These ricultural growth, putting up of economic and social infrastructure, fair wages as also if and house sites for the landless, village planning, public health, education and functional literacy, communication ete. Rural development is « national necessity and has considerable importance in India because of the following reasons. About three-fourth ef India's population live in rural areas, 2. Nearly half of the country’s national income is derived from agriculture, Around seventy per cent of Indian population get employment through agriculture, 4, Bulk of raw materials for industries come from agriculture and rural sector, 5. Increase in industrial population can be justified only in rural populations’ motivation and the purchasing power to buy industrial goods, and 6. Growing disparity between the urban elite and the rural poor can lead to political instability. Objectives of rural development ‘The major objectives of rural development are: Rural development is important not only for the majority of the population residing in rural 1areas, but also for the overall economic expansion of the nation, ‘The Ministry of Ru’al Development in India is the apex body for formulating policies, regulations and acts pertaining to the development of the rural sector. Agriculture, handicrafts, fisheries, poultry, and diary are the primary contributors to the rural business and economy. 1. To improve productivity and wages of rural people 2. To gu wee increased and quick employment possibilities 3. To demolish unemployment and bring a notable decline in underemployment 4, To guarantee an increase in the standard of living of the underprivileged population 5. To provide the basic nee rods, 6. Toachieve enhanced production and productivity is Jementary education, healthcare, clean drinking water, rural rural areas, 7. To bring about a greater socio-economic equity, 8. To bring about a spatial balance in social and economic development, 9. To bring about improvement in the ecological environment so that it may be conducive to growthand happiness, and 10, To develop broad based community participation in the process of development ‘The main goals of rural development program have been to reduce poverty and unemployment by building basic social and economic infrastructure, providing training tounemployed youth in rural areas, and providing jobs to marginal farmers and labors in order to discourage seasonal ‘and permanent migration to cities. The Ministry of Rural Development consists of two Departments, viz., 1, Department of Rural Development, 2. Department of Land Resources. Broadly, the aims of the Ministry of Rural Development 1. Providing livelihood opportunities to those in need including women and other vulnerable sections with focus on Below Poverty Line (BPL) houschokls. Providing for the enhancement of livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household demanding it. 2. Provision of all-weather rural connectivity to unconnected rural habitations and upgradation of existing roads to provide market access. 4. Providing basie housing and homestead to BPL household in rural areas '5. Providing social assistance 10 the ellerly, widow and disabled persons, 6. Providing urban amenities in rural areas for improvement of quality of rural ie, 7. Capacity development and training of rural development functionaries, 8. Promoting involvement of voluntary agencies and individuals for ruraldevelopment.9. Restoring lost or depleted productivity of the land. This is done through watershed development programmes and initiating effective land reform measures for providing land to the landless rural poor. Rural development is the backbone for aay country’s economic development and it helps the economy to grow and sustain, Rural development is the axis of the economy involving the bor ethics impacting the potential of business in big way. It is a popular belief that economic development takes place because of rapid industrialization, But the industrial development itself cannot take phice without agriculture. Specifically, agriculture contributes to economic development by product contsibution and market contribution. Agricultural sector is the long-term strategy for the economic development. The agriculture is vokitile and fluctuating industry because it depends on the monsoon and the weather conditions. This sector of development of the economy is important to feed the nation and country though people have become modernized in the urban sector depending more on non- vegetarian food for their survival needs. The people in the rural sector are facing the problems of poverty and exploitation which is impacting the total productivity of the Inclian agriculture, Rural Development In India Rural development usually refers to the method of enhancing the quality of life and financial well-being of individuals, specifically living in populated and remote areas. ly, rural development was centered on the misuse of land-intensive natural resources forestry and agriculture. However today, the increasing urbanization and the change in ¢global production networks have transformed the nature of rural are Rural development still remains the core of the overall development of the country. More than twwo-third of the country’s people are dependent on agriculture for their livelibood, and one-third ia is still below the poverty line. Therefore, itis important for the government to be and providle enough facilities to upgrade their standard of I Basle elements of rural Development 1) Rural Food Security 2) Rural Health 3) Rural Housing 4) Rural drinking Wa 5) Rural Sanitation 6) Land reforms. a Education and human resource development al Poverty Alleviation and Employment Rural Food Security ‘The National Food Security Act.2013 (NFSA 2013) converts into legal entitlem food security programmes of the Government of Indi for existing It also includes the Midday Meal Scheme, aIntegrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System. The Micklay Meal Scheme is a school meal program in India designed to better the nutritional standing of school-age children nationwide, Integrsted Child Development Services is a government program in India which provides nutritional meals, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services to children under 6 years of age and their mothers, The Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian food security system that was established by the goverment of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to distribute food and non-food items to India's poor at subsidised rates. Major commodities distributed include staple food grains. such as wheat, rice, sugar und essential fuels like Kerosene, through a network of fair price shops (also known as ration shops) established in several states across the country. Food Corporation of India, a government-owned corporation, proctires and maintains the PDS. ‘Today, India has the largest stock of grain in the world besides China, the government spends Rs. 750 billion, Distribution of food grains to poor people throughout the country is managed by state governments. As of 2011 there were 505,879 fair price shops (FPS) across India, Under the PDS scheme, each family below the poverty line is eligible for 35 kg of rice or wheat every month, 1 kg. sugar per family per month and 5 liter Kerosene oil per family per month while a household above the poverty line is entitled to 15 ke of food grain on a monthly basis, remeleemable with a card. The aid foodgrains will be provided at the prices of Rs. 3 per Kg, sugar at Rs. 13.50 per kg, Kerosene oil at Rs. 14.96 per liter. Rural Health ‘Some of the programmes implemented by Indin government in health sector are- Ayushman Bharat (AB) Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) Universal Immunisation Programme Mission Indradhanush (MI) Janani Suraksha Yojana (SY) Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) Nayjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK) National Programme for Family planning. The Ayushman Bharat Programme launched last year provides for holistic and imegrated health care and is the principal vehicle for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Ayusbman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre component (AB-HWC) provides essential primary and community health services such as maternal, neonatal and child health services including immunization and nutrition, thus fostering human capital development during children's critical early years. These centres also provide services to prevent and minage common NCDs and major communicable diseases, The other component, AB-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides free and cashless cure to about 500 million poor and deprived people for secondary and tertiary hospitalization care. Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Deendayal outlets have been opened with an objective to make available drags and implants for Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), Cancer and Diabetes at discounted prices to the patientsRoral Housing ‘The aim of the Government is to provide a dwelling for each family giving special emphasis to rural poor and deprived. With this background rural housing progranunes was initiated. Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) provides financial aids to rural people. According to this scheme, a financial assistance is provided to rural people below poverty line including. Rs. 1.20 laes in plain areas and Rs, 1.30 Tacs in hilly/difficult areas will be provided to the beneficiaries to construct [AY houses, In addition to this, an amount of Rs. 18,000/- as Top up amount by the State Govt. Rural drinking Water National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) was lnunched in 2009. It aims to provide safe and adequate water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs to every rural person on a sustainable basis. Rural Sanitation ‘Some of the rural sanitation programs implemented by Indian government are- Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) was launched in 1986 primarily with the objective of improving the quality of life of the rural people and also to provide privacy and dignity to women, ‘The main objectives of the TSC are as under: a, Bring about an improvement in the general quality Of life in the rural areas. b, Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to access to toilets to all by 2012. c. Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education, d. In rural areas, cover schools by March 2008 and Anganwadis by March 2009, with sanitation facilities and promote hygiene education and sanitary habits among students. Encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation. {. Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid & liquid waste management. Swachh Bharat Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste wgement, Land reforms Land distribution has been part of India's state policy from the very beginning! Independent India's most revolutionary land policy was perhaps the abolition of the Zamindari system (feudal Iandiiolding practices). Land-reform policy in India had two specific objectives: "The first is 10 remove such impediments to increase in agricultural production as arise from the agrarian steueture herited from the past. The second objective. which is closely related to the frst isto eliminate all elements of exploitation and social injustice within the agrarian system, to provide security for the tiller of the soil and assure equality of status and opportunity 10 all sections of the rural population.” Rural Education and human resource devefopment Some of the rural education programmes implemented by Indian government are- Samagra shiksha, Sarva shikha abhiyan. Samagra Shiksha - an overarching programme for the school 3education sector extending from pre-school to class 12 has been, therefore, prepared with the broader goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan or SSA. is an Indian Government programme aimed at the universalisation of Elementary education "in a time bound "the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education to chitren between the ages of 6 to. 14 (eatin 10 be 208 milion children In 2001) i (Article- 21A), The programme was pioneered by former Indian Minister Atal Bihari Vaipayee Ie aims to educate all children between the ages 6 o 14 by 2010 Rural Poverty Alleviation and Employment ‘What is Below Poverty Line (BPL)? Below Poverty Line (BPL) can be defined as an economic benchmark used in the identification of economically weaker people and househokls, BPL is set by the Government of India based on a threshold income. The households or individuals having an income below this threshold value are considered to be under the below poverty line. Measuring BPL in India ‘The poverty line solely depends on the per capita income in India rather than the level of prices. The poverty line is the miniowim income required to purchase the basic goods and services that are essential to satisfy the basic human needs. The proportion of the population that is below this poverty line is called the poverty ratio or headcount ratio. Similar approaches are followed by most counties and intemational institutions for determining BPL. In India, the first official rural and urban poverty lines at the national level were introduced in 1979 by Y. K. Alagh Committee. Criteria for the measurement of BPL. are different for the rural and ‘urban areas, 1. Currently, according to the Tenth Five-Year Plan, the degree of deprivation is measured with the help of parameters with scores given from 0-4, with 13 parameters. tmilies with 17 marks or less (formerly 15 marks or less) out of a merximum of 52 marks have been classified as BPL. 3. ‘The poverty line is calculated every 5 years. According to the recent est inflation, the threshold income shoukl be more than Rs, 962. month for ur 768 a month in rural areas ie, above Rs. 32.a day in an urban area a sural area. Accortling to the World Bank, if a person is living on $1.90 a day or less, then he/she is Ii extreme poverty, and currently, 767 million people of the world fall under that extegory. According to the last released official data, in 2011, 268 million people in India were surviving on less than $1.90 a day. Various Programmes and Schemes under the Government of India were launched to ‘eradicate poverty and for providing basic amenities to the poor households. nation based on areas and Rs 16 a day in a wove Rs. Poverty Alleviation in India- Five Year Plans Eleven Five Year Plans were launched to eradicate poverty from India, The lis Plans that started in the year 1951 is given below: of these Five Year1. First Five Year Plan (1951- 1956): The plan focused mainly on agriculture and irrigation and aimed at achieving an all-round balanced development. 2. Second Five Year Plan (1956-1961): It focused on the growth of basic and heavy industries, expansion in employment opportunities, and an increase of 25 per cent in the national income. 3. Third Five Year Plan (1961-1966): The Chinese aggression (1962), Indo-Pak war (1965), and the severest drought led to the complete failure of the third five-year plan. It was replaced by three annual plans that continued from 1966 to 1969, 4. Fourth Five Year Plan (1966-1974): It aimed at increasing national income by 5.5 per cent, creating economic stability, reducing inequalities in income distribution, and achieving social justice with equality 5. Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-1979): This plan mainly focused on the removal of poverty (Garil Hatao) and aimed in bringing larger sections of the poor masses above the poverty line. It also assured minimum income of Rs. 40 per person per month calculated at 1972-73 prices. The plan was terminated in 1978 instead of (1979) when the Janata Government came to power, Poverty Alleviation Programmes in India As per the 2011-2012 estimation by the Planning Commission of India, 25.7 % of the rural poptlation was under the below-poverty line and for the urban areas, it was 13,7 %. The rate of poverty in the rural areas is comparatively higher than dat in the urban areas due to the lack of proper infrastructure, insufficient food supply, and poor employment system. ‘The major Poverty Alleviation Programmes that were developed with an initiative to eradicate poverty are mentioned in the table belo. Plan Name | Implement | Handle by Objective Year Tategrated Rural | 1978 Ministry of | To raise the families of Wentified target groups Development Rural living below the poverty Tine through the Programme Development | development of sustainable opportunities for RDP) self-employment in the rural sector. Pradhan Mantei | 1985 Ministry of | To create housing units for everyone along Rural providing 13 lakhs housing units to the Development | rural areas. To provide loans at subsidized rates to the people. ‘To augment wage employment opportunities to the households by providing employment on- demand and through specific guaranteed wage employment every year. National Family [August | Ministry of | To provide a sum of Rs.20,000 tothe’ Benefit Scheme | 1995 Rural beneficiary who will be the next head of the (NFBS) Development | family after the death of its primary breadwinner. Jawahar Gram | Ist Apel [Implemented _by | Developing the infrastructure of the rural areas 7