Chapter - 19 Rural Development | 08 Nov 2024

India has been a welfare state since independence and the primary objective of all governmental endeavours have been the welfare of its people. The policies and programmes have been designed with the aim of alleviating rural poverty - one of the primary objectives of planned development in India. Rural development implies both the economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation.  

Major Programmes for Rural Development 

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005: 

  • Aims to provide 100 days of guaranteed wage employment to rural households annually. 
  • Focuses on social inclusion, gender parity, and equitable growth. 
  • Steps taken for implementation include electronic fund management, Aadhaar seeding, and geo-tagging of assets. 

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): 

  • Launched in 2011 to organise rural poor households into self-help groups (SHGs) and federations. 
  • Ensures coverage of vulnerable sections identified through SECC and participatory processes. 
  • Components include promoting institutions of the poor, capacity building, and infrastructure support. 

Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI): 

  • A three-way partnership between MoRD, state governments, and sponsor banks to provide entrepreneurship training to rural youth. 
  • MoRD provides grant-in-aid for training costs and infrastructure development. 

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G): 

  • Aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to rural households by 2024. 
  • Unit assistance varies based on location, with priority given to SC/ST households and persons with disabilities. 

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): 

  • Launched in 2000 to provide all-weather road connectivity to rural habitations. 
  • Objective is to connect eligible unconnected habitations with a population threshold, managed by the NRRDA.  

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): 

  • Introduced in 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme for BPL households. 
  • Aims to provide social assistance for aged, widows, disabled, and families in case of the primary breadwinner's death. 
  • Includes various pension schemes and the National Family Benefit Scheme. 

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY): 

  • Launched in 2014 to provide skill training to rural youth aged 15-35. 
  • Targets socially disadvantaged groups with a focus on placement in wage employment. 
  • Aims to convert India's demographic surplus into a demographic dividend. 

Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM): 

  • Launched in 2016 to deliver interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth. 
  • Identifies rurban clusters showing signs of urbanisation for holistic development. 
  • Investment for cluster development is a mix of Convergence and Critical Gap Funds. 

Rural Housing Scheme: 

  • Restructured into Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in 2016. 
  • Provides assistance for house construction based on SECC 2011 data. 
  • Cost sharing between Government of India and state governments, with specific allocations for SC/ST and minority households. 

Rural Housing Interest Subsidy Scheme (RHISS): 

  • Launched in 2017 to provide interest subvention on housing loans. 
  • Targets rural households not on the Permanent Wait List. 
  • Implemented through the National Housing Bank. 

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY): 

  • Launched in 2014 for MPs to develop model villages. 
  • Aims for integrated development across various sectors. 
  • Emphasises values such as community participation, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. 
  • Includes village development plans and impact monitoring tools. 

National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj 

  • Autonomous organization under the Ministry of Rural Development. 
  • Recognized internationally as a UN-ESCAP Centre of Excellence. 
  • Conducts training, research, and consultancy for rural development stakeholders. 
  • Located in Hyderabad, Telangana, with a regional centre in Guwahati, Assam. 
  • Vision focuses on policies benefiting the rural poor, democratic decentralisation, and environmental awareness. 
  • Assists in policy formulation, research, and analysis for sustainable rural development. 
  • Mandated to organise training programs, conferences, and research collaborations. 
  • Aims to improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of rural development officials and stakeholders.  

Land Reforms 

The Department of Land Resources is implementing two schemes:  

  • Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) 
  • Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY).   

Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP): 

  • Formerly a centrally sponsored scheme, converted to a central sector scheme in 2016 with full funding by the centre. 
  • Innovative initiatives under DILRMP: 
    • Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) provides online access to land information. 
    • Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) assigns a unique ID to each land parcel based on geo coordinates. 
    • National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) enables online document entry and valuation. 
    • Pilot test for linking e-Court with land record/registration database successfully conducted in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, providing courts with authentic evidence and reducing land disputes. 

Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY): 

  • Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) merged with WDC-PMKSY in 2015-16 under the Department of Land Resources. 
  • Aims to develop rainfed and degraded areas by restoring ecological balance through conservation and development of natural resources like soil, vegetation, and water. 
  • Objectives include preventing soil erosion, regenerating natural vegetation, harvesting rainwater, and recharging groundwater tables. 
  • Enables multi-cropping and diverse agro-based activities to provide sustainable livelihoods to people in watershed areas.  

Panchayati Raj 

  • Mandate of Ministry of Panchayati Raj: Ensuring compliance with provisions of Part IX of the Constitution, District Planning Committees (Article 243 ZD), and PESA. 
  • Vision and Mission: 
    • Vision: Achieving decentralized and participatory local self-government through PRIs. 
    • Mission: Empowerment, enablement, and accountability of PRIs for inclusive development and efficient service delivery. 
  • Approach: Foster knowledge creation and sharing, Formulate strategies for addressing articulated issues, Provide technical assistance and facilitate cross-learning among states.

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan: 

  • Implementation: Since 2018-19. 
  • Aim: Strengthening PRIs for sustainable development goals, with emphasis on 117 Aspirational districts. 
  • Components: 
    • National Plan for Technical Assistance (NPTA). 
    • Mission Mode Project (MMP) on e-Panchayat. 
    • Incentivization of Panchayats. 
  • State Components: Capacity building, strengthening of Panchayats, HR support, etc.

SVAMITVA:

  • Launch: Central sector scheme started in 2020. 
  • Aim: Provide 'Record of Rights' and property cards to rural household owners. 
  • Method: Drone-based survey to create geo-referenced property parcel maps. 
  • Objectives: 
    • Financial stability through property monetization. 
    • Accurate land records for rural planning. 
    • Support for better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). 
    • Reduction in property disputes. 

Drinking Water and Sanitation 

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): 

  • Launch: Initiated in 2014. 
  • Objective:  
    • Provide sanitation facilities including toilets, waste disposal, and village cleanliness. 
    • Open Defecation Free (ODF) India in five years. 
  • Implementation: Managed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. 
  • Measures: 
    • MoU with states for water and sanitation. 
    • "Just in Time" fund release. 
    • Small loans for toilet construction. 
    • Appointment of Swachhagrahi for village motivation. 
    • Intensive monitoring via IMIS. 

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin): 

  • Objectives: 
    • Improve rural quality of life by promoting cleanliness and hygiene. 
    • Accelerate rural sanitation coverage. 
    • Promote cost-effective and sustainable sanitation technologies. 
  • Approach: Emphasis on behaviour change and gender sensitivity through IEC programs. 

Jal Jeevan Mission – Har Ghar Jal:

  • Announcement: Launched in 2019. 
  • Objective: Provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural home by 2024. 
  • Focus: Long-term drinking water security and turning water service delivery into a people's movement. 

Namami Gange: 

  • Initiative: Launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. 
  • Objective: Make villages on the bank of river Ganga ODF and address solid and liquid waste management. 
  • Achievements: Made 4465 villages ODF across 52 districts; 24 villages on Ganga banks targeted as Ganga Grams.