{"id":73586,"date":"2026-05-13T21:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=73586"},"modified":"2026-05-13T21:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:56:16","slug":"rural-development-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/13-05-2026\/rural-development-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Rural Development in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government of India and<strong> International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) <\/strong>launched a new <strong>eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for 2026\u20132033.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> Strengthening rural incomes, improving resilience and expanding sustainable livelihood opportunities across India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It focuses on two major priorities:<\/strong> Enhancing the social, economic and climate resilience of rural communities, and strengthening knowledge systems to scale successful development models across India and other countries of the Global South.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major Objectives:<\/strong> Strengthening grassroots institutions including self-help groups, farmer producer organisations and cooperatives.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are expected to play a key role in linking finance, technology, infrastructure and markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India and IFAD have partnered<strong> for nearly five decades,<\/strong> during which 35 rural development projects have been implemented across multiple states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>IFAD was established in 1977 following the 1974 World Food Conference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was created in response to global concerns about<strong> food crises and rural poverty, particularly in developing nations.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Headquarters:<\/strong> Rome<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is a<strong> founding member of IFAD.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objectives:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reducing rural poverty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhancing agricultural productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improving food and nutritional security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promoting inclusive rural development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supporting small and marginal farmers, women, and indigenous communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rural Development in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a gradual shift away from a <strong>purely government-led model <\/strong>of development towards <strong>more community-driven, decentralised approaches.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local governments and grassroots institutions<\/strong> are increasingly recognised as critical actors in planning, implementation, and monitoring of development initiatives.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Developments:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rural Development Budget allocations rose <\/strong>over 211% from \u20b987,765 crore (2016-17) to \u20b92.73 lakh crore (2026-27).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poverty has declined significantly,<\/strong> with extreme poverty at 5.3% (2022-23), which is less than the global average, and multidimensional poverty has reduced to 11.28%.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Women-led collectives anchor last-mile delivery,<\/strong> mobilizing 10.05 crore women across 90.09 lakh SHGs, supported by 9 lakh community cadres.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rural connectivity is near-universal,<\/strong> with budgetary allocations for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana increasing by 51% since 2017.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"b0d8e8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #b0d8e8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"395\" height=\"292\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-95.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-73589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-95.png 395w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-95-300x222.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>National Panchayati Raj Day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India celebrates National Panchayati Raj Day <strong>on April 24 every year<\/strong> to mark the <strong>foundation of the Panchayati Raj System, when the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, came into force.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It celebrates the<strong>importance of grassroots democracy,<\/strong> strengthens local governance and helps empower rural communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen): <\/strong>It was launched in <strong>2014 <\/strong>to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status nationwide by October 2019, and all districts were <strong>declared ODF by 2019\u201320.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As of December 31, 2025, over 96 percent of villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission have attained <strong>ODF Plus status.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An ODF Plus village<\/strong> is defined as one that sustains its ODF Status, ensures solid and liquid waste management, and remains visually clean.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA): <\/strong>It was launched in 2017 to achieve <strong>universal household electrification<\/strong> by providing electricity connections to all willing un-electrified households in rural areas and all willing poor households in urban areas in the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)<\/strong> aims to achieve the objective of <strong>Housing for All by 2029<\/strong> by providing pucca dwellings with basic amenities to eligible rural households.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Launched in 2000, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-I) <\/strong>was designed to provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a7cde4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a7cde4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"302\" height=\"302\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-94.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-73588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-94.png 302w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-94-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-94-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digitalisation and Technology-Led Service Delivery in Rural Areas: <\/strong>Digitalisation has emerged as a critical enabler of inclusive and efficient service delivery in rural India.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a9cae0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a9cae0;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"313\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-96.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-73590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-96.png 313w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-96-288x300.png 288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana \u2013 National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM): <\/strong>It was launched in 2010 by restructuring the earlier Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), the initiative was renamed in 2016 as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana \u2013 National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d8e2eb\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"657\" height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-73591\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d8e2eb; width:506px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png 657w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97-300x129.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Community Resource Persons (CRPs),<\/strong> including Bank Sakhis, Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis, and Enterprise Promotion CRPs, facilitate the smooth functioning of women-led community institutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY):<\/strong> It is a demand-driven skill training linked to assured placements, with quality and industry relevance ensured through mandatory third-party certification by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Sector Skill Councils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Entrepreneurship Pathways for Women in Rural India: <\/strong>Aligning skill development initiatives with emerging sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy, digital services, and agro-processing broadens economic opportunities for women.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Complementary measures, including \u2018Back to Work\u2019 and \u2018Returnship Programmes\u2019, facilitate workforce re-entry.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sustained public investment<\/strong> has broadened access to housing, rural connectivity, drinking water, sanitation, digital services, and social protection.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Central to this transformation has been the <strong>empowerment of local institutions, <\/strong>including Panchayati Raj Institutions, Self-Help Groups, and community cadres.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These reforms position rural India not merely as a recipient of development interventions but as a <strong>pivotal driver of inclusive growth.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2260427&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Government of India and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched a new eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for 2026\u20132033. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Aim: Strengthening rural incomes, improving resilience and expanding sustainable livelihood opportunities across India. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It focuses on two major priorities: Enhancing the social, economic and climate resilience of rural communities, and strengthening knowledge systems to scale successful development models across India and other countries of the Global South. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/13-05-2026\/rural-development-in-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73586"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73594,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73586\/revisions\/73594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}