For UPSC aspirants, comprehensive preparation often entails a thorough understanding of India’s economic landscape, especially concerning rural and urban development, a pivotal component of the syllabus. NCERT notes on Indian Economy provide a foundational understanding of these critical topics, serving as a cornerstone for aspirants aiming to excel in the Civil Services Examination. Rural and urban development constitutes a significant aspect of India’s socio-economic fabric, encompassing policies, challenges, and strategies crucial for inclusive growth and sustainable development. These NCERT notes meticulously dissect the nuances of rural and urban dynamics, shedding light on issues such as poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, employment generation, and resource management. Thus, these notes not only facilitate conceptual clarity but also equip aspirants with the analytical tools necessary to navigate the complexities of India’s economic landscape in the realm of rural and urban development, a vital terrain for UPSC examination success.
Rural Development
- Now, when it comes to Rural Development, it signifies a comprehensive enhancement of the quality of life for people in rural areas.
- The focus lies on poverty reduction, increased productivity, and the provision of essential services like health, education, clean water, and sanitation. Additionally, it involves the expansion of infrastructure and efforts to rectify distorted land distribution and ownership, addressing issues of inequality, exploitation, and deprivation.
- Traditionally, rural development has revolved around the utilization of land-intensive natural resources like agriculture and forestry. As Robert Chambers puts it, rural development is a strategic approach aimed at empowering a specific group—poor rural women and men—to attain more of what they desire and need for themselves and their children.
- According to the IBRD, rural development is a strategy crafted to enhance the economic and social well-being of a particular group—the rural poor. This strategy aims to extend the benefits of development to the most impoverished, including small-scale farmers, tenants, and the landless.
Rural Development Necessities
- Ensuring fundamental needs like primary education, healthcare, clean drinking water, and rural infrastructure.
- Elevating living standards by providing essentials such as food, shelter, clothing, employment, and education.
- Enhancing productivity in rural areas and combating poverty.
- Engaging communities in planning and development through participatory decision-making and decentralized administration.
- Ensuring distributive justice and equalizing opportunities in society.
Objectives of Rural Development
The goals of rural development encompass:
- Providing social and economic infrastructure in the form of goods and services.
- Increasing the income of every rural family on a self-sustaining basis.
- Generating additional employment opportunities in rural areas.
- Mobilizing and reorganizing rural masses to enhance their capacity to cope with daily tasks and resultant changes.
- Improving services for rural communities.
- Advancing knowledge and its implementation for their development.
- Ensuring the availability and improvement of life-sustaining goods like food, clothing, shelter, health, and security.
- Boosting per-capita purchasing power and its equitable distribution through better education, productive jobs, and cultural amenities.
- Expanding economic and social choices by freeing individuals from servitude and dependence.
- Providing access to sound healthcare facilities and social security for rural residents.
Areas of Rural Development
- Agricultural Endeavors: Agriculture remains the primary livelihood source in rural areas, contributing 15% to the country’s income. The development of agriculture significantly benefits rural communities.
- Rural Industry: Focusing on promoting rural-based industries involving local resources, expertise, and community engagement. Establishing businesses related to agriculture, forestry, and handloom industries contributes to rural development.
- Social Initiatives: Critical in rural development, encompassing education, healthcare, water, electricity, and cleanliness. Enhancing social services helps address poverty and unemployment challenges.
- Infrastructure Development: A crucial aspect involving the improvement of transport, banking, insurance, government institutions, and Panchayati Raj institutions. Without infrastructure development, rural villages cannot progress.
Challenges in Rural Development
- Rural development in India faces numerous challenges, despite significant government expenditures. The key issues include:
- Roads: Many rural communities experience isolation due to long distances, poor road conditions, lack of bridges, and inadequate transport. These conditions hinder the transportation of goods to markets, responding to health emergencies, sending children to school, and accessing public services.
- Electricity: Not all electrified villages receive quality power, with an estimated 33% of the population facing under electrification.
- Water: Poor water quality imposes a substantial health burden, affecting around 37.7 million Indians annually. Waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, result in approximately 1.5 million child deaths and the loss of 73 million working days each year. Chemical contamination, especially fluoride, arsenic, and excess iron, further contributes to poor water quality.
- Education and Literacy, Especially Among Women: The low female literacy rate adversely impacts family planning and population stabilization efforts. Studies show that female literacy strongly correlates with the use of contraception among married couples.
- Poverty: The India Rural Development Report indicates that 7% of the rural population is very poor, with villages in Eastern Indian states being the worst affected.
- Unemployment: Rural India grapples with high unemployment rates, leading youth to migrate in search of better opportunities in urban areas. The introduction of machines with modern technologies has further exacerbated unemployment.
- Migration to Urban Areas: Economic and social factors such as the lack of income opportunities in rural sectors, urban job availability, and deficiencies in health and education infrastructure drive migration in rural India.
- Sanitation and Health: Challenges include a lower number of toilets, water stagnation, lack of awareness, and poor drinking water quality in rural areas.
- Infrastructure: Rural areas lack essential infrastructure, including electricity, irrigation, credit, marketing, and transport facilities.
- Health Facilities: Proper health facilities are scarce in rural areas, hindering physical growth and well-being.
- Productive Resources: Developing local productive resources is crucial for enhancing employment opportunities and diversifying production activities beyond crop cultivation.
- Human Resources: Improving the quality of human resources in rural areas involves enhancing literacy rates, especially among women, and providing skill development and industrial training opportunities.
Ministry of Rural Development
- The Ministry of Rural Development, under the Government of India, is tasked with accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Established on January 20, 1980 (43 years ago), the ministry comprises the Department of Rural Development and the Department of Land Resources.
Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
- The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj oversees the implementation of various rural development and welfare schemes. It also supports Panchayati Raj institutions in effectively carrying out their duties for successful local self-governance.
- Panchayati Raj, the system of local self-government in rural India, contrasts with urban and suburban municipalities. The e-Panchayat serves as a dynamic digital interface for each Panchayat, facilitating a two-way flow of content to provide information about specific Panchayats in India.
Rural Development Programmes
- Rural Development Programmes: The Government of India has initiated various programmes to uplift the rural sector, including the Swamitva Scheme and the National Broadband Mission.
- Swamitva Scheme: Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24th, this scheme utilizes modern technology such as drones to map residential land ownership in the rural sector. It aims to revolutionize property record maintenance, provide ownership rights, and reduce social strife over property disputes.
National Broadband Mission
- National Broadband Mission: Introduced on December 17, 2019, this mission strives to provide broadband access to all villages in the country by 2022. Its objectives include fast-tracking digital communications infrastructure growth, bridging the digital divide, fostering digital empowerment and inclusion, and ensuring affordable and universal broadband access for all.
- The mission aligns with the ongoing Bharat Net initiative, connecting 250,000 Gram Panchayats with an optic fibre network.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana
- Introduced on July 25th, this scheme replaced the existing Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). A flagship program, it aims to ensure 24×7 power supply to rural areas, providing continuous power to households and sufficient power to agricultural consumers.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
- Launched on October 2nd, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a national campaign to cleanse the streets, roads, and infrastructure of the country. Encompassing 4,041 statutory towns, the campaign targets achieving the vision of a Clean India by October 2nd, 2019, the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The Swachhata Udayami Yojana was initiated by the Union Government to complement the overall cleanliness campaign.
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM)
- A new initiative from the Modi Government, SPMRM aims to establish 300 rural clusters by 2020. Formally launched on August 16th, 2015, by the Union Cabinet, it was later renamed the National Rurban Mission on February 22nd, 2016. Based on the successful rurban development model demonstrated in Gujarat, the mission provides efficient civic infrastructure and associated services to rural areas.
Benefits of Rurban Mission
- Under this scheme, villages receive city-like facilities, including electricity, water, roads, and health facilities. Villages are developed in clusters, and 30% of the total expenditure is covered by the budget, with center gap funding.
National Rural Livelihood Mission
- Commencing in 2011, the Swarnajayadad Jones20roz gaf Yojana (SGSY) has been restructured and relaunched as the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), recently renamed Ajeevika.
- Implemented in mission mode, it ensures the inclusion of at least one member, preferably a woman, from each identified poor rural household in a Group (SHG). NRLM focuses on setting up and strengthening institutions of the poor in partnership mode, providing skills for managing institutions and existing livelihoods.
- The mission works toward universal financial inclusion and is funded by the Center and States in a ratio of 75:25, with special considerations for North-East and special category states. NRLM aims to be implemented in all districts of the country by the end of the Twelfth Plan, with states transitioning from SGSY to NRLM within a year of launch.
Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana
- Initiated in the year 2000, the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana is a rural development program by the Indian government, focusing on villages with over 50% of the population belonging to Scheduled Castes. The scheme allocates financial funding per village, aiming to create a model village with robust physical and institutional infrastructure meeting the minimum requirements across all public sectors.
Twenty Point Programme
- Initially launched in 1975 and restructured in 1982, 1986, and 2006, the Twenty Point Programme (TPP) 2006, became operational from April 1, 2007.
- Encompassing poverty eradication, empowerment of people, support to farmers, and labor welfare, the TPP addresses various aspects of development.
Prime Minister & 15 Point Programme
- The 15-Point Programme, launched in 2006 for the welfare of minorities, designates Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis as minority communities. This initiative aims to uplift minority communities through various welfare measures.
Nirmal Gram Puraskar
- Introduced in October 2003 (TSC), the Nirmal Gram Puraskar is an award-based incentive scheme for fully sanitized and open defecation-free Gram Panchayats, Blocks, Districts, and States. Initially awarded by MOBWS of Drinking Water, since 2012, the state selects Gram Panchayat awardees, while Block and District levels remain under central selection.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
- Launched on December 25, 2000, this Centrally Sponsored Scheme aims to provide all-weather road connectivity in rural areas.
- It envisions connecting habitations with populations of 500 and above in plain areas and 250 and above in hill states, tribal, and desert areas. The target year for the first phase completion was revised to 2019 from 2022.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin
- Launched by PM Narendra Modi on November 20, 2016, in Agra, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin aims to construct durable houses in rural areas over the next three years. Financial assistance is provided based on location, ranging from 1,20,000 in plain areas to 1,30,000 in hilly areas.
- Additional benefits include 90 to 95 days of employment under MGNREGA, 12,000 for toilet construction, and direct transfer of financial assistance to beneficiaries’ bank or post office accounts.
- The National Gramin Awas Mission (GRAM) proposes further enhancements, including increased cost per house and expanded areas with water and electricity supply for comprehensive rural housing development.
Rural Social Schemes
The key rural social schemes include:
MGNREGA
- MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) Enacted in 2005, MGNREGA, initially known as NREGA, was implemented in three phases, covering the entire country by 2008. Renamed on October 2, 2009, it is recognized as the world’s largest public work program.
Key features include:
- Aiming to provide a guaranteed 100 days (150 days for tribals) of wage employment in a financial year to at least one adult member of every rural household volunteering for unskilled manual work.
- Ensuring at least 33% of beneficiaries are women, with Aadhar being mandatory.
- Wage rates linked to Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL) from January 2011.
- Focusing on works related to water conservation, drought-proofing, land development, flood control, and rural connectivity.
- Providing time-bound employment guarantee and ensuring wage payment within 15 days.
- Maintaining a 60:40 wage-to-material ratio for enhanced employment generation.
- Prohibiting the use of contractors or machinery for any work.
- Granting an essential role to Panchayats in planning, project approval, and execution of works.
- Geotagging in MGNREGA Started in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on online recording and monitoring of assets to prevent leakages, geotagging of MGNREGA assets began.
- The Ministry of Rural Development collaborated with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO, and National Informatics Centre on June 24, 2016, to geotag assets under each Village Panchayat. Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh became the first district to fully geotag all MGNREGA assets in January 2017.
MGNREGA 2.0
- Referred to as MGNREGA 2.0, the program, guided by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 Operational Guidelines 2012, is undergoing an overhaul based on recommendations from a committee led by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah. The committee proposed measures to address payment delays, suggesting that all payments be made within 15 days, with delays considered punishable under Section 25 of the Act.
Key characteristics include:
- Strengthening the demand side
- Adhering to a strict timetable
- Ensuring sufficient human resources
- Expanding the list of acceptable actions
- Reducing payment delays
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
- Launched in April 1999 after restructuring the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and allied programs, SGSY is a self-employment initiative for rural poor individuals.
- The objective is to elevate assisted swarozgaris above the poverty line by providing income-generating assets through bank credit and government subsidies. Fund allocation under SGSY is based on the number of existing Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the districts.
- In 2008, the scheme was integrated with MGNREGA, replacing several initiatives such as Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Ganga Kalyan Yojana (1997), Million Wells Scheme (1989), and Supply Improved Tools Kits to Rural Artisans (1992).
Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana
- Announced by the Prime Minister of India on August 15, 1993, this scheme aimed to provide self-employment opportunities to one million educated unemployed youth during the Eighth Plan period. Officially launched on October 2, 1993, it sought to address unemployment issues in the country.
Jal Jeevan Mission
- A reformed and upgraded version of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched on August 15, 2019, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- The mission aims to provide Functional Home Tap Connections (FHTC) to every rural household, known as Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ), by 2024, making water a top priority through a Jan Andolan.
Atal Bhujal Yojana
- Launched on December 25, 2019, on the 95th Birth Anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, this groundwater management scheme seeks to improve groundwater management in seven states of India. Implemented as a Central Sector Scheme from April 2020 to 2025, it focuses on water-stressed Gram Panchayats in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Har Ghar Jal
- Initiated under the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, the Har Ghar Jal scheme aims to provide tap water to every rural household by 2024.
- Villages declare themselves as Har Ghar Jal through resolutions passed by Gram Sabhas, certifying that all households have access to safe drinking water through taps.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan
- Launched in March 2021 as a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign, Jal Shakti Abhiyan focuses on creating rainwater harvesting structures in urban and rural areas across all districts in the country. The theme is “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls.”
National Rural Drinking Water Programme
- Launched in 2009, the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) aims to provide safe and adequate water for drinking, cooking, and other domestic needs to every rural person on a sustainable basis. The primary objective is to ensure that every rural individual has access to safe water for basic domestic needs.
- The program aims to ensure permanent drinking water security in rural India.
Swajaldhara Programme
- To scale up reforms in the water sector nationwide, the Sector Reforms Project has been enhanced and launched as Swajaldhara on December 25, 2002.
- The government considers it a significant step forward to provide drinking water to all water-scarce villages quickly and cost-effectively. At the core of Swajaldhara is a village-level water supply committee responsible for devising and implementing a water supply scheme for its village.
Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission
- Originally known as the National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM), it was renamed Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM) in 1991.
- The mission’s goal is to conserve water as a natural resource and reduce wastage. It aims to create groundwater prospects and quality maps using remote sensing and GIS technology.
Education Related Schemes
Various education-related schemes include:
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
- Launched to make six crore individuals in rural areas digitally literate by March 31, 2019, this scheme empowers citizens by training them in digital skills such as operating computers, using digital devices, accessing government services, and making digital payments. The focus is on bridging the digital divide, targeting marginalized sections like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, Below Poverty Line, women, and differently-abled persons.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
- Introduced with the aim of universalizing elementary education, this Indian Government program, initiated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, makes free and compulsory education a Fundamental Right (Article-21A) for children between the ages of 6 to 14. The goal is to educate all children in this age group, although the initial timeframe has been extended indefinitely.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme
- Launched in August 2004, this scheme establishes residential schools at the upper primary level for girls primarily from SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities in challenging areas.
- The scheme ensures minimum reservation of 75% of seats for girls from these communities and prioritizes the remaining 25% for girls from families below the poverty line.
Urban Development
- Urban areas, characterized by higher population density, well-developed infrastructure, and planned urban establishments, signify regions with concentrated human activities. Urbanization is a gradual concentration of people and activities in towns and cities, accompanied by a shift in economic activities from primary to secondary and tertiary sectors.
- Social, psychological, and behavioral changes occur over time as people embrace a new urban lifestyle.
- Urbanization varies in form and pace across the globe, with each country exhibiting unique patterns and trends in urban development.
Reasons for Urban Development
- Basic necessities like water, food, and shelter are essential for settlement in both towns and villages. However, not all villages transform into towns. The growth of urban areas is influenced by factors such as:
- Surplus Resources: The ability to extract resources is crucial for urban growth.
- Industrialization and Commercialization: Migration from rural to urban areas increases with the establishment of manufacturing plants and industries. Modern marketing institutions contribute significantly to city growth.
- Development of Transport and Communication: A well-developed network enhances urban growth by facilitating commuting and strengthening connectivity.
- Economic Pull of the City: Cities offer various opportunities for earning a livelihood and improving the standard of living.
- Availability of Basic Public Facilities: Access to health facilities and education centers supports the growth of urban areas.
Challenges in Urban Development
- Overcrowding: Overpopulation leads to overcrowding, where too many people live in limited space. This is a significant challenge in urban development.
- Unemployment: The urban unemployment rate is estimated at 15 to 25% of the labor force, even higher among the educated population.
- Urban Crimes: The increase in urbanization correlates with a rise in urban crimes, impacting the safety and security of cities, especially for women.
- Water Supply: Cities experience a shortage of water supply as their size and population increase.
- Transport Issues: Urbanization poses challenges to the transport system, leading to traffic congestion in many cities and towns.
- Shortage of Electric Power: A severe shortage of electric power affects both urban and rural areas, necessitating increased electricity generation.
- Housing Crisis: The influx of migrants from rural to urban areas, particularly in metropolises and state capitals, contributes to a shortage of housing. Approximately 50% of the population in many cities live in slums due to insufficient housing.
Schemes of Urban Development
- About 30% of the Indian population resides in urban areas, and rapid urbanization is linked to economic progress. However, urban areas face socio-economic challenges, including unemployment, inadequate housing, sanitation, transport, health, and education. The Ministry of Urban Development has initiated various programs to improve the quality of life, especially for the urban poor.
100 Smart Cities
- The Government of India has unveiled an ambitious program for 100 Smart Cities.
- Allocation of smart cities is based on the population and area, with each state receiving a fixed number. Uttar Pradesh, being the most populous state, is set to have 13 smart cities, while Tamil Nadu will receive 12.
- Maharashtra is allocated 10 cities, and both Karnataka and Gujarat will get 6 each.
- West Bengal and Rajasthan are assigned 4 smart cities each, while Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab will have 3 each. Odisha, Haryana, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh are designated 2 smart cities each.
- Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Jharkhand, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh, along with the National Capital New Delhi, will each have one smart city. The deadline for project completion is set between 2019 and 2023.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Housing for All by 2022
- This new integrated national housing mission merges the UPA flagship scheme and Rajiv Awas Yojana. The project aims to build more than housing units across all urban locations in the next 7 years. The committee recommends increasing interest subvention to 6.50% on housing loans for economically weaker sections. Women, SC/STs, and people from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) will be the primary beneficiaries of this urban housing project. The National Urban Housing Mission comprises four components:
- Redevelopment Plan of Slums: Private developers, using land as a resource, will participate, and each beneficiary will receive an average central grant of 1 lakh.
- Affordable Housing through Credit-linked Subsidy Scheme: The Central Government will provide an interest subsidy of 6.50% on each housing loan to EWS and LIG beneficiaries.
- Affordable Housing in Partnership with Private and Public Sectors: Central assistance of 1.50 lakh to each beneficiary will be provided to promote housing for the urban poor with private and public sector involvement, with 35% of houses earmarked for the EWS category.
- Subsidy for Individual Beneficiary-led Construction or Enhancement of Houses: Each eligible urban poor beneficiary will receive a central assistance of 1.50 lakh to build their own house or undertake improvements to existing houses.
Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)
- The Union Government launched the HRIDAY scheme to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country.
- This ambitious 500 crore project was initiated by Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi. In the initial phase, 12 heritage cities have been identified for rejuvenation and development under HRIDAY.
- These cities include Amritsar, Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Ajmer, Mathura, Dwarka, Badami, Velankanni, Kanchipuram, Warangal, and Amaravati. HRIDAY aims to bring together urban planning, economic growth, and heritage conservation for heritage cities.
- The initiative also aims for inclusive and integrated beautification, focusing on cleanliness, livelihoods, skills, safety, security, accessibility, and faster service delivery in heritage cities.
- Heritage Management Plans (HMP) will be developed for the identified cities, outlining heritage resources and formulating policies for their conservation, restoration, future use, and development.
- Improving last-mile connectivity to heritage sites through documentation, conservation efforts, and providing enhanced facilities for women, senior citizens, and differently-abled citizens is a key objective.
- HRIDAY will be integrated with the Tourism Ministry’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, which allocates 100 crores for infrastructure enhancement at pilgrimage sites nationwide.
AMRUT
- The Narendra Modi Government has revitalized the decade-old Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and rebranded it as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
- AMRUT encompasses 500 Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, coinciding with the launch of the smart city project. States are tasked with recommending cities for inclusion in this scheme, with Uttar Pradesh leading with the ability to nominate 64 cities.
- Under this scheme, the Central Government will contribute 30% of the overall cost for cities with a population exceeding 10 lakh and 50% for those under 10 lakh.
Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing and Urban Poor
- This scheme proposes an interest subsidy of 5% per annum for commercial lenders offering loans to the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and LIG (Low Income Groups) segments of urban areas. The subsidy aims to attract market funds for housing for the poor.
- The Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing and Urban Poor (ISHUP) complements the efforts of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Rural Mission (JNNURM) to comprehensively address the housing shortage.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
- Launched on December 3, 2005, with the goal of reforms-driven and fast-track development of cities nationwide. The mission focuses on enhancing efficiency in urban infrastructure, service delivery mechanisms, community participation, and accountability of urban-local bodies and parastatal agencies to citizens.
Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana
- Initiated on December 1, 1997, this scheme promotes gainful employment for the urban unemployed and underemployed poor. It encourages self-employment ventures among the urban poor and provides wage employment for the construction of socially and economically useful public assets.
- Implemented on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25, the revamped scheme has five components: Urban Self-Employment Programme (USEP), Urban Woman Self-Help Programme (UWSP), Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP), Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP), and Urban Community Development Network (UCDN).
Prelims Facts
- The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) administers the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) [UPPSC (Pre) 2014].
- The RIDF primarily focuses on rural development and poverty alleviation [UPPSC (Pre) 2006].
- Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) aspires to achieve a Slum-free India [UP UDA/LDA (Mains) 2010].
- The main goal of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) is to provide employment to households living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in rural areas [RAS/RTS (Pre) 1993, 1998].
- Training to Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM) is a Rural Development program [UPPSC (Pre) 2014].
- The ‘Gokul Gram Yojana’ is associated with the state of Gujarat [UPPSC (Pre) 1999].
- The construction of houses for rural people is the central objective of the Indira Awas Yojana [UPPSC (Pre) 2006].
- The Community Development Programme, initiated on October 2, 1952, paved the way for the Organization of Panchayati Raj [UK UDALDA (Mains) 2007].
- The Nehru Rozgar Yojana encompasses schemes for urban micro-enterprises, urban wage employment, and housing and shelter upgradation [IAS (Pre) 1997].
- The Nirmal Gram Puraskar Yojana is designed for defecation sanitation [CGPSC (Mains) 2008].
- The National Rural Drinking Water Programme is categorized under Poverty Alleviation Programmes [UPPSC (Pre) 2015].
- The Deen Dayal Gram Jyoti Yojana aims to provide continuous electricity supply to rural India [UP Lower (Pre) 2015].
- Bharat Nirman, included in Rural housing, roads, and electrification, is a part of government initiatives [UPPSC (Mains) 2008].
- A village in the plain area of India qualifies for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana if its population exceeds 500 [CGPSC (Pre) 2011].
- The pilot project for rural development commenced in 1948 [UPPSC (Mains) 2013].
- The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana aims to develop community life in villages lacking proper road connectivity [UPPSC (Pre) 2004, UP UDA/LDA (Pre) 2022].
- The ‘Housing for All’ Scheme is projected until 2022 [RAS/RTS (Pre) 2015].
- The timeline for ‘PM Awas Yojana’ spans from 2015 to 2022 [UPPSC (Pre) 2016].
- Saubhagya Yojana is focused on providing free electricity to BPL families [UPPSC (Mains) 2017].
UPSC NCERT Practice Questions
1. Which of the following is the largest rural employment programme in India? UPPSC (Pre) 2018
(a) MGNREGA
(b) TRYSEM
(c) Work for Food
(d) Skill Development Programme
2. Which one of the following is not an objective of MGNREGA?
(a) Providing up to 100 days of skilled labour in a financial year.
(b) Creation of productive assels.
(c) Enhancing livelihood security.
(d) Ensuring empowerment to women.
3. Which one of the following is the objective of BPSC (Pre) 2018 MGNREGA?
(a) To build assets
(b) To encourage micro-irrigation
(c) Water management
(d) To enhance rural income
4. Among the following, who are eligible to benefit from MGNREGA? IAS (Pre) 2011
(a) Adult members of only SC and ST households.
(b) Adult members of BPL households.
(c) Adult members of households of all backward communities.
(d) Adult members of any households.
5. Which one of the following is not a feature of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)?
(a) It focuses on community participation.
(b) It is to be guided by a Member of the Parliament.
(c) It aims at creating infrastruture for the village.
(d) A Village Development Plan would be prepared for every identified Gram Panchayat.
6. Which one of the following is the earliest launched scheme of the Government of India?
(a) Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana
(b) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(c)Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
d) Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushalya Yojana
7. No of cities in UP which are covered under the ‘Smart City’ Scheme UPPSC (Pre) 2020
(a) 10
(b) 12
(c) 15
(d) 18
8. Which of the following were the recommendations of Second ARC with regard to Urban Governance?
1. Urban local bodies should be given responsibility for water supply and distribution in their territorial jurisdiction.
2. Encouragement of Community participation and co-production of services by municipal bodies.
3. Possibility of taking up PPP projects for collection and disposal of garbage can be explored.
4. Prioritization of Sanitatio, as a matter of hygiene and public health.
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of the above
9. Which of the following are true with regard to the HRIDAY Yojana?
1. The scheme was launched on 21st January, 2015.
2. It is being implemented by Union Ministry of Urban Development.
3. Its aim is to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country.
4. In the initial phase of HRIDAY, 12 heritage cities have been identified which will be rejuvenated and developed
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of the above
10. Which of the following can be regarded as cascading effects of Urbanisation?
1. Emergence of Satellite cities
2. Development of Slum areas
3. Rise in Population Density
4. Stress on Public Transport
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of these
Know Right Answer
1 (a)
2 (b)
3 (d)
4 (d)
5 (b)
6 (b)
7 (a)
8 (d)
9 (d)
10 (d)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the main difference between rural and urban development?
Answer: Rural development focuses on improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people in non-urban areas, typically characterized by agriculture-based economies and smaller populations. Urban development, on the other hand, pertains to the growth and enhancement of cities and towns, often involving infrastructure, services, and economic activities that cater to larger and more diverse populations.
2. How does rural development contribute to overall national progress?
Answer: Rural development plays a crucial role in overall national progress by addressing disparities between urban and rural areas. Investments in rural infrastructure, education, healthcare, and agriculture stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty, and create employment opportunities. A balanced development approach ensures that the benefits of progress reach all segments of the population, fostering social inclusivity and sustainable economic development.
3. What challenges are commonly faced in urban development projects?
Answer: Urban development projects often encounter challenges such as rapid urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, housing shortages, environmental degradation, and social inequality. Balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability, ensuring affordable housing, and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations are key challenges. Effective urban planning, community engagement, and innovative solutions are essential for overcoming these hurdles and fostering inclusive and sustainable urban development.
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