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Rural development became a planning concern as it became clear that the strategies adopted in developing countries remained largely ineffective in alleviating poverty and inequalities in rural areas. Development of rural areas and the rural people has become the primary concern of the economic planning and development process of the country. It became increasingly clear that apart from an effort to increase agricultural and industrial production, it is also necessary to address directly the basic problems of rural area. The increasing interest in rural development is a result of the realization that a systematic effort is necessary to create better living conditions in the rural areas where the vast majority of populations of developing countries reside. Creation of more effective employment opportunities and exploring new avenues for their engagement in economically gainful activities will go a long way in ameliorating rural India. No doubt, formulation and implementation of various rural development schemes/programmes have touched many a milestone, yet a lot remain still to be done.

This edited book examines the basic issues, problems, policies, programmes and prospects of rural development in India. It is clear that rural development, in its all dimensions, is sine qua non for a strong and vibrating nation like India which aspires for becoming a super power in the world. It is also true that no nation can survive if it ignores its vast human potential in general developmental process and rural people in particular because development is above all a human process and not just a mechanical or technological change.

Contents: Preface. 1. Geographical Indications and Rural Development in India: A Survey/Ruchi Sharma. 2. Rural Treasures: Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Best Practices (With focus on Western Rajasthan)/Trilok Kumar Jain. 3. Challenges and Barriers in Rural Development in India and Beyond: A Regional Outlook/T. Najmudheen. 4. Role of Agriculture Sector in Sustainable Development of India/Shaukat Ali. 5. Agricultural Credit and Agricultural Development in India/Kaberi Sarkar and Sebak Kumar Jana. 6. Demand for Agricultural Credit: A Financial Inclusion Perspective/S. M. Jawed Akhtar and Saba Parveen. 7. Demographic Dividend in India: Addressing Education and Skill Development/Anup K. Mishra, Santosh K. Singh. 8. Inclusive Growth of Self-Help Groups in India/Jasmin Treesa T.J. 9. Factors Affecting Child Health: A Study of Respondent Mothers and their Children’s Health in Rural West Bengal/Paramita Roy and Arunangshu Mondal. 10. Role of Credit and Banking of Rural Development in Agriculture Sector/Ms. Sony S. Hiremath. 11. Rural Credit Market and Village Economies/H. R. Prajapati. 12. A Review of Financial Inclusion Initiatives for Rural Development- Issues, Challenges and Recommendations/Sonam Agrawal. 13. Interest Free Micro Finance for Financial Inclusion and Rural Development/K. Manzoor. 14. A Peep into Past Rural Self-Employment Programmes Initiated by the Government of India/Dr Shankar Chatterjee. 15. Employment Structure in Kerala with a Special Preference to Palakkad District/C. Sasi. 16. MGNREGP: A Programme for Inclusive Growth and Development: An Assessment/Aboobacker Sidheeque K.P. 17. Empowering Women through Education: A Rural Indian Perspective/ Ismail Thamarasseri. 18. Kudumbasree-The Self Help Group Model Poverty Alleviation Programme in Kerala/Dr K. Baby. 19. A Study on Constraints Faced by Elected Women Representatives under Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in Empowerment Process, West Midnapore District, West Bengal/Ria Sarkar. 20. People’s Participation and Decentralised Planning in Kerala. A Revisit: Case Study of Two Village Panchayats/Dr.E.M.Thomas. 21. Local Governance and Solid Waste Management in Kerala : Case Study of a Municipality in Kerala/Justin Thomas. 22. A Study on Consumer Awareness among Rural Households with Special Reference to Palakkad District/K.B. Savithri. 23. An Overview of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) on the Nutritional Status of Children in the Rural Areas of Kerala/Dr N. Karunakaran. 24. A Study on the Health Status of the Scheduled Castes in Palakkad District, Kerala/T.A. Nisha. 25. Gender Disparity in Rural Poverty: A Sociological Evidences and Issues in Kerala/K. Jafar. 26. Death Rate and Infant Mortality Rate in Mysuru District: A Spatial Analysis/K.L. Sowmyashree and Pradeep Kumar. 27. Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY): A Myth about Financial Inclusion for Rural India/ Rasananda Panda, Shailendra Patil and Anushree Karani. Index.