Rural Development Policy

By
Hemant Singh 2013PSM-005
Kunal Kumar Jha 2013PSM-007

Introduction

Policy - A set of intended actions.

Program - More specific and narrower in scope than a policy.
Project - Highly specific and detailed in terms of its objectives,
locations, durations, funds, etc.

Needs for Rural Development Policy

Nations commitment to setup a socialist pattern society.

Violent fluctuation in agricultural production, price and income.
Small scattered and unorganized rural enterprise.
Inadequate and poor rural infrastructure.
Rural poverty and income inequality.

Goals of Rural Development Policy

Priority to agriculture and rural development with a view to generate

adequate productivity , employment and eradicate poverty.
Accelerating the growth rate of economy with sustainable prices.
Ensuring food and nutritional security for all.
Providing basic minimum services.
Controlling the growth rate of population.
Strengthening efforts to built self reliance and entrepreneurship.
Empowerment of women and socially disadvantaged groups.

Important dimensions of RDP

1.
2.
3.
4.

The quality of life of the citizen.

The generation of productive employment.
Regional balance.
Self reliance.

Hierarchy of Rural Development Policy

General
welfare

Economic
welfare

Cultural
welfare

Maximum
national
Income

Equalization of
opportunity

Optimum
allocation of
resources
Production,
irrigation , soil
conservation,
high yield seed,
pest control etc

Optimum
distribution of
income
Land reforms,
drought/flood
relief, rural
electrification,
rural health
services

Rural Development Policies in India

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

National Forest Policy

Land Reform Policy
National Water Policy
Agriculture Price Policy
Rural Credit Policy
Policy for Fishery Policy
National Agriculture policy
National Policy on Cooperative
Policy for Farmers

National Forest Policy

Review and assess the existing policy and legal framework and their
impact in a holistic manner from the ecological, scientific, economic,
social and cultural viewpoint.
Examine the current status of forest administration and the forestry
institutions both on all India and State level to meet the emerging needs
of the civil society.
Make recommendations indicating policy options for achieving
sustainable forest and wildlife management and development, biodiversity conservation and ecological security.
Suggest ways and means to make forest administration more effective
with a view to help to achieve the above policy options.
Establish meaningful partnership and interface between forestry
management and local communities including tribals.

Land Reforms policy

The ultimate aim of land reforms in India is to confer the rights of ownership to
tenants to the larger possible extent.
National guidelines were issued in 1972, which specified the land ceiling limit as;
The best land 10 acres
For second class land 18-27 acres.
For the rest, 27-54 acres with a slightly higher limit in the hill and desert areas
In order to bring about uniformity, a new policy was evolved in 1971. The main
features were:
Lowering of ceiling to 28 acres of wet land and 54 acres of un-irrigated land
A change over to family rather than the individual as the unit for determining
land holdings lowered ceiling for a family of five.
Fewer exemptions from ceilings
Retrospective application of the law for declaring benami transactions null and
void
No scope to move the court on ground of infringement of fundamental rights

National Water Policy

National Water Policy was adopted in September, 1987.
In the planning and operation of systems, water allocation priorities
should be broadly as follows:
1. Drinking water
2. Irrigation
3. Hydro-power
4. Ecology
5. Agro-industries and non-agricultural industries
6. Navigation and other uses.
The State Water Policies may need to be drafted/revised in accordance
with this policy keeping in mind the basic concerns and principles as
also a unified national perspective .

Agricultural Price Policy

To ensure stability in Policy.

To ensure constant usage of modern inputs in agriculture, it is necessary
that farmers are assured minimum price for their product.
Due to specific nature of agriculture produce, there are many difficulties in
agriculture marketing, such as perish ability problems of storage etc.
Price policy is important for proper crop planning.
To prevent exploitation of farmers from zamindars etc; in absence of price
policy person may purchase products at very low price.
Fixation of Maximum retail prise or procurement price.
Maximum price fixation and Buffer stock.

National Policy for farmer

To improve economic viability of farming.
To protect and improve land, water, bio-diversity and genetic
resources.
To develop support services including provision for seeds, irrigation,
power, machinery and implements, fertilizers.
To provide appropriate price and trade policy mechanisms to
enhance farmers income.
To pay explicit attention to sustainable rural livelihoods.
To make India a global outsourcing hub in the production and
supply of the inputs needed for sustainable agriculture, products and
processes developed through biotechnology and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT).

National Agriculture Policy

Over 4 per cent annual growth rate aimed over next two decades.
Greater private sector participation through contract farming.
Price protection for farmers.
National agricultural insurance scheme to be launched.
Minimise fluctuations in commodity prices.
Continuous monitoring of international prices.
Plant varieties to be protected through a legislation.
Adequate and timely supply of quality inputs to farmers.
High priority to rural electrification.
Setting up of agro-processing units and creation of off-farm
employment in rural areas.

References
http://envfor.nic.in/division/introduction-10
http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/articles/venka/inde
x.php?repts=m-land.htm
http://wrmin.nic.in/forms/list.aspx?lid=1190
http://cacp.dacnet.nic.in/
https://www.nabard.org/english/home.aspx

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