Rural Development - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• The rural socio-economic structure and various development approaches highlight the need for an integrated approach to rural development in India. This involves the transformation and modernization of rural economy and society, as well as poverty alleviation. In order to achieve these goals, resources must be mobilized and allocated specifically for the implementation of programs that benefit the rural population, especially the poor. The administrative structure responsible for implementing these rural development programs is of particular importance.
• Currently, the administrative machinery plays a major role in India's development. However, there are concerns about whether the existing administrative structure is capable of acting as an agent of change. To effectively bring about change in India, three conditions must be met: the bureaucracy must undergo a shift in values and attitudes to become facilitators rather than rulers; the bureaucratic organization must be decentralized and free from procedural rigidities, involving people in decision-making processes; and the relationship between bureaucrats and political leaders must be redefined to ensure their complementary roles are understood and functional. This unit will familiarize you with the existing organizational and administrative structure of rural development programs and the features that characterize the system.

Administrative Machinery

• The administrative system of India, which is responsible for rural development, has its roots in the colonial era. Despite various modifications over time, the structure has largely been utilized for revenue and general administration purposes. One significant change occurred in 1952 with the initiation of the Community Development Programme (CDP), which aimed to establish development administration at the field level. This included the integration of technical expertise and training in order to undertake various development schemes.
• The Grow More Food Enquiry Committee, in its 1952 report, emphasized the importance of an integrated organizational structure for rural development. It laid out a blueprint for a system that encompassed the National, State, District, Block, and Village levels. This blueprint was adopted with the launch of the CDP and the National Extension Services in 1953. The development block was created as the basic unit of planning and integrated rural development, with an emphasis on self-help and public participation.
• The administrative setup established during the CDP has largely remained in place, with some changes introduced at the district level in response to shifts in rural development strategies and the introduction of special programs. As a result, the focus of rural development has shifted towards area-based and clientele-specific development. Key innovations introduced by the CDP include the identification of blocks as administrative units, the appointment of extension officers with specialist knowledge, and the mobilization of public participation in development.

In summary, the current administrative structure for rural development in India has its origins in the colonial period and has undergone various changes over time. The Community Development Programme initiated in 1952 marked a significant step in shaping the present-day system. The administrative setup has since evolved to focus on area-based and clientele-specific development, while maintaining the core principles of self-help and public participation.

Administrative Setup at the National Level

The Ministry of Rural Reconstruction was constituted in 1979 and continued as such till 1982, when it was renamed the Ministry of Rural Development. In January1985, it became the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

In September 1985, the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture with a separate Department of Rural Development as one of its constituents. Then, it was renamed the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment in March 1995. Since April 1999, however, it is being called the Ministry of Rural Development. In what follows, we describe the organizational structure as it operated in 2002-03. The Ministry of Rural Development is a separate Ministry and has two departments viz. Department of Rural Development and the Department of Drinking Water Supply. Both the departments are headed by a Secretary to the Government of India assisted by a hierarchy of officers.
The Ministry is divided into Divisions on functional basis as follows:

• a) Department of Rural Development
  • Administrative and Panchayati Raj Division 
  • Poverty Alleviation Division
  • Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana Division 
  • Rural Connectivity Division 
  • Land Resources Division 
  • Monitoring Division 
  • Finance Division
• b) Department of Drinking Water Supply
  • Drinking Water Supply Division 
  • Rural Sanitation Division
• Each of the above Divisions is headed by a Joint Secretary level officer assisted by other supporting staff, administrative as well as technical.
  The Ministry of Rural Development is responsible for policy, planning, direction, coordination, release of central share of funds and monitoring of the programmes. The programmes of the Ministry may be divided into four broad categories viz. a)
• Self-Employment Programmes, b) Wage Employment Programmes, c) Area Development Programmes, and d) Basic Needs Programmes.
• The Ministry of Rural Development has the following institutions under its administrative control:
• The National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) which is an autonomous body and the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) which is a registered society.
• A National Fund for Rural Development (NFRD) was set up in 1984 for the purpose of attracting donations for rural development projects. It provides incentives to the donors by offering them a tax concession. As far as possible, the receipts into NFRD are channelled for projects identified by the donor in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry.

Administrative Setup at the State Level

• The state government is directly responsible for administering rural development programs. In most states, there is a separate Department of Rural Development headed by a Secretary, who reports to the Development Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. In some cases, the Chief Secretary also serves as the Development Commissioner and Secretary.
• In the late 1960s, State Level Coordination and Review Committees were established in all the states to ensure coordination among various departments. These committees included the Secretaries of all relevant departments and a representative from the Central Government. However, a study conducted by the Programme Evaluation Organization (PEO) of the Planning Commission found that these committees were not active in most states and failed to provide guidance or support to agencies.
• The state-level cells, which were expected to supervise and coordinate the activities of various departments, were generally not successful in achieving their objectives. The former Union Ministry of Rural Development suggested that programs like the Integrated Rural Development Programme, National Rural Employment Programme, Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme, Drought Prone Areas Programme, and Desert Development Programme should be managed by a single department responsible for development administration at all levels. This would ensure adequate inter-sectoral coordination at the state level.
• The Ministry also recommended creating a separate post at the Commissioner level, assisted by middle-level officers, to oversee the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of these programs in districts. As a result, at the state level, there was initially the office of the Development Commissioner, responsible for all development work under the supervision of the Development Committee, usually chaired by the Chief Minister. Now, in most cases, either the Department of Planning or the Department of Rural Development is responsible for policy, planning, and implementation. The Coordination Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, Agricultural Production Commissioner, or Principal Secretary, oversees the review, sanction, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the schemes.

Administrative Setup at the District Level

• The district has been the fundamental unit of administration in India, with the District Collector serving as the head of district administration. The District Collector is responsible for coordinating district plans and presiding over the District Planning Committee, which consists of both official and non-official members and is assisted by a District Planning Officer. In the district, revenue and development functions are combined into one office.
• During the fourth five-year plan (1969-74), significant changes were introduced at the district level with the establishment of Small Farmers Development Agencies (SFDAs) and Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Laborers Development Agencies (MFALs). These agencies were created based on the recommendations of the All India Rural Credit Review Committee, appointed by the Reserve Bank of India in 1969, to provide credit support and technical guidance to small farmers. To coordinate the activities of all departments, a coordination committee was formed in each district under the chairmanship of the District Collector.
• Each district has an autonomous agency, registered under the Registration of Societies Act 1860, responsible for implementing SFDA/MFAL programs. These agencies consist of a Governing Body, a small executive staff, and receive support from a State Level Coordination and Review Committee. The Governing Body includes a Chairman (usually the District Collector), representatives from various State Departments, the Lead Bank, the Central Cooperative Bank, a representative of the Zilla Parishad, and a few non-official members.
• The agencies have a nucleus staff consisting of a Project Officer and three Assistant Project Officers, drawn from the Departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cooperation. The SFDA does not have its own field staff, so they rely on the services of staff from other development departments and financial institutions, such as cooperatives and commercial banks.
• In addition to the SFDA, other special programs were introduced during the fourth and fifth five-year plans, such as the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) in the 1970s. Special project agencies have been established by the State and/or Central Government at the district level, and District Collectors are typically involved with these agencies.

Administrative Setup at the Block and the Village Levels
The Community Development Project (CDP) established the Development Block as the fundamental unit for planning and integrated rural development, which includes various sectors such as agriculture, education, health, and social welfare. The block administration consists of a Block Development Officer (BDO) and several extension personnel from various fields, including agriculture, animal husbandry, cooperation, social welfare, and irrigation. Village Level Workers (VLWs) or Gram Sevaks/Sevikas and other auxiliary staff also support the block administration. Block advisory committees were initially formed to garner public support for the program.

• However, it was later realized that these block advisory committees were not functioning effectively, as they were only advisory bodies without direct involvement in development work. To address this, the Balvantrai Mehta Study Team recommended decentralizing power to the block level, creating a three-tier structure consisting of the district level above and the village level below.
• Despite the introduction of new programs in the mid-sixties, the block-level structures have remained largely unchanged. The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) implements all programs and schemes through Development Blocks led by BDOs. Other block staff involved in the implementation of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) include Extension Officers for various sectors such as Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Social Welfare, Irrigation, and Industries, as well as the Khadi Supervisor from the Khadi and Village Industries Corporation (KVIC).
• However, the adoption of the Training and Visit (T&V) system for agricultural extension in some states has led to a shift in responsibility for agricultural extension to the Department of Agriculture, resulting in a reduced block staff and weakened block administration.
• Development program reviews are conducted at the block level every fortnight, chaired by the BDO and attended by VLWs and other block staff. Quarterly general body meetings of the Panchayat Samiti, led by the Pradhan and BDO, review block activities, with participation from various stakeholders including district level officers, representatives of DRDA, and block-level officers from different development departments. Additionally, a Block Level Coordination Committee (BLCC) meets monthly to review credit supply and coordination, chaired by the Pradhan of the Panchayat Samiti.
• As a result of the devolution of power and the gradual shift of development activities and administration to their purview, Panchayat Samitis have gained significant importance in the development process. However, to ensure their efficient functioning, it is necessary to enhance the administrative and financial management skills of their elected members.

Creation of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)

The erstwhile Ministry of Rural Development had recommended that at the district level, the planning and implementation agency should be the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) headed by a chairperson, who could be the Collector, the Deputy Commissioner or the District Magistrate, and run by a functional executive as the Project Director/Project Officer. Accordingly, DRDAs were set up as autonomous agencies at the beginning of the sixth plan when the IRDP and NREP were launched in all the blocks in the country. The DRDA is the overall in-charge of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programmes in a district. The functions of DRDAs are:

• To provide information regarding the parameters, dimensions and requirements of the programmes to the district and the block level agencies and to apprise them of their tasks in this regard; 
• To coordinate and oversee the survey and preparation of the perspective plan and annual plans of the block and finally prepare a District Plan; 
• To ensure the effectiveness of the programme by regular evaluation and monitoring; 
• To secure inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination and cooperation; 
• To publicize the achievements made under the programmes, disseminate knowledge and build up awareness about the programmes; and 
• To send periodic returns to the State Governments in prescribed formats.

The Governing Body of the DRDA includes, apart from the Chairperson (usually the District Collector), the following:

• All MPs and MLAs of the District, 
• Head of the Central Cooperative Bank, 
• Chairman of the Regional Rural Bank, 
• Chairman of the Zilla Parishad or his/her representative, 
• An officer of the Lead Bank, 
• District Employment Officer, and 
• One representative of rural women, preferably a beneficiary.

The President of the DRDA is empowered to form an Executive Committee to assist the DRDA. The Committee has district level officers as its members. The Governing Body of the DRDA is required to meet every quarter and the Executive Committee every month. 

The Project Officer of the DRDA is assisted by 2 to 3 Assistant Project Officers (APOs) who are subject specialists. An APO for women looks after the women’s component of IRDP and the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas Programme (DWCRA). There is also an APO (Monitoring). 

The erstwhile Ministry of Rural Development had also suggested the setting up of a District Development Committee under the chairmanship of the District Collector. The district level heads of the development departments, BDOs, representatives of the banks and non-officials’ bodies, attends its meetings. 

Its main function is to coordinate the work of all the district level departments and other agencies like Khadi and Village Industries Board, District Industries Centre, banks, etc. It also reviews the working of various programmes in operation in the district and attends to the dayto-day problems of implementation and administration of the programme.

Change in the Administrative Setup at The District Level After The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992

• If a critical analysis of the present administrative setup and the delivery mechanisms at the district, the block and the village levels is carried out, we will find that the core idea of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 is slowly but steadily taking a concrete shape through transferring powers and resources to all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and assigning them with the responsibility of planning and implementation of the poverty alleviation programmes. 
• A number of steps have been taken by the Ministry of Rural Development to devolve administrative and financial powers to the PRIs. An officer equivalent to the District Collector in seniority and status may have to be posted as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zilla Parishad for horizontal coordination. 
• In order to accelerate the pace of devolution of powers to the PRIs, a Task Force was set up (at the behest of the Conference of the Ministers of the Panchayati Raj in July 2001) to analyse all the 29 subjects mentioned in the XI Schedule of the Constitution, identify specific activities under these subjects and suggest inter-se-division of these activities among the three tiers of Panchayats, suggest measures to make administrative decentralization operational and to rationalize delivery mechanisms and propose how the three ingredients of devolution viz. a) Funds, b) Functions, and c) Functionaries related to all the 29 subjects may be transferred to the PRIs. 
• Now, to ensure harmonious integration of the different agencies with common objectives of rural development, the DRDAs have been integrated with the Zilla Parishad. And the DRDA is to act as a Unit/Cell of the Zilla Parishad Administration under the overall supervision of the Zilla Parishad. Though, the process of devolution has improved in the recent past, it continues to suffer from bureaucratic resistance and lack of political will at the state level. 
• The role of the district administration, however, is gradually changing into that of facilitation, quite different from the earlier roles of administration and implementation. But there is still a long way to go. In the next unit we will look at the special features of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992.

District Planning Committee (DPC)

• District Planning Committees (DPCs) are mandated by Article 243 (ZD) of the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act to facilitate decentralized planning in each district of a state. They are responsible for preparing comprehensive plans that cover both urban and rural areas by effectively coordinating with urban civic and development bodies, as well as with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for rural regions.
• In recent times, most states have established DPCs, with the Chairperson of the Zilla Parishad typically serving as the Chairperson of the DPC. However, some states have appointed Ministers or State Government Officers as DPC Chairpersons, which is contrary to the constitutional provision.
• To support the planning process at the district level, a core planning team of experts from various fields should be created. This team would assist in developing plans by conducting in-depth assessments of the district's physical and natural resources, existing infrastructure and unmet needs, potential for integrating ongoing schemes, and the resources needed both currently and in the future. If necessary, additional experts can be hired on a consultancy basis to provide further guidance and expertise.

Gram Panchayats

• The third tier of the PRIs, the Gram Panchayat, has been charged with the responsibility to identify and prioritize development schemes and prepare its Action Plans accordingly with the approval of the Gram Sabha. The roles of the Gram Panchayats have increased many fold vis-à-vis the quantum of resources meant for the developmental activities being handled by them. 
• Though the Gram Panchayats have come into existence and are also implementing developmental schemes, yet the participation of the people and the timely conduct of the Gram Sabha meetings are activities not up to the mark in actual practice. The problem can be controlled to a great extent by promoting awareness among the rural masses, thereby preventing social elite from stealing the show. It will help the Gram Panchayat to act in the true spirit of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992.

Relationship Between the Official Functionaries and the Elected Representatives of the People

• The relationship between official functionaries and elected representatives is crucial for successful policy implementation, especially in developing countries where both parties work towards the same developmental goals. With the introduction of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), bureaucrats and local politicians have the opportunity to work closely together, but this relationship has been marred by conflicts of interest, lack of trust, and issues surrounding the exercise of power. Contributing factors include the caste and class biases of political leaders, differing perceptions of their respective roles, and the belief among officials that elected representatives are ill-equipped to participate in developmental planning or policy formulation.
• The Ashoka Mehta Committee Report on PRIs (1978) highlighted the role of bureaucracy in distancing PRIs from the development process, noting that officials may be averse to PRIs being entrusted with additional functions and may struggle to adjust to working under elected representatives. This disharmony between the two groups can lead to an inefficient system, with officials feeling pressured into making decisions they are accountable for, while political functionaries view bureaucracy as impersonal, insensitive, and obstructive. To overcome these challenges, it is essential for both official functionaries and elected representatives to develop a mutual understanding and respect for each other's roles and to work cooperatively towards their shared development goals.

Council For the Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (Capart)

• In recent years, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increasingly implemented development programs in rural areas, often with financial support from the government. During the seventh plan period, there was a significant shift towards involving voluntary agencies in the planning and execution of rural development programs. The approach paper to the seventh five-year plan emphasized the need to organize beneficiaries (the rural poor) to ensure that schemes, benefits, and subsidies reach them effectively, and called for voluntary organizations to serve as "the eyes and ears of the people."
• To encourage voluntary action in rural development, a central agency called the Council for the Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) was established in 1986. This was achieved by merging the People’s Action for Development India (PADI) and the Council for Advancement of Rural Technology (CART). PADI had been established to provide assistance to voluntary agencies in rural development, while CART was created in 1982 to facilitate the rapid dissemination of laboratory-developed technologies to rural areas through their actual application by voluntary agencies. CART utilized Regional Centres in major states to facilitate accessibility and monitoring.
• CAPART's primary responsibility is to allocate funds from program budgets to voluntary organizations implementing programs under schemes such as the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Rural Housing, and Drinking Water and Sanitation. It also serves as the national-level nodal coordinating agency for the faster dissemination of laboratory-developed technologies to their actual application sites. In this way, CAPART acts as the central agency for promoting voluntary action in rural areas.
• CAPART operates under the authority of the Union Minister of Rural Development and falls within the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Rural Development. Its General Body has a maximum strength of 100 members, and its Executive Committee comprises 25 members, with most members representing the voluntary sector. The Minister of State for Rural Development serves as the Chairman of the Executive Committee.

Strengthening the Maintenance of Accounts and Audit at The Pri Level

The Eleventh Finance Commission, in order to strengthen the system for maintaining accounts and audit at the Gram Panchayat level, had recommended that the Gram Panchayats, which do not have exclusive staff for maintaining accounts, may get the work done on contract basis for which each Gram Panchayat can spend an amount of Rs. 4000 per annum. This recommendation has now come into force.

Social Audit by The Gram Sabha

One of the major recommendations of the Task Force (on devolution of powers to PRIs) was to advise states to legally empower the Gram Sabha and issue necessary guidelines for them to conduct social audit satisfactorily. Social audit should have binding legal outcomes so as to curb corruption and misappropriation of funds at the Gram Panchayat level.

Assessment

• The administrative structures for rural development in India have undergone some innovations but have not radically departed from the traditional district administration framework. These new structures, such as the Community Development Block Administration, the Command Area Development Programme, and the Small Farmers' and Marginal Farmers' Development Programmes, have adapted the existing administrative systems for new tasks and programs. However, they still operate within a hierarchical structure, and their human resources are drawn from existing departments, which limits their ability to bring about significant change in the rural development landscape.
• Several issues arise when considering whether the existing administrative system is capable of realizing rural development goals. Some of these concerns include the system's ability to provide effective coordination between macro and micro-level planning, its capacity to channel benefits to the target groups, and the promotion of harmonious relations between the bureaucracy and elected representatives. The Panchayati Raj system was intended to address some of these issues by promoting popular participation in rural development efforts, but it has fallen short of these expectations. Furthermore, recent programs launched by the Central or State Governments have expanded the bureaucracy in rural areas and undermined the role of elected representatives.
• To create a truly responsive administration for rural development, the administrative culture and bureaucratic functioning need to be overhauled. The current system's deficiencies, such as inefficiency, corruption, and lack of care for the public, need to be addressed through better training and orientation of functionaries. Rural development administration is currently in a transitional phase, moving from being a power-concentrating institution to a facilitator or enabler. This transformation requires a significant change in the work culture and mindset of the bureaucracy, as well as the removal of rigid structures that hinder reform.

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Rural Development

What are the key features of the administrative structure for rural development in India?

The administrative structure for rural development in India has its origins in the colonial period and has undergone various changes over time. Key features include the Community Development Programme (CDP) initiated in 1952, which established the Development Block as the basic unit for planning, and the introduction of special programs such as the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) in the 1970s. The focus of rural development has shifted towards area-based and clientele-specific development, while maintaining the core principles of self-help and public participation.

What is the role of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)?

The DRDA is responsible for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of rural development programs at the district level. Its functions include providing information about program parameters and requirements, coordinating and overseeing the preparation of district plans, ensuring effective implementation through regular evaluation and monitoring, securing inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination and cooperation, and sending periodic returns to the state governments.

How has the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 impacted the administrative setup for rural development in India?

The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 has devolved powers and resources to all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and assigned them the responsibility of planning and implementation of poverty alleviation programs. This has led to the integration of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) with Zilla Parishads, increased roles and responsibilities for Gram Panchayats, and a gradual shift in the district administration's role towards facilitation rather than direct implementation.

What is the role of the Council for the Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)?

CAPART is a central agency responsible for promoting voluntary action in rural development. Its primary function is to allocate funds from program budgets to voluntary organizations implementing programs under schemes such as the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Rural Housing, and Drinking Water and Sanitation. CAPART also serves as the national-level nodal coordinating agency for the rapid dissemination of laboratory-developed technologies to their actual application sites.

What is the significance of social audits by the Gram Sabha in rural development administration?

Social audits by the Gram Sabha are a critical mechanism for ensuring transparency, accountability, and community participation in rural development programs. By legally empowering Gram Sabhas to conduct social audits and making them binding, corruption and misappropriation of funds at the Gram Panchayat level can be reduced, and the effectiveness of rural development programs can be improved.