Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management

Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management, Third Edition, has been revised and repackaged as a comprehensive textbook on Rural Development and Planning. This book is primarily targeted at graduate and post-graduate students of Rural Development, Agricultural Policy and Planning and Rural Management. New chapters have been added, keeping in mind the curricula taught in most colleges, academic institutes, and universities in India. The updated content also takes into account training programmes in Rural Development, Rural Economics, Rural Management, Agricultural Policy and Planning. The book focuses on the basic concepts, policy instruments, strategies, policies and programmes, and the management of rural development. In particular, it emphasises the pivotal role of human resources as both a means and an end of development. Recent developments and progress of rural development programmes like equity and growth-oriented programmes and natural resources and infrastructure programmes have been well-documented and analysed. Some new pedagogical features introduced in the book include: - `Learning Outcomes` at the beginning of each chapter - Two new sections, namely, ‘Main Points’, and ‘Questions for Discussion’ at the end of each chapter Aspirants of competitive examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and State Public Service Commissions and the admission tests conducted by academic institutes offering post-graduate programmes in Rural Management and Agri-business Management will also find this book useful. The book will also be of much interest to governmental and non-governmental organisations including donors and other funding agencies engaged in rural development.

Table of Contents:
PART I: INTRODUCTION Concepts and Connotations of Rural Development Basic Elements of Rural Development Growth versus Development Why Rural Development Rising Expectations and Development Development and Change Human Beings as the Cause and Consequence of Development Some Dilemmas in Development Main Points Questions for Discussion PART II: RURAL ECONOMY OF INDIA Introduction Size and Structure of the Rural Economy The Characteristics of the Rural Sector The Role of the Agricultural Subsector The Role of the Non-agricultural Subsector Challenges and Opportunities Main Points Questions for Discussion PART III: MEASURES OF DEVELOPMENT Introduction Measures of Level of Rural Development Measures of Income Distribution Measures of Development Simplified Concepts and Measures of Rural Poverty Main Points Questions for Discussion PART IV: SOME PARADIGMS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction The Modernisation Theory The Dependency Theory of the Marxist School Rosenstein-Rodan′s Theory of the ′Big Push′ Leibenstein′s ′Critical Minimum Effort Thesis′ Lewis′ Model of Economic Development Gunnar Myrdal′s Thesis of ′Spread and Backwash′ Effects The Human Capital Model of Development The Gandhian Model of Rural Development Development Theories from Other Social Sciences Main Points Questions for Discussion PART V: DETERMINANTS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction Changes in Output Natural Resources Human Resources Capital Technology Organisational and Institutional Framework Relation between Rural Development and Its Determinants Main Points Questions for Discussion PART VI: RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES Introduction Freedom, Control and Public Policy Need for a Rural Development Policy Goals of Rural Development Policy Hierarchy of Policy Goals Rural Development Policies in India Globalisation and Rural Development Main Points Questions for Discussion PART VII: STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Introduction The Concepts of Sustainability and Sustainable Development Some Indicators of Non-sustainable Development A Critical Review of India′s Strategies of Rural Development Some Elements of a New Strategy for Sustainable Development Main Points Questions for Discussion PART VIII: POLICY INSTRUMENTS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction A Conceptual Framework An Action System Policy Instruments Main Points Questions for Discussion PART IX: EQUITY-ORIENTED AND GROWTH-ORIENTED PROGRAMMES Introduction Equity-oriented Programmes Growth-oriented Programmes Main Points Questions for Discussion PART X: POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT ERADICATION PROGRAMMES Introduction Current Poverty Scenario and Trends Rural Employment Scenario Poverty and Unemployment Alleviation Programmes Social Welfare-oriented Programmes (SWOP) Main Points Questions for Discussion PART XI: NATURAL RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES Introduction Natural Resources-based Programmes National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) Pilot Weather-based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) Infrastructure Development Programmes Main Points Questions for Discussion PART XII: PLANNING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction Levels and Functions of Planning Decentralisation of Planning Methodology of Micro-level Planning Methodology for Block- and District-level Planning Main Points Questions for Discussion PART XIII: ORGANISING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction A Detour to Organisational Models The Search for a New Paradigm Criteria for Designing an Appropriate Organisation Government Organisations Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) Cooperatives Voluntary Agencies/Non-governmental Organisations Corporations and Rural Development Main Points Questions for Discussion PART XIV: FINANCING RURAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction Domestic Institutional Sources The Role of Non-institutional Agencies Deficit Financing or Controlled Inflation Foreign Sources of Funds Main Points Questions for Discussion PART XV: IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION Introduction Project Implementation Project Control Integration and Coordination People′s Participation in Implementation Project Monitoring Project Evaluation Main Points Questions for Discussion References and Select Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Katar Singh is currently Honorary (Founder) Chairman, India Natural Resource Economics and Management (INREM) Foundation, Anand, which is a nongovernmental academic organization committed to promoting teaching, training, and research in natural resource economics and environment management, and improving natural resource management policies and programs. He holds a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, USA, and has done postdoctoral research and advanced coursework in natural resource economics in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA and in the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University Bloomington, USA. He has over 50 years of teaching, training, research, and consulting experience in the areas of agricultural and rural development, and natural resource economics and management. He was the director and RBI Chair Professor in the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), India, and also had a short stint as Director, Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Lucknow. He has also taught at G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India. He has coordinated and conducted several research and consultancy projects funded by national and international agencies. A prolific writer, he has published over 120 articles and papers in professional journals of repute and has authored/co-authored nine books, including a textbook, Rural Development: Principles, Policies, and Management, second ed. (SAGE, 1999), and another entitled Environmental Economics: Theory and Applications (SAGE, 2007), coauthored with Dr Anil Shishodia. He has also co-edited three books, namely, Co-operative Management of Natural Resources (SAGE, 1996), Natural Resource Economics: Theory and Application in India (1997), and Designing and Managing Rural Development Organizations (2000). Professor Singh is a life member of numerous professional bodies, including the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics (ISAE), Indian Society for Ecological Economics, and International Society for Ecological Economics. He is a recipient of several awards and honors, including Rathindra Puraskar 2003, awarded by Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, in recognition of his significant contribution to education in rural development and Sir Chhotu Ram National Award for the year 1996–97, awarded by CSS Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, in recognition of his outstanding research work in the field of agriculture and rural development.

Review :
The book recognizes the changes in the approach of rural development and includes all relevant issues for inclusive development with updated information….It is an essential reading and makes a significant contribution to the rural development literature and will be a good source of reference for students, researchers and policy makers particularly in India and in developing countries in general.