Rural Press Problems and Prospects: Proceedings of the Seminars Organised at Jaipur, Dhenkanal and Madras During 1994

The book is a study on rural participation based on the methodology of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), the accompanying methods and field-level applications. The book is divided into four chapters. The first chapter provides a short introduction to the logic of participation and the methodology of PRA, its significance, principles, foundations, kinds and origin. The second chapter analyses the indigenous knowledge-sources and discusses the different participatory methods in the light of field experiences. It briefly touches upon the sequencing of methods to illustrate its significance for in-depth analysis of rural issues. The third chapter describes applications of PRA in understanding of poverty, wealth, ecology, gender and health. The fourth chapter illustrates some policy measures flowing from such applications, discusses the limitations posed to the use of PRA and the opportunities which PRA offers as a participatory methodology.

About the Author :
V.S. Gupta, presently Professor at the Haryana Agricultural University, was awarded the UNDP Fellowship for training in Europe and was selected for the Journalist Fellowship Award for working in the area of Environment and Development. He has contributed a large number of papers in seminars, conferences and academic journals in India and abroad. Some of the publications edited by him include: Media and Development (1994) with M.R. Dua and Rural Press: Problems and Prospects (1995) with Rajeshwar Dyal. His book, Third Revolution in Indian Perspective Contemporary Issues and Themes in Communication (1995) has been very well received in India and abroad. Prof. Gupta is associated with publications, academic programmes in journalism and mass communication at the post-graduate I level of several universities in the country. He represents the Asian Mass Communication Research and Information Centre (AMIC) Singapore, as its representative in India. Rajeshwar Dyal, has an experience of 20 years in communication research, training, development of training material, interaction with national and international media organisations and activists. Presently, he is working as Media Advisor with Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which aims at democratisation and pluralism in media, organising media activities with media in the government and private sector, academia from various departments and other research institutions. He was with Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi for 15 years prior to his joining the present assignment in 1992.