ABOUT THE BOOK

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.Let us hope for a bright future for rural India and rural people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Abdul Azeez NP is currently working as the Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Central University of Kashmir, Srinagar. A gold medallist of Aligarh Muslim University in M.A. Economics (2010) examination, he obtained Ph.D degree also from the same university. He has published a number of research papers in various reputed national and international journals and edited number of books. His areas of specialization mainly include Economics of Rural Development, Human Resource Development. He has participated in various National and International conferences and has presented several research papers.

Dr. S.M. Jawed Akhtar is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. He was awarded gold medals for securing first position at B.A (Hons.) and M.A (Economics) of the same university. He has been actively engaged in teaching and research for almost last two decades. He has to his credit a good number of publications in various reputed national and international journals. He is a recognized research guide and several Ph.D degrees have been awarded under his guidance. He is an active member of several academic bodies.

CONTENTS

Contributors 7 Preface 9 1. Geographical Indications and Rural Development in India: A Survey Ruchi Sharma 13 2. Rural Treasures: Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Best Practices (With focus on Western Rajasthan) Trilok Kumar Jain 29 3. Challenges and Barriers in Rural Development in India and Beyond: A Regional Outlook Najmudheen, T 35 4. Role of Agriculture Sector in Sustainable Development of India Shaukat Ali 61 5. Agricultural Credit and Agricultural Development in India. Kaberi Sarkar and Sebak Kumar Jana 81 6. Demand for Agricultural Credit: A Financial Inclusion Perspective S. M. Jawed Akhtar and Saba Parveen 101 7. Demographic Dividend in India: Addressing Education and Skill Development. Anup K. Mishra, Santosh K. Singh 117 8. Inclusive Growth of Self-Help Groups in India Jasmin Treesa T.J. 133 9. Factors Affecting Child Health: A Study of Respondent Mothers and their Children’s Health in Rural West Bengal Paramita Roy and Arunangshu Mondal 141 10. Role of Credit and Banking of Rural Development in Agriculture Sector Ms. Sony S. Hiremath 161 11. Rural Credit Market and Village Economies H. R. Prajapati 165 12. A Review of Financial Inclusion Initiatives for Rural Development- Issues, Challenges and Recommendations Sonam Agrawal 183 13. Interest Free Micro Finance for Financial Inclusion and Rural Development. Manzoor, K. 193 14. A Peep into Past Rural Self-Employment Programmes Initiated by the Government of India Dr Shankar Chatterjee 207 15. Employment Structure in Kerala with a Special Preference to Palakkad District Sasi, C 223 16. MGNREGP: A Programme for Inclusive Growth and Development: An Assessment Aboobacker Sidheeque K.P 231 17. Empowering Women through Education: A Rural Indian Perspective Ismail Thamarasseri 245 18. Kudumbasree-The Self Help Group Model Poverty Alleviation Programme in Kerala Dr K. Baby 255 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 271 20. People’s Participation and Decentralised Planning in Kerala. A Revisit: Case Study of Two Village Panchayats Dr.E.M.Thomas 301 21. Local Governance and Solid Waste Management in Kerala : Case Study of a Municipality in Kerala Justin Thomas 317 22. A Study on Consumer Awareness among Rural Households with Special Reference to Palakkad District Savithri, K.B 329 23. An Overview of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) on the Nutritional Status of Children in the Rural Areas of Kerala Dr N. Karunakaran 341 24. A Study on the Health Status of the Scheduled Castes in Palakkad District, Kerala Nisha T.A. 353 25. Gender Disparity in Rural Poverty: A Sociological Evidences and Issues in Kerala. Jafar K. 363 26. Death Rate and Infant Mortality Rate in Mysuru District: A Spatial Analysis Sowmyashree K.L and Pradeep Kumar 377 27. Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY): A Myth about Financial Inclusion for Rural India Rasananda Panda, Shailendra Patil and Anushree Karani 383 Index 397