Role of government policies in rural development Gupta Umesh, Agrawal Kamal Kishor School of Business Studies, MATS University Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Online published on 6 September, 2019. Abstract The central aim or focus of this paper is to highlight the role of local government (being the closest tier of government to the grassroots) in rural development. Of late, rural development has assumed global attention especially among the developing nations. It has great significance for a country like India where majority of the population, around 70% of the people, live in rural areas. The present strategy of rural development in India mainly focuses on poverty alleviation, better livelihood opportunities, provision of basic amenities and infrastructure facilities through innovative programmes of wage and self-employment. This Paper overviews the role and function of the Government and its’ Policies for rural development in India. Science and technological interventions in the field of rural development have been discussed briefly and efforts being made to document some of the appropriate technologies developed by several research institutes, organizations suitable for application in rural areas are listed. The Rural Development in India is one of the most important factors for the growth of the Indian economy. India is primarily an agriculture-based country. Agriculture contributes nearly one-fifth of the gross domestic product in India. In order to increase the growth of agriculture, the Government has planned several programs pertaining to Rural Development in India. The Ministry of Rural Development in India is the apex body for formulating policies, regulations and acts pertaining to the development of the rural sector. Agriculture, handicrafts, fisheries, poultry, and diary are the primary contributors to the rural business and economy. The introduction of Bharat Nirman, a project set about by the Government of India in collaboration with the State Governments and the Panchayat Raj Institutions is a major step towards the improvement of the rural sector. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 was introduced by the Ministry of Rural Development, for improving the living conditions and its sustenance in the rural sector of India. Top Keywords Bharat Nirman, Panchayat Raj, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Top |