Indian village – The Unknown Strengths

    As a pandemic of COVID-19 crisis has shown us the cities of dreams can be disaster too. It had shown a migration of poor labourer from cities to village. Will they be burden at village?

 ‘Gao chaloo' was the slogan given by Mahatma Gandhi after independent India seems to be true today as prime minister has   started the e-gram swaraj portal. Gram swaraj still is a dream to achieve. Yet we also have come with a of with solutions for make your village a smart encouraging villager together develop a smart village with social, economic, development of a village. Be a part of change with us in transforming India.

Scenario:

As Villages have been a soul of India.  About 30% of India’s population lives in village to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas in 2013 government of India is focusing on building up smart villages   with its efficient resource management, technology dissemination and overall development of the country. Its emphasis on the social, economic and cultural development of the village.  Here are some steps taken by government of India to make village self reliant.

1) Agriculture:

As the agriculture is main source of income to Indian economy. This sector involves 50% of population and contribute to 15%of GDP. It is the backbone of India. India has flourished in the agricultural sector. To boost our economy to achieve 5trillion by 2022 it is necessary to work on primary sector. The government emphasis on doubling farmers income by 2022 aiming to improve the situation of farmer across the country. To boost this sector under Atma Nirbhar Bharat the raising up the infrastructures at grass root level in the village to avoid food wastage at farm. It aims to improve the agri-value market chains from both seller and buyer.

2) Industry

As, “industry is mother of revolution in world”. Industry can be started were the raw material is available for production. Villages are suitable place to start a small and medium industries (MSME) mostly this includes agriculture, handloom, artisans, and forestry. It is the next blooming sector in India. It provides employment in rural parts of country. . This industry is been finance by government of India. It also provides employment in rural areas. ‘Made in India ' encouraging further establishment of enterprise all over the country. The rural India society is been benefits of government scheme such as start up stand up and skill India. India aims to increase its start-up and improve its economy. The government emphasis on increasing in ease of doing business. It also involved the raise in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

3) Roads:

The road is important to connect the villages to urban areas. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak yojana is a nation-wide plan in India to provide good road connectivity to unconnected under this initiative nearly 82%of villages are been connected until December 2017 still some work is been progress.

4) Connectivity:

A rural India has more internet users than the urban. The 21st century is era of technology just by one click you can connect with world as world has been a global village. The telecom industry in India has seen growth about 51%. India is second in numbers of internet users and about 35%of total population are the internet users yet the problem of internet connectivity is seen in rural India. Digital India campaign launched by government ensure to citizens to get all the government information online by improving infrastructures and by increasing connectivity. These includes plans to connect the rural with high speed internet services along with the improvement in data literacy. Bharatnet is improving broad band networks in rural areas it aims to provide minimum of 100 M bits /s broad band connection to all 250,000-gram panchayat and nearly 625,000 villages have improved telecommunications in India under the campaign launched digital India.

5) Education:

 Education makes a change in society. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan as an education for all. It enables every child to take education primary as well as higher secondary education institutions are been developed in the country. The various online education apps such as DIKSHA, e-pathshala are effective for students. The National institute for open schooling (NIOS) provides the distant learning courses for students to those who cannot attend the higher education. Sayam app is launched by GOI to provide opportunities to massive students to access online education for distance learning courses.

6) Employment:

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme

 (MGNEREGS). This scheme guarantees the employment to unskilled person for 100 days wages in a financial year. It guarantees of livelihood and security in rural India. This is implemented by gram panchayat. According to the World Development Report 2014, “It is largest and most ambitious social security and public working programme in the world. Skill India is another such platform which enables person achieves skill. It trains person and get certified.

7) Innovation:

 Aspire or Scheme for promotion of Innovation entrepreneurship and agroindustry is the Innovative scheme for upcoming entrepreneur. This is strengthening the small and micro enterprises. It promotes entrepreneur ship culture in India. Surely it creates jobs opportunity to youngster and reduced unemployment rate. It boosts economy at grass root level.

8) Health and welfare:

Health care is taken in consideration while building up the villages. The primary health care centres (PHCs)have reached out to thousands of villages The PHC majorly offers preventive care of a disease. Ayushmaan Bharat the world largest health insurance scheme under the National Health policy launched in 2018 it provides free health services to nearly 40%of vulnerable section of society. This scheme provides assistance upto 5 lakh per family per year for medical treatment in public or private hospitals. It has no restrictions of, family size, age or gender. All the previous insurance scheme is covered by this scheme.

9) Village tourism:

Recently this is new theme to raise village tourism industry. It provides an opportunity to stick up with its culture and introduce the old tradition system. It gives an experience to live village life in the womb of mother nature. It also gives popularity of village. It gives tourist an opportunity to stay in villages of   greenery in parts of North east, beaches of Kerala, deserts in Rajasthan and Gujarat, mountains of Himalayas, or in sunder bans delta. The diversity of India makes it enables to start village tourism and I think it is upcoming industry. It is made popular by celebrating events. It provides additional income to rural community and also preserve nature.

10) Self-help groups:

Self-help group (SHG) is the voluntary organisations of people who are sharing common interest. This group are largely seen in rural parts of country. This group come up with the idea to work for community. It is seen today most of SHG along with NGOs are engaged in making PPE kits, sanitizer, masks etc. They are helping hands to Corona warriors.

11) Aathma Nirbhaar Bharat:

Talking about Aathma Nirbhaar Bharat government emphasis on self-reliant it aims to promote local products with slogan vocal for local. It gave hope to millions of people. Surely it going to build India stronger. It includes all round development of the country to become self reliant.

12)  Way forward:

Villages are being a part of change with transformation. The initiative   to achieve the dream of 5 trillion economy needs the overall development. It is important to bridge the gap between villages and cities and a lot of work is going to make better living conditions in villages. This involves social, economic and cultural development. In the era of digitalisation working on grass roots is necessary it still miles to go.... being a part of change with us.

By Shradha Deokar : Deokar Shraddha Rajendra is a Student pursuing graduation in BSc agriculture. She is interested in rural society of India. She believe in writing as a tool for being change in society. Also she is passionate about change in rural society as this transformation brings a new era of development.

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