By Ranjan K Baruah
Rural development is the process of improving quality of life and economic well-being of people living in isolated and sparsely populated areas. It is important in a country like India where majority of the population still resides in the rural areas.
Development of rural areas and the people is a must for the progress of any country. Change in rural areas and change in the mindset of people will lead towards sustainable development which is being discussed globally.
Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanisation have changed the character of rural areas.
Increasingly tourism, niche manufacturers and recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant economic drivers. The need for rural communities to approach development from a wider perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource based businesses.
Education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure and social infrastructure all play important role in developing rural regions. Rural development is a comprehensive term. It essentially focuses on action for the development of areas outside the mainstream urban economic system. We should think of what type of rural development is needed because modernisation of a village leads to urbanisation and village environment disappears. As there is demand so a subject has also evolved as rural development. There are subjects and similar courses like Social Work or Development Studies but now rural development has also became an independent subject which can be studied by our young people.
There are post graduate courses and also diploma programmes in some institutes. Courses are like Rural Development, Rural Management, Sustainable Rural Studies, etc. After finishing these courses one may get engaged with different agencies focusing on rural devilment or they may also try in government departments and many other NGOs or development organisations.
Apart from regular courses, some universities like IGNOU also provide distance courses related to this subject. One must have employability skills apart from qualification to work on rural development. It is challenging but working in this field is also a commitment for the progress of the society and bringing change in our society. Young people from our region may take up rural development and get themselves engaged in rural development for making a vibrant society and nation.
Updates:
Scholarships for D.Ed. and B.Ed from Tata Trusts: Tata Trusts is offering scholarships for students pursuing D Ed and B Ed for the current academic year 2018-2019 for studies in India. This scholarship is applicable only for those pursuing studies in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and North-East India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura). This scholarship is applicable only for the tuition fees and other related fees paid to the Institute / University. Candidates should have secured 60 per cent and above in their last academic year. Aspirants may apply before November 5.
(Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor, skill trainer and motivational speaker and can be reached at [email protected] or 8473943734 for any career related queries)