International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected]

Dr. E.Apparao, Professor, Department of Management Studies, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Management and Science, Atchempeta, Kakinada-533005

Vinay Chaitanya Ganta, Senior Research Fellow (Ph.D), Department of Commerce and Management Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam – 530003

Dr. N. Kishore babu , Professor, Department of Commerce and Management Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam – 530003

exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and Rural development is the forestry. However, changes in global process of improving the quality of life production networks and increased and economic well-being of people living urbanization have changed the character in relatively isolated and sparsely of rural areas. Increasingly tourism, populated areas. Rural Development is a niche manufacturers, and recreation have process of change, by which the efforts of replaced resource extraction and the people themselves are united, those of agriculture as dominant economic government authorities to improve their drivers. The need for rural communities economic, social and cultural conditions to approach development from a wider of communities in to the life of the nation perspective has created more focus on a and to enable them to contribute fully to broad range of development goals rather national programme.Rural development than merely creating incentive for has traditionally centered on the International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] agricultural or resource based businesses. state Governments for poverty reduction, Education, entrepreneurship, physical employment generation, rural infrastructure, and social infrastructure infrastructure habitant development, all play an important role in developing provision of basic minimum services. The rural regions. Rural development is also important programmes presently being characterized by its emphasis on locally implemented by the Department are: produced economic development Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana strategies. (PMGSY) Information Technology in rural Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar approach is concerned first and foremost Yojana (SGSY) to people. It seeks to gain an accurate and realistic understanding of people's Rural Housing (Indira Awaas Yojana) strengths and how they develop into positive livelihood outcomes. It is DRDA Administration important to note that IT can generate Training Schemes multiple benefits in providing better usage of natural resources, Enhance the Promotion of Voluntary Schemes and economic status, Education and Social Action Programme, Employment, and Administration organization of beneficiaries, (Governance). Fortunately, India advancement and dissemination of took to IT early compared to many other rural technology through CAPART developing countries. The nationwide Monitoring mechanism. network of computers set up by the National Informatics Centre took the PC Keeping in view the fact that Rural to every district in the country, making Roads are vital to economic growth and government level interaction and measures for poverty alleviation in the communication faster for planners. The village, Government have launched a internet has now given us an opportunity 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme called to take the PC to every village. It has a the definite role to play in rural education, ). The Programme seeks to health and agriculture. In the Indian provide connectivity to all unconnected situation, a PC need not be a personal habitations in the rural areas with a computer. It can be a community population of more than 500 persons computer. In the day time, it can be used through good All-weather roads by the to educate children at primary and end of the Tenth Plan Period. In respect middle level in the village school. In the of the Hill States (North-East, Sikkim, evening, the community computer can Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, turn into a "cyber dhaba" for villagers, Uttaranchal) and the Desert Areas, the where they can access web-sites of their objective would be to connect habitations choice and get information that they can with a population of 250 persons and use. above. The is the single self- The Department of Rural employment programme for the rural Development is implementing a number poor. The Yojana which came in to effect of programmes in rural areas through the from 1.4.1999, has been conceived as a International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] holistic programme covering all aspects of has gained an self-employment like organization of important position in rural development rural poor into Self Help Groups (SHGs) activities concerning various poverty and their capacity building, training, alleviation programmes. As training, planning of activity clusters, research and development are closely infrastructure development, financial linked, continuing education of both assistance through bank credit and policy makers and programme subsidy and marketing support etc. implementers is imperative. Towards facilitating this, National Housing is one of the basic has been requirements for human conducting training programmes, survival. Therefore, construction of workshops, seminars and international houses was included as one of the major programmes. In addition, extensive activities under the National Rural support has been provided to a number of Employment Programme which begun in training and research institutions dealing 1980. Rural Landless Employment with issues related to rural development. Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) begun in 1983. was In order to strengthen the DRDAs launched during 1985-1986 as a sub and to make them more professional and scheme of RLEGP and thereafter it effective, a new centrally sponsored continued as a sub scheme of Jawahar scheme, namely, Rozgar Yojana. From 1st January 1986 has been introduced from 1st April, 1999 IAY was delinked from JRY and made an based on the recommendations of an independent scheme. The Government of inter-ministerial committee known as the India, in 1998 announced a National Shankar Committee. The scheme Housing and Habitat policy which aims replaces the earlier practice of allocating at providing “Housing for all” and percentage of programme funds to the facilitating the construction of 20 lakh administrative cost. Under this, a additional housing units (13 lakh in rural separate provision has been made to meet areas and 7 in urban areas) with the administrative expenses of the emphasis on standing benefits to the poor DRDAs who are expected to effectively and the deprived. The intention is to manage and implement the schemes. end shelterlessness and ensure the of conversion of all unserviceable kucca development activities provide various houses by pucca houses by the end of stakeholders in these activities with 11th plan period. The Action plan is better means for learning from past being implemented through various experience, improving service delivery, programmes such as Indira Awaas Yojana planning and allocating resources, and (IAY), Credit cum Subsidy Scheme for demonstrating results as part of Rural Housing, Innovative Scheme for accountability to key stakeholders. A Rural Housing and Habitat Development, comprehensive multi-level, multi-tool Rural Building Centres, Equity system of Monitoring and Evaluation of Contribution by Ministry of Rural the policy and implementation Development to HUDCO and National environments of the programmes of the Mission for Rural Housing and Habitat. Ministry has been evolved over the years. In view of the vast canvas for International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] implementation of the programmes of the are being pursued for delegation of Ministry, the monitoring of the adequate administrative and financial programmes is taken up at various levels. powers to PRIs and a significant change has been noticed in this regard. The overall monitoring of all the programmes at the national level is Under this department there are carried out by the Monitoring Divisions three autonomous bodies viz., of the Ministry. The Programme Divisions monitor the respective , National programmes implemented by them. The Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) Programmes of the Ministry are basically and National Rural Road Development implemented by the State Implementing Agency (NRRDA). Council of Agencies. At the State level, the Advancement of People’s Action and Secretary/Commissioner dealing with the Rural Technology (CAPART) has been Programme monitors its implementation. set up to encourage participation of The actual execution of the Programmes voluntary agencies in rural development takes place at the District/Village level and also to provide financial assistance to through DRDAs, Panchayati Raj them in their rural development projects. Institutions (PRIs) and other CAPART directly deals with voluntary implementing Agencies, who monitor the agencies and their projects. execution of the programmes at the grass National Institute of Rural root level. Development NIRD is engaged in In order that the programme planning and coordination of national implmentation reflects the needs and level training. For state and district level aspirations of the local people the training, assistance is given to State Panchayati Raj Institutions are Institutes of Rural Development (SIRD) considered as an important tool for the and Extention Training Centres (ETC) implementation of the programmes of the respectively. National Rural Road Ministry. As a step toward Development Agency (NRRDA) recently decentralization of the planning process registered under society registration Act, and implementation of the programmes, 1860, extends support to the Pradhan strengthening of the Panchayati Raj Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to Institutions has been envisaged through advice on technical specification, project the Constitutional (73rd) Amendment appraisal, appointment of part time Act, 1992 and with the passage of this quality control monitors, and Act, constitutional status has been management of Monitoring system and provided to the Panchayati Raj submits periodic reports to ministry. Institutions (PRIs). Therefore, under most of the rural development programmes, a crucial role has been nformation technology or IT has assigned to PRIs for programme become the buzzword in India these days. implementation. Sustained efforts are One hears about it everywhere – from being made to strengthen local stock markets to government corridors governance, institutionalizing people’s across the country. Everybody wants to participation and empowering women do something connected with IT – be it a through PRIs. The State governments school student or a politician. They are International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] looking at IT as the ultimate panacea. India is a nation of villages. The rural The ever- growing media attention on mass in the nation comprises the core of success stories are fuelling this appetite Indian society and also represents the for IT. And within this craze for IT, the real India. According to the Census Data focus is on the internet or the World 2001, there are 638,387 villages in India Wide Web. Generally, there is an IT – that represent more than 72 per cent of friendly atmosphere in the country. the total population. So development of these rural mass is one of the key areas of One of the key components of consideration in the government policy improving socio-economic status of people formulation. Rural Development which is in villages is to ensure that their products concerned with economic growth and find right kind of markets and reach social justice, improvement in the living these markets in minimum time without standard of the rural people by providing number of middle men involved in it. The adequate and quality social services and reach of IT in rural areas will provide minimum basic needs becomes essential. unique opportunities to producers of The present strategy of rural rural products, agriculture/agro- development mainly focuses on poverty processing products, rural handicrafts alleviation, better livelihood etc. to have direct access to markets. opportunities, provision of basic Internet will enable advertising of rural amenities and infrastructure facilities products produced even in the remotest through innovative programmes of wage villages to global markets. The and self-employment etc. agriculture extension worker can access latest information on farm technology The government of India has started and products, and disseminate the same many programmes aimed at improving to villages. Health care is yet another the standard of living in villages or rural area where IT can play a major role in areas. To build rural infrastructure, the rural areas. Doctor or the paramedic staff government launched a time-bound at the local PHC or sub-PHC can access business plan for action called Bharat latest information about health schemes Nirman in 2005. Under Bharat Nirman, and seek advice from specialists about action is proposed in the areas of Water diseases or ailments they cannot diagnose Supply, Housing, Telecommunication and or treat. The village PC can be used as a Information Technology, Roads, surveillance system for diseases, and Electrification and Irrigation. In view of ultimately as node for tele-medicine. the sheer size and diversity of our country, delivery of governance to the Currently, a number of experiments remote corners in a meaningful and are being attempted to take the PC and locally relevant manner is a huge the Internet to villages. There has been a challenge. The administrative setup has great amount of enthusiasm among evolved by incorporating our age old people. Development of relevant content institutions with the modern democratic in local languages, availability of organs to meet this challenge. computers that can run on low power and sensitization of local government officials To make this challenge easy towards IT can go a long way in u sing IT Panchayati Raj came into existence. for rural development in near future. Panchayats have historically been an integral part of rural life in India, and the International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected]

Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, Information empowerment of land 1992 has institutionalized the Panchayati owners Raj at the Village, Intermediate and the Low cost and easily reproducible data District levels, as the third tier of for reliable and durable preservation governance. In May 2004, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was formed as the Nodal Value addition and modernization in agency looking after the empowerment of land administration Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country. The use of information - Integration with other data sets communication technology has made this towards comprehensive LIS challenge more convenient.

The National e-Governance Plan of There have been several Indian Government seeks to lay the initiatives by the State and Central foundation and provide the impetus for Governments to meet the various long-term growth of e-Governance within challenges facing the agriculture sector in the country. The plans seeks to create the the country. The Agriculture MMP has right governance and institutional been included in NEGP in an effort to mechanisms, set up the core consolidate the various learning from the infrastructure and policies and past, integrate all the diverse and implement a number of Mission Mode disparate efforts currently underway, and Projects at the center, state and upscale them to cover the entire country. integrated service levels to create a The online services include up to the citizen-centric and business-centric Panchayat level. environment for governance. The Panchayat represents the The Computerization of Land first-level of government interaction for Records (CLR) is one of the earliest over 60 per cent of the Indian populace, initiatives of e-Governance in India, at and provides a large number of basic the grass-roots level. The focus of the services for millions of citizens living in entire operation has always been to rural locations across the nation. It is employ state of the art Information against this backdrop that the Panchayat Technology (IT) to galvanize and MMP has been included in NeGP. The transform the existing land record system MMP aims to address and overcome the of the country. typical challenges faced in the villages, such as lack of reliable communication This web enabled service would aim at: infrastructure, delay in delivery of Ensuring efficient, accurate, services to citizens, low revenue mobilisation for implementing schemes at transparent delivery mechanism and conflict resolution in ownership the Gram Panchayat level, and lack of monitoring mechanisms for schemes. Providing electronic record of rights The MMP envisages implementation of (ROR) to land owners at nominal various modules across the services and rates International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] management functions within Gram bonded labourers and non-SC/ST Panchayat, such as the following: categories in construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing Issue of trade licences and NoC unserviceable kutcha houses by providing House-related services grant-in-aid. From 1995-96, the IAY benefits have been extended to widows or Issue of certificates of Birth and next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in Death, Income and Solvency action. Benefits have also been extended Dissemination of internal process of to ex-servicemen and retired members of Panchayat agenda, voting, and the paramilitary forces as long as they resolution fulfill the normal eligibility conditions of the Indira Awaas Yojana. Copy of proceedings of Gram Sabha and Action Taken Report (ATR) Receipt of funds/progress report CAPART was formed by amalgamating two agencies, the 'Council Dissemination of BPL data for Advancement of Rural Technology' (CART) and People's Action for Development in India (PADI). CAPART is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, and is functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development, The Mahatma Gandhi National Government of India. This agency is a Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 major promoter of rural development in (MGNREGA) aims at enhancing the India, assisting over 12,000 voluntary livelihood security of people in rural organisations across the country in areas by guaranteeing hundred days of implementing a wide range of wage-employment in a financial year to a development initiatives. rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.The Central government in association with the state governments The National Social Assistance has been adding different e-governance Programme (NSAP) which came into initiatives in this scheme. effect from 15th August, 1995 represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of With a view to meeting the the Constitution. The programme housing needs of the rural poor, Indira introduced a National Policy for Social Awaas Yojana (IAY) was launched in May Assistance for the poor and aims at 1985 as a sub-scheme of the Jawahar ensuring minimum national standard for Rozgar Yojana. It is being implemented social assistance in addition to the as an independent scheme since 1 benefits that states are currently January 1996. The Indira Awaas Yojana providing or might provide in future. aims at helping rural people below the poverty-line belonging to SCs/STs, freed International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected]

objective of the Rural Business Hubs, initiative aimed at moving from more livelihood support to promoting rural The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak prosperity, increasing rural non-farm Yojana (PMGSY) is launched by the incomes and augmenting rural Government. of India to provide employment. connectivity to unconnected rural habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy. Government of India is The Backward Regions Grant Fund endeavouring to set high and uniform (BRGF) is designed to redress regional technical and management standards and imbalances in development. The fund will facilitating policy development and provide financial resources for planning at State level in order to ensure supplementing and converging existing sustainable management of the rural developmental inflows into 250 identified roads network. districts, so as to: Bridge critical gaps in local infrastructure and other development requirements that are not being Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar adequately met through existing Yojana (SGSY) is to bring the assisted inflows. poor families (Swarozgaries) above the Poverty Line by ensuring appreciable Strengthen, to this end Panchayat sustained level of income over a period of and Municipality level governance time. This objective is to be achieved by with more appropriate capacity inter alia organizing the rural poor into building, to facilitate participatory Self Help Groups (SHGs) through the planning, decision making, process of social mobilization, their implementation and monitoring, to training and capacity building and reflect local felt needs, provision of income generating assets. Provide professional support to local The SHG approach helps the poor to bodies for planning, implementation build their self-confidence through and monitoring their plans. community action. Interactions in group meetings and collective decision making enable them to identify and priorities their needs and resources, this process ultimately leads to the strengthening and socioeconomic empowerment of the rural The National Spatial Database poor as well as improve their collective (NSDB) project aims at creation of bargaining power. Spatial Database up to the village level and is being carried out to bring together many existing Geospatial datasets. It was Rural Business Hubs (RBH) is created and maintained to define aimed to eradicate rural poverty and common standards. The National create employment opportunity in rural Geospatial Framework, consisting of India. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj referencing system, is built around the has adopted the goal of "Haat to Standard datasets with appropriate Hypermarket" as the overarching Institutional arrangements and International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] information developed for administrative wise, Zilla Parishad-wise status report for boundaries viz. State, District, up to Watershed Programmes Monitoring Village locations. Information System. Under this system a list of all the projects and their fund- Efforts on the National Spatial releases, sanctioned for the concerned Data Base (NSDB) development have district, is presented to the authenticated been underway for quite some time with DRDA/ZP. The DRDA/ZP officials may objective to meet requirements in various compile QPR as per DoLR format by sectors. This work has been initiated simply filling the related quarter's data of around a standard reference framework progress made. at 250,000 scale. The spatial database creation up to the village level, as a point The prepared QPR may then be printed feature, has been completed. A number of and used for the purposes of circulation NIC state units that include and/or documentation. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Assam, process will maintain all the QPRs & Punjab, Karnataka, Haryana, Tamil projects in arranged order; and these will Nadu and Goa have extensively remain available on web for quick contributed in development of data at reference. Online Monitoring of water village levels. supply and rural sanitation: Online Monitoring of water supply and rural sanitation is a web based system for capturing the water supply sources and systems in the rural habitations of the A transaction level work flow- country. based system for the NREGA is being It also enables entry of urban water implemented at Block/Gram Panchayat supply schemes which supply water to level across the country except in Andhra rural habitations. The endeavor is to Pradesh. Panchayat Directory: generate a database of all water supply Panchayat Directory is a database of sources along with their locations and summary report on different Panchayats water quality parameter test reports. across the country. Online Monitoring of Monthly Progress Report of Ministry of Rural Development: The online monitoring system is helpful in tracking Every year the Nirmal Gram Monthly Progress Report for different Puraskar awards are given to those rural development projects. It is also Gram Panchayats which have achieved provide data by State and District wise. 100% sanitation coverage and can be State and District level Vigilance taken as ideal. This prestigious award is Monitoring system is also available. given away by His/Her Excellency, the Online Submission of Proposal: Online President of India to these Panchayats. Submission of Proposal on schemes like This has gone a long way in promoting NREGA, Rural Housing, SGSY, by sanitation and hygiene practices among District level authorities. the rural people by bringing about Watershed Programmes changes in the cultural practices. The Monitoring Information System: Fund online system for NGP is a web based release information, District-wise, State- system for capturing the complete International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] workflow right from the acceptance of The second tier consists of the data applications, the various stages of servers and the application servers. The processing of these applications and the third tier comprises of Departmental awarding of the Panchayats. servers as the backend in the concerned departments (Electricity, Municipality, Passport Office, Transport Department, Registration, Commercial Tax, etc). Total Sanitation Campaign is a These servers keep consolidated comprehensive programme to ensure databases. Presently, eSeva is providing sanitation facilities in rural areas with 'One-stop-shop' for over 66 G2C and B2C broader goal to eradicate the practice of services in 46 eSeva centres in the twin open defecation. TSC as a part of reform cities and Ranga Reddy district. Centres principles was initiated in 1999 when have also been opened in 20 other Central Rural Sanitation Programme was districts. The services include online restructured making it demand driven payment of utility bills, issuing and people centered. It follows a principle certificates, issuing licenses & permits, e- of "low to no subsidy" where a nominal forms etc. Payments can be made by subsidy in the form of incentive is given cash/cheque/DD/credit card/Internet. to rural poor households for construction of toilets. TSC gives strong emphasis on Information, Education and Communication (IEC), Capacity Building APSWAN - Andhra Pradesh State and Hygiene Education for effective Wide Area Network is an initiative by the behaviour change with involvement of state Information and Technology PRIs, CBOs, and NGOs etc. department. It includes: Facilitates e-Governance, to improve services to the citizens through This project is designed to efficient and transparent provide 'Government to Citizen' and 'e- administration. Business to services'. Originally, it was implemented in the form of the Twin Catalyzes IT development in the Cities Integrated Network Services State by facilitating "Anytime, (TWINS) project in 1999 in the twin Anywhere" service. cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Acts as the basic information The highlight of the eSeva project is that highway for all IT related all the services are delivered online to applications of the Government. consumers/citizens by connecting them to the respective government departments and providing online information at the Rural Development in India is point of service delivery. The network one of the most important factors for the architecture is designed as an Intranet on growth of the Indian economy. The a Wide Area Network (WAN).The Ministry of Rural Development in India is network is designed in three tiers, 38 the apex body for formulating policies, each tier being physically located in regulations and acts pertaining to the different places. The first tier for the development of the rural sector. Rural client-end is located at the eSeva centres. development in India has witnessed International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.3, Issue-1(2), January, 2016 Impact Factor: 3.075; Email: [email protected] several changes over the years in its in Regional Development". Regional emphasis, approaches, strategies and Studies 43 (10): 1237–1244. programmes. A large number of 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_d governments, public and private non- evelopment government organizations are involved in developing technologies for rural areas. 8. http://planningcommission.nic.in/pla IT can be better applied to enhance the ns/stateplan/sdr_punjab/sdrpun_ch5. rural development, improve the pdf standards of living as a whole, with 9. http://www.anmolpublications.com/r concerns for commitment in health, ural-development/rural- education, and governance. The time to development-2.html act to support Internet knowledge and communication systems in developing 10. http://www.dst.gov.in/about_us/ar01- countries is now. Today we truly live in a 02-sp-science_technology.htm global village, but it is a village with elite 11. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~asmayer/r information "haves" and many ural_sustain/intro/Module1c.pdf information "have-nots." With the new technologies available to us we have an 12. http://www.satishserial.com/issn0972 opportunity to change this. -9348/finaljournal07.pdf 13. http://drd.nic.in/ 1. Hudson, H (2004): "Information 14. http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2000/fau Technology: Challenges for g2000/f030820002.html Development" Agricultural 15. http://www.archive.india.gov.in/citiz Information Development Bulletion en/graminbharat/graminbharat.php? Vol. 2294): 2-4. id=7 2. Karnik, K (2003): Emerging 16. http://www.slideshare.net/manishku Communication Secenario, marsinha2/rural-development-ppt Mainstgream. Vol. 44(38) 9-14. 17. http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?i 3. Moseley, Malcolm J. (2003). Rural d=1066321 development: principles and practice (1. publ. ed) London: SAGE. p. 5. ISBN 0-7619-4766-3 4. Rural development research: a foundation for policy (1. publ. ed) Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Greenwood Press. 1996. ISBN 0-313-29726-6 5. Sivakumar,P.Sethuraman (1998): NITs a boon for farmers” published in COMMUNICATOR, April-June, 1998 Vol.32, No 6. Ward, Neil; Brown, David L. (1 December 2009). "Placing the Rural