Unit IV
Rural Problems
Challenges in Development of Rural India
Poverty and Inequality:
Agricultural Distress:
Unemployment and Underemployment:
Infrastructural Gaps:
Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss:
Migration and Urbanisation:
Addiction and Mental Health:
Waste Management and Sanitation:
Possible Solutions:
Localized Employment Opportunities:
Curbing Addiction and Substance Abuse:
Balancing Technology Usage:
Comprehensive Waste Management:
Signs of Improvement in Rural Living Standards
Enhanced Housing Infrastructure:
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) provided for availability for rural housing.
Improved Sanitation Facilities:
Over 1 lakh villages declared themselves as ODF (Open Defecation Free) Plus under Swachh Bharat Mission
Grameen (SBM-G)
Extended Electricity Access:
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) launched to enhance rural electrification.
Clean Cooking Fuel Adoption:
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):
Under Ujjwala 1.0, the target was to provide LPG connections to 50 million women from BPL households by March 2020.
Under Ujjwala 2.0, an additional 10 million LPG connections were to be provided to the beneficiaries.
Educational and Social Empowerment:
Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana aims to empower the villagers to make choices and provide them with opportunities to
exercise those choices.
Diversification of Income Sources:
MGNREGA: The primary objective of the scheme is to guarantee 100 days of employment in every financial year to
adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work.
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor
enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial
services.
▪ Other Government Initiatives related to Rural Development:
Public Distribution System (PDS)
Mission Antyodaya
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Urban Problems
Challenges:
Outdated Urban Planning: Plans are not updated to match population growth. Many
displaced industrial workers move to peri-urban slums.
High Slum Population: 40% of India’s urban population lives in slums with poor
sanitation and water access.
Severe Pollution: Delhi NCR has eight of India’s ten most polluted cities, impacting
health.
Climate Vulnerability: Cities face urban flooding and heat island effects.
Governance Limitations: Elected city officials have limited power, with just 0.5% GDP
in transfers.
Rising Inequality: Urban planning focuses on capital growth, leaving millions without
basic housing and services.
Governance Problems:
Lack of Autonomy: Elected city representatives have limited control over urban planning. Urban
governance is often managed by parastatals and private entities, reducing local input and
accountability.
Ineffective Implementation of Laws: Despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment aiming to
empower urban local governments, less than three of the 18 mandated functions have been
effectively transferred to these governments.
Insufficient Funding: Urban local bodies receive only about 0.5% of GDP in intergovernmental
transfers, severely limiting their operational capacity and ability to improve infrastructure and
services.
Overlooked by National Policies: There is a disconnect between national policies and local
needs, leading to inefficient and inadequate urban planning and managemen
