Rural development is the cornerstone of sustainable development, and the SDGs recognize its importance. The truth, however, is different in that rural issues tend to take a backseat compared to urban problems. Rural-urban inequality in development and living conditions is leading to migration as a survival strategy for the rural population. Regional inequality is worsening and the need of the hour is to find criteria and measures to overcome this situation. A look at development concerning hard and soft infrastructure is needed to achieve the goal of equitable growth for these long neglected and vulnerable sections of the population, and to strike a balance between urban and rural living conditions.
With more than 60 percent of India’s population living in rural areas, rural development is particularly significant to achieving the goal of sustainable rural development. While sustainable rural development has had increased attention in India, the focus on rural-oriented development policies has still far to go and is a work in progress.
Rural areas continue to lag behind urban areas concerning poverty and food insecurity, lack of employment and income opportunities, healthcare facilities, limited access to social protection, climate change, and environmental degradation. Therefore, migration becomes a deliberate decision for rural people to overcome the challenges they face. Income inequality, disparities in housing, safety, health, and employment, gaps in access to rural education, and barriers to employment and career progression for women are key sources of inequality.
This requires a rebalancing of rural and urban development. A reciprocal relationship constructed on a foundation of equality is the order of the day. Balanced development requires policymakers to appreciate that the close relationship between the two, and urban-rural linkages are key to holistic development. The needs and requirements of both areas are different, however, the interdependence requires each to feed on the other for sustainable rural development.
Summary
While sustainable rural development has received increased attention in India, the focus on rural-oriented development policies still has far to go, and is a work in progress.
What are the factors that lead to the Rural-Urban Gap?
The factors that lead to the rural-urban development divide can be outlined as follows:
1) Limited investment in rural areas
2) Lack of vision in rural development policies or a compartmentalized approach
3) Limited access to urban markets
4) Shrinking demography
5) Social issues
6) Lack of basic infrastructure
Summary
The factors that lead to the rural-urban development divide have been outlined.
Also Read – Women’s Empowerment in Rural India
What are the Urban-Rural Linkages?
Rural and urban areas are interdependent, which holds importance to their respective development in social and economic spheres. These linkages play a crucial role in national development through bi-directional flows of goods and services, information, people, and technology. The development of urban areas is highly dependent on the development of the nearby rural areas.
Urban development in isolation would be unthinkable if the rural areas are neglected physically, socially, and environmentally. For this reason, rural development should be the main agenda in planning for the development of India in general and urban development in particular. The benefit that rural areas gain from urban development should be examined. Urban development in itself is important for rural development, particularly in the context of an underdeveloped economy like India. Mutual benefits are possible for both, but in general, rural development is the precondition for urban development.
The way forward is to appreciate that urban-rural linkages are an important tool in the long-term vision of equitable and holistic development and the effort requires a balanced approach considering their different economic, social, and environmental requirements.
Urban-rural linkage can provide the rationale to identify the need for changes in policy interventions in the following areas:
- Demographic linkage,
- Economic transaction and innovative activity,
- Delivery of public services,
- Exchange in amenities and environmental goods, and
- Multi-level governance interactions.
Summary
Rural and urban areas are interdependent, and this holds importance to their respective development in social and economic spheres. Urban-rural linkages are important tools in the long-term vision of equitable and holistic development.
What are the differing approaches to Urban and Rural Development?
The needs and wants of rural development are different than those required for urban development, and they tend to change across geographies and regions. In a vast and dichotomous country like India, rural development focuses primarily on the development of resources required for day-to-day activities. The primary reason for a limited sectoral approach to rural development stems from an irrational placing of manufacturing facilities, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a host of other problems. Hence the concentration is on electrification, employment, basic healthcare, and water management. A cluster management approach is followed and development work happens for a group or area under one cluster.
In the case of urban development, the focus area shifts to better systems, traffic management, transportation, infrastructure, management of buildings, management of institutions, etc. The attitude, literacy, willingness to change, and flexibility of target audiences in each case is different.
Rural and urban development play complementary roles in overall economic development. While the drivers for both may be different, they must grow and prosper simultaneously for the improvement of the Human Development Index.
Summary
The needs and wants of rural development are different than those required for urban development and tend to change across geographies and regions. It is important to realize that rural and urban development play complementary roles in overall economic development.
Does India need to change its focus?
Mahatma Gandhi said, “India lives in its villages,” which is still true today. While there has been rapid urbanization, rural areas have not reaped the benefits of development. These areas still face issues such as malnourishment, illiteracy, unemployment, and lack of basic infrastructure, i.e., schools, colleges, hospitals, sanitation, etc.
The wide disparity in living conditions is a stark reminder of the contrariety that exists in India, which is one of the fastest growing and largest economies of the world. Indian rural communities need to grow in tandem with urban areas, and the standard of life must improve there for inclusive growth to occur.
Summary
While there has been rapid urbanization, rural areas have not reaped the benefits of development. India’s rural communities need to grow in tandem with the urban areas, and the standard of life must improve for inclusive growth to occur.
To Conclude
While there is no defined criterion for ensuring a balanced urban-rural development, private, nonprofit, and public institutions need to come together on this vexing issue.
Driven by political or financial considerations, the rural development process is sometimes suppressed by urban interest. This rural-urban gap is a long-standing issue in India. For sustainable rural development to occur, rural communities must able to enjoy appropriate public services and infrastructure. Investment in public services and infrastructure in rural areas should be a priority that will contribute to growth in agricultural development and to the development of non-farm sectors.
Successful rural development requires coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, and functioning institutions are fundamental for the future of rural areas. Investing in capacity development at an individual, organizational, and societal level is necessary; and the implementation of policies and strategies will lead to balanced urban-rural development and an integrated approach.
Summary
The rural-urban gap is a long-standing issue in India. Successful rural development requires coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, and functioning institutions are fundamental for the future of rural areas.
S M Sehgal Foundation: The Guiding Light in Sustainable Rural Development
S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) is a sustainable rural development NGO in India established in 1999 as a public charitable trust. It has a skilled and dedicated team that creates sustainable programs to address rural India’s most-pressing needs. These programs are backed by an experienced research team that engages in participatory research, impact assessment, and interactive dialogues to determine informed actions to achieve sustainable results.
S M Sehgal Foundation has five key program areas: Water Management, Agricultural Development, Local Participation and Sustainability, Transform Lives one school at a time, and Outreach for Development.
The pioneering work done by S M Sehgal Foundation in rural development has been recognized over the years. Its grassroots programs and development interventions have already reached three million people across rural India, empowering individuals and communities.
Summary
The pioneering work done by S M Sehgal Foundation in rural development has been recognized over the years. Its grassroots programs and development interventions have already reached three million people across rural India, empowering individuals and communities.
Also Read – Wastewater Management in Rural India
Capacity Building of Farmers Producer Organization
Sangam Samriddhi Farmer Producer Company Limited (an FPO) was set up by the U.P. government in 2014 with 1,000 farmers in eight villages of Pratappur block, Handia town, Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh. Headquartered in the village of Bhelkha, its primary intention was to increase the efficiencies and income of its farmer members.
The bolstering Farmer Producer Organizations Program was implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation with philanthropic grant funding support from the Walmart Foundation. The FPO and S M Sehgal Foundation work together with the idea of achieving the goals of the FPO, including organization and membership sustainability. Areas of cooperation were identified to be the formulation of a business plan, creating forward and backward linkages, and providing guidance on cultivation practices and the participation of women.
With regular village-level meetings, training, and handholding, the project team accelerated work to support farmers to increase their awareness and gradually shift toward more modern and sustainable methods of cultivation. In November 2021, FPO members were provided with technical training on a scientific Package of Practices (PoP) for wheat cultivation, and its demonstrations were set up in the fields of 100 selected farmers, covering fifty acres of land. The project supported the replacement of their poor-quality seeds with better seeds that were appropriate for the area. The sowing was done in lines with proper spacing, using a tractor-driven seed drill, replacing the broadcasting method of cultivation. Along with this, the project team provided regular technical support to farmers on better irrigation practices that also focused on the judicious use of water, effective and timely weeding methods, and the right remedy in the event of pest and disease infestation of the crop, among others.
Other FPO members were influenced by observing the practices used by the selected demonstration farmers, and an additional ninety acres of land were sown with the seed drill instead of the broadcasting method. The results of the new interventions have impressed the farmers. With the current rate of growth of the crops, such as an increase in the number of tillers and the year-head per plant in the demonstration wheat crop, the farmers expect a yield of over 400 kgs from the 0.5-acre plot, as opposed to the earlier average yield of 300–350 kgs when traditional practices were followed.
Regular focused encouragement has been provided to women farmers since the inception of the project through women-exclusive initiatives, including village-level meetings and training. Around twenty women farmers now participate in the project’s women-oriented events, while earlier none were involved in FPO events. This number is expected to rise significantly as more proof of the improvements and advantages of the project initiatives come in.
Summary
Bolstering Farmer Producer Organizations Program is being implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation with philanthropic grant funding support from the Walmart Foundation.
FAQs
The role of a rural development NGO is to improve the livelihoods and lives of the rural communities and families residing in the most impoverished and precarious conditions, with emphasis on the empowerment of women and girls, who have long been disadvantaged. For example, S M Sehgal Foundation, a sustainable rural development NGO in India, has five main programs supported by a skilled research team that engages in participatory research, impact assessment, and interactive dialogues to determine informed actions to achieve sustainable results.
A good rural development NGO promotes sustainable livelihoods by building the capacities of farmers on improved agricultural development practices and use of the latest technologies that increase crop yields, conserve water, and improve soil fertility. The NGOs work with farmers in rain-fed and irrigated areas to facilitate the adoption of advanced agricultural practices including crop production management, soil health management, input-use efficiency, small farm mechanization, horticultural development, water-efficient irrigation techniques, livestock management, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture.
S M Sehgal Foundation partners in the corporate, social sectors, government, academic, and on the ground in rural communities, which are key to the success of its rural development initiatives and consistent growth.
Rural development focuses on the actions taken for the development of rural areas. A few areas that usually demand more attention and initiatives in India are education, public health, sanitation, women’s empowerment, infrastructure development, agriculture research and extension, availability of credit, and employment opportunities. S M Sehgal Foundation, a sustainable rural development NGO in India, engages in five key program areas: Water Management, Agricultural Development, Local Participation and Sustainability, Transform Lives one school at a time, and Outreach for Development.
The most common challenges are illiteracy, unemployment, geographical inaccessibility, lack of infrastructure, malnutrition, transportation, medical facility, and fundamental needs. However, financial constrain, migration for employment, limited access to advanced tools, logistics, traditionalism, and conservatism, are other issues that will be resolved with the solutions mentioned above.
A successful partnership between corporates and NGOs leads to authenticity and commitment in social initiatives, further leading to measurable social impact. The very nature of the status of NGOs is voluntary and nonpartisan. This results in an effective display of transparency and governance. The alignment also leads to enhanced visibility and strengthens trust with businesses, governments, and communities.
Contact us 
Sign up for