Rural development as career option

Ranjan K Baruah *

Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively 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 rural people is a must for the progress of any country. Change in the rural areas and change in the mindset of the people would 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 urbanization 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 an important role in developing rural regions. Rural development is also characterized by its emphasis on locally produced economic development strategies. In contrast to urban regions, which have many similarities, rural areas are highly distinctive from one another.

For this reason there is a large variety of rural development approaches used globally.

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 modernization of village leads to urbanization 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 focussing 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.

Scholarships Updates:

Scholarships for Girls: Applications are invited from girls belonging to minority communities for Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship Scheme for Minorities Girls for the session 2018-19. The scholarship aims to provide tuition fee assistance along with other benefits to the deserving girl students who are unable to support their education due to financial issues. The scholarship is being provided by the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.

Only girl students belonging to Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi communities are eligible for this scholarship. The annual family income of the student should be less than INR 2 lakh. Girl students studying in class 9 to 12 can apply for the scholarship. A student must have secured minimum 50% marks (in aggregate) in the previous class. Aspirants may apply before 15th October.

Fellowship to Outstanding Persons in the Field of Culture: Senior/Junior Fellowship to Outstanding Persons in the Field of Culture 2018-19 invites applications from graduate artists for Senior or Junior Fellowship. The fellowship aims to award those artists who undertake research-oriented projects. The fellowship is being provided by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) under the Ministry of Culture. Last date 16th October