Rural Development
Dr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, PhD, DhC
Executive President and Chairman of the Board of Governors - International Organization for Educational Development
Mission:
To assist rural masses to improve the economy of farm and non-farm sectors through an integrated community development approach in association with the State Governments.
Vision:
· Freedom from the poverty
· Productive employment that enriches the lives of rural people
· A more diverse agriculture with farms of many sizes producing additional income to many more people
· Close availability of water and sanitation, healthcare, education for economic productivity
· Dignity, safety and security for all including women and access to useful employment, housing and basic facilities of cities, etc.
Challenges:
· Rural population face serious challenges of growing population, low productivity, limited land, water and degradation of natural resources
· Lack of education and training to rural entrepreneurs and farming community
· Transfer of technology at farmer’s door step to achieve productivity and quality to become globally competitive
· Assured remunerative return to their produce
· Total value chain-Post harvesting, handling, marketing information and processing for value addition
Development Strategy:
· The IOED in partnership with the State Governments and other stakeholders will make an attempt in promoting the flow of private sector into agribusiness and rural development
· The IOED will assist and help State Governments to formulate rural development project after completing pre-project activities, advising and preparing a roadmap for the implementation of project
Goals of Rural Development:
· Helping rural masses set the priorities in promoting local economic development
· Increasing access to services through the provision of physical infrastructure, social services such as water, sanitation, health services, schooling, communication, transport, training for skill up gradation, etc.
· Increasing farm and non-farm production thereby increasing the income of rural men and women
· Creating access to information for planning and implementing development projects and programme
Role of the IOED:
· The IOED will assist, guide in developing one Panchayat and a model village under Public-Private-Partnership – PPP through an integrated community development approach as a pilot project for over all development of state through villager’s own participation
· The IOED will ensure and make available the basic inputs/ needs relating to Health, Nutrition, Education and Women rights, etc.
· The IOED will generate sense of responsibility for income generation
· The IOED will motivate and mobilize the rural masses to participate in different types of training program within the project
· The IOED will ensure that each person of the family is involved in developmental process thereby generating additional source of income of the family thus raising the standard of living
· The IOED will enable groups of women, men to take up employment-cum-income generating program of their own
· The IOED will provide support services for further improving training and employment conditions
· The IOED will help to set up Dairying, Small Animal Husbandry, Khadi and Village Industries, Handloom, Handicrafts, Poultry and Social Forestry, value addition, etc as per the requirement and need of the local market
· The IOED will assist State Government in uplifting the existing infrastructure and develop additional, if required
· The IOED will create awareness to essential needs of life like child immunization, maternal and family planning, HIV Aids, Rehabilitation Centre, etc.
· The IOED will create self-confidence in rural women to manage their own institution
· The IOED will assist in setting up a Co-operative Credit and thrift Society to meet the villager’s need
Involvements of Link Agencies:
· In order to achieve the above objectives, various link agencies, voluntary organizations, NRI’s, Government Departments, NGO’s and other organizations / institutions will be involved for their support in the effective implementation of the project
Project Formulation:
· The International Organization for Educational Development – IOED will formulate a final project after completing pre-project activities:
? State Governments consent to kick start these pilot projects.
? Conduct baseline socio-economic survey
? Conduct of bench mark survey
? Developing a data base for measuring the progress
? Nomination of an Advisory Core Group amongst villagers
? Identifying agencies to be involved
? Launching of the project
? Develop trust among the potential members
? Prepare a time bound roadmap for achieving the goal
? Prepare a delivery schedule and move early into action
? Build a village portfolio
? Involve local government / other stakeholders for developing local incubation centre
? Create data bank for rural technologies and services providers, etc.
? Provide specialized training on skill development for self employment
? Proper monthly review and monitoring
? Quantifying the gain
? Completion and closing of the project (18-24 months) or plan another growth cycle
Village as a Growth Centre:
· Centre of the IOED in association with the State Government will demonstrate the state-of-the-art village on the principles of sustainability for a community of approximately 200 household as a ideal village
· This village will be a growth centre as a reference point to cater a cluster of villages within the radius of 10 Kms. Of area
· Glimpse of a Dream Village
· A Rural House with latest facilities with rain water harvesting arrangements
· Basic Facilities with Primary Health Care Centre and Primary School
· Agri-Clinic with latest Technologies
· Growing Organic Vegetables for Export
· A Common place for Cultural Events
· Non-Conventional Energy Centre
· Community-cum-Entrepreneurship Training Centre with latest communication facilities i.e. internet, email, phone, etc.
· An ideal Milk Collection Centre with all milk testing facilities through village co-operative society
· Future Village Pond as Tourist Spot
· Village Pond with Boating Facilities
General Dr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, IPC India