• Dr. Balkar Singh

This unit comprises of rural society, rural social structure, rural economy and rural-urban linkages. This course also deals with the significance of rural development, the concept of aspiration, factors/determinants of aspirations, concept and types of social mobility in rural India. Unit includes the role of the ICT in the overall rural development. Course while dealing with the agrarian movements, focuses on approaches to the study of agrarian movement, agrarian class and the movement during the pre and post independent India and during the post-liberalization phase in India. Panchayati Raj and Rural Developmental Administration deals with the structure of the institution of local self-government which existed before and after independence also explained in this unit. Rural co-operatives, credit and banking, along with objectives and introduction, deals with the concept and importance of the institution of credit and its evolution, formal and informal systems of credit, NABARD, classification of institutional credit and lending agencies, concept and types of rural co-operatives, functioning co-operatives and the micro-credits are also addressed in this unit.

• Dr. Balkar Singh

This course will make you familiar with the different poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation Programmes that have been carried out in the post-independence period. It also focuses on the world's largest employment generation programme i.e., Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act/scheme. The course comprises the various self-employment and entrepreneurship development initiatives taken in the post-independence period. In the course discusses the different initiatives taken by the government for achieving universal literacy and elementary education, explain various focuses on schemes and programmes related to rural housing, electrification, and energy. The efforts regarding drinking water, sanitation, and rural health care have also dealt with in the unit. It includes the ways and means for the development of special areas, the strategies and programme for the watershed management, the efforts and role of different institutional mechanisms in the direction of social forestry and Joint Forest management and the role of science and technology in the development of rural areas. National Rural Social Assistance programme and other welfare programmes for the rural areas, various aspects of food security, rural livelihood measures and the Aspirational District Programme (ADP), discussion about the different skill development programmes in the rural areas, the details of the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana and Rural Urban Mission included in the unit.

• Dr. Balkar Singh

This block comprises of 4 units and it aims to acquaint the learners with the importance and relevance of planning in Rural Development.

• Dr. Balkar Singh

This course based on Western conception, ‘development’ was for long envisaged merely as economic development, measured by GDP. Through encounters with non-Western societies in the post-World War II era it has evolved into a comprehensive, holistic, dynamic and multi-dimensional concept, referring to expected changes not only in economic arena but also in political and social arenas. Women’s economic status consists of work participation, ownership of landholding and other economic assets and access to livelihood sources and financial services. Awareness of and participation in political activities and decision-making indicates their political status. Though Indian Constitution has guaranteed equality to women, gender gap is still too wide is also discussed in this course. Children population living in rural areas poses distinct challenges for social development in terms of health and nutrition, sanitation, education, rehabilitation of the differently-able, etc are discussed in this course. The programmes like ICDS, Mid-day Meal and various schemes launched specially for promoting education among disadvantaged sections have really changed the children’s scenario points are discuss development of rural children. SCs consisted of untouchable castes with the lowest social rank and STs formed of the communities that existed outside the caste-fold have both historically experienced extreme forms of oppression, exploitation, degradation and inhuman treatment and many related issues are also discussed in this course.

• Dr. Balkar Singh

This course can be seen more as a manifestation of understanding health in rural India. It explains the concept, determinants and dimensions of health. Unit explains the various epidemic episodes in the country also brought reforms in the public health policy, course explain the environmental health and its related issues. Unit also related with the prevailing health practices in rural community. This course will help in building the understanding of health among rural society which in turn depicts the development of public health system in India. This course helps in understanding health care structure of rural India brings the significance for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and also in improving the health status of people. People in different communities, differentiates regarding consumptions of nutritional food, which in turn helps in understanding the nature and status of health seeking behaviour in rural India also discussed in this course. This course also helps in understanding the hygienic practices among the people of rural India and extent of sanitation practices in India is well elaborated here. Course describes the Alma Ata Declaration and the turnaround of events in health sector. It also explains the term primary health care and right to health in terms of its postulates. It explains the role of government organizations in providing holistic healthcare to its population. It also describes non-governmental healthcare initiatives in India. It critically analyses how government and non-government organizations can work together for ‘Health for All.

• Dr. Balkar Singh

Communication is a prerequisite for understanding and communicating about Rural Development in society. Hence, it is important to understand the principles of communication that may be used to connect and engage with Rural Development in society. Communication is the means through which the messages related to Rural Development may be circulated to larger society. Although these means of communications vary from interpersonal to mass media and at present more advanced forms of electronic media

prevalent in society, however, each one of them have different characteristics and function. In this block an attempt has been made to introduce basic concept, principles, approaches and methods of communication. The Block consists of four units.