Gist of Kurukshetra December 2023 Issue: Self-Reliant Villages

Kurukshetra Magazine is a vital source of study material for the UPSC IAS exam. It is a monthly magazine that gives information about important government schemes and programmes in various sectors. Kurukshetra is an authentic source of information for the UPSC Exam. Here, we provide the Gist of Kurukshetra, exclusively for the IAS Exam.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Aspirational Districts and Block Programme
2. Lab to Land - Empowering Farmers Technically
3. Sustainable Industries: The Backbone of Self-reliant Villages
4. Accelerating Economic Growth in Villages
5. Need of Making Villages Aatmanirbhar

1. Aspirational Districts and Block Programme

• NITI Aayog launched the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) in 2018 with an emphasis on improving governance at the grassroots level. 
• The initiative focuses on 112 Aspirational Districts (AD) across 27 states, chosen based on the incremental progress made across 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under 5 broad socio-economic themes: 
  • Health and nutrition, 
  • Education, 
  • Agriculture and Water Resources, 
  • Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and 
  • Basic Infrastructure.

Innovative and collaborative approach:

• The Aspirational District Programme (ADP) is built on a competitive and cooperative federalism model, striving for improved governance to accelerate and ensure inclusive human development. It relies on evidence-based policy interventions through data-driven governance. 
• Three key interventions of ADP: 
  • Grassroots-level participation in designing integrated local action plans to address specific development gaps.
  • Outcome-based evaluation of programmes.
  • Leveraging technology for continuous monitoring and healthy competition. 
• The program prioritises basic services like pucca houses, all-weather roads, electricity, tap water connections, and financial inclusion to improve living standards, health, and overall well-being.

Read more on the Aspirational Districts Programme in the link.

Success factors of the Aspirational District Programme (ADP)

• Positive nomenclature: The selected districts are termed “aspirational” to instil a sense of positivity within the district administration and among the people.
• Prioritisation: Aspirational districts were selected based on priority socio-economic indicators.
• Innovation in governance to tackle traditional challenges: The program encourages innovative governance approaches to address long-standing challenges.
• Competitive and cooperative federalism: Robust monitoring and data-driven governance are employed, with Aspirational Districts ranked according to improvements in socio-economic indicators, fostering healthy competition.
• Horizontal convergence and collaboration: Various departments and civil society organisations collaborate horizontally to ensure effective implementation.
• Vertical collaboration: Prahari officers have been appointed for each Aspirational District, acting as a bridge between central and state departments, and district administration.
• Peer learning and behavioural change: The initiative promotes peer learning and behavioural change through the sharing and benchmarking of best practices.

Aspirational Block Programme

• The Aspirational Block Programme (ABP) was launched in January 2023 to enhance the focus on localised planning, aiming for 100 per cent saturation of schemes in the most underdeveloped blocks of India. 
• An inter-ministerial committee has selected 500 ABs across 31 states and Union territories.
• The main strategy of ABP is to strengthen basic service delivery through improved governance and implementation at the grassroots level, ensuring both social and regional development.
• ABP is designed to ensure that the benefits of development reach marginalised and vulnerable sections of the population. 
• It adopts customised approaches instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, accommodating the specific needs of each region
• Approaches of ABP:
  • Capacity building: ABP focuses on enhancing the capacity of block-level officials, ensuring effective and accelerated implementation of schemes.
  • Block development strategy: The program employs a block development strategy that involves conducting a SWOT analysis. This helps in identifying and maximising strengths and opportunities, while simultaneously addressing weaknesses and threats.
  • Knowledge portal: A dedicated knowledge portal is established for the documentation and dissemination of best practices. This facilitates the sharing of successful approaches and lessons learned.
  • Institutional support: ABP provides institutional support to assist both block and district administrations in the seamless implementation of the program.

Conclusion: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has lauded the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) as a successful model of local area development aligned with the principle of “leave no one behind.” The combined efforts of ADP and ABP will set the groundwork for socio-economically self-reliant villages and contribute significantly to the realisation of an “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).

2. Lab to Land – Empowering Farmers Technically

• The ‘Lab to Land’ program, initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), focuses on leveraging modern information and communication technologies to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness in agriculture. This initiative is actively implemented through the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) across the country.
• The primary objective of the program is to facilitate the swift transfer and diffusion of new technologies, ensuring sustainable food production, improved farming practices, and increased profitability for farmers. 

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE)

• The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) is implemented by the Extension Division of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• It focuses on creating awareness and enhancing the use of appropriate technologies in agriculture and allied sectors. 
• Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms: The scheme aims to make extension systems farmer-driven and farmer-responsible by transferring technology to farmers through the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at the district level. 
• Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension: It utilises the nationwide infrastructure and networks of All India Radio and Doordarshan to disseminate the latest farm practices among rural masses. 
  • The Kisan Call Centres, launched in 2004, provide a platform to address farmers’ queries through telephone calls.
• Scheme for the establishment of Agri-clinics and Agribusiness: It aims to harness the expertise of a large pool of agricultural graduates by offering them gainful opportunities for self-employment.

Krishi Vigyan Kendras

• ICAR initiated Krishi Vigyan Kendras in 1974 for the transfer of agricultural technologies and knowledge to farmers. 
• KVKs are the sole institutions at the district level that function as knowledge and resource centres, facilitating a two-way link between farmers and researchers.
• The primary mandates of KVKs include:
  • Conducting on-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies.
  • Carrying out frontline demonstrations to establish the production potential of technologies in fields.
  • Capacity building of farmers and officials.
  • Serving as knowledge and resource centres.
  • Providing farm advisories to farmers.
• Common Service Centers (CSCs) in rural areas have been connected with KVKs to offer technological solutions to farmers seeking assistance with agriculture-related issues. 
• KVKs are actively engaged in awareness campaigns against stubble burning.

Other initiatives:

• Agricultural Technology Information Centers (ATICs) serve as single-window delivery systems, offering technology, information, advisory services, and technological inputs to farmers. They provide essential services such as soil health cards, mobile agro advisories, and extension programs.
• KSHAMTA (Knowledge Systems and Homestead Agricultural Management in Tribal Areas) was launched to enhance agricultural production in tribal areas, with the support of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
• ‘Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav’ (My Village, My Pride) is an initiative by ICAR, where groups of scientists identify or adopt villages for the dissemination of technologies and information to farmers.
• Farmer FIRST (Farm, Innovations, Resources, Science, and Technology) organises participatory demonstrations on farmers’ fields to showcase different technologies.
• ARYA (Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture) aims to create job opportunities in rural areas by skilling and training youth in various agro-enterprises.
• NICRA (National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture) aims to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices.
• Student READY (Rural and Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) exposes undergraduate students in agriculture to farm realities, helping them understand specific problems and enabling them to tackle them independently.
• Atal Tinkering Labs is connected with KVKs and ATMAs to promote innovations in the agriculture sector among school students.
• mKISAN portal aims for the quick transfer of knowledge to farmers. Farm advisories are shared with farmers in the form of text or voice messages in their preferred language.
• Kisan Suvidha app focuses on disseminating information on critical parameters such as weather, market prices, plant protection, and farm machinery. It is a multilingual app that helps farmers make informed decisions for better productivity and profitability.

3. Sustainable Industries: The Backbone of Self-reliant Villages

• Sustainable industries not only provide economic opportunities but also help in safeguarding the environment while empowering the local community.
• The endurance and thriving capacity without depletion of the resources they are based on define sustainable industries. These industries prioritise long-term economic as well as environmental well-being.
• The economic landscape of a region is shaped significantly by the contribution of sustainable industries. These industries create jobs, attract investments, and generate income for local communities. Some examples of such industries are eco-friendly tourism, agro-based businesses, renewable energy initiatives, and more.
• Atmanirbhar villages or self-reliant villages is a visionary approach towards community development. Self-sustaining local economies is the objective of such communities.
  • In addition to economic self-sufficiency, several other areas such as sustainable development, resource utilisation efficiency, skill development and entrepreneurship, infrastructure development, preservation of culture, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability are also prioritised.
  • Such villages (or communities) that are heavily reliant on traditional sectors such as agriculture and tourism need to diversify economically because they offer stability and growth.
  • For such villages, sustainable industries can provide alternative income sources, provide job opportunities, and foster economic growth and development, along with environmental stability, social stability and well-being.
• Practical applications of sustainable industries can be understood in the context of Jammu and Kashmir. Some of the growing sectors are discussed below.
  • Homestays: They provide visitors with opportunities to have a closer look at the local culture, traditions, and daily life of the people. At the same time, they are cost-effective and have a small ecological footprint.
    • Several initiatives of the J&K government such as financial incentives, cheaper loans, training programs on hospitality and skill development on cultural sensitivity, regulatory simplification, infrastructure development, and collaborations with local stakeholders are providing impetus to this industry.
    • The use of technology such as social media and word of mouth has also played a key role in popularising.
  • Pencil industry: Exquisitely crafted pencils known for their top-notch quality, exquisite designs, and cultural significance, created from fragrant cedarwood are the hallmark of the Kashmiri pencil industry.
    • Oukhoo, the ‘Pencil Village of India’ is a village with 17 units and 4,000 employees that has contributed to India’s self-reliance on pencils reducing the need for importing pencil wood. It has been mentioned in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by the Prime Minister of India.
  • Saffron cultivation: For centuries, saffron has been cultivated in the valley in an environmentally friendly, low-impact, traditional manner. It is well-suited to the region’s climate and requires minimal pesticide and fertiliser use. It is a valuable cash crop due to its high value in domestic as well as international markets.
    • The National Saffron Mission was launched by the government in 2011 to promote the cultivation of the product.
  • Handicraft and Handloom industry: At present, around 3.5 lakh artisans are working on various crafts across J&K.
    • ‘Wool Processing, Handloom, and Handicrafts Policy-2020’ has been launched by the Government of J&K in recognition of the importance and potential of the handicraft and the handloom sector.
    • Srinagar has also been recognized as a UNESCO Creative City Network for arts and crafts. It provided J&K’s handicrafts with global recognition and a global stage to showcase them.
  • Cricket Bat industry: Mainly located in the southern parts of Pulwama and Anantnag where the lush, wet highlands provide the necessary environment for a specific willow tree whose wood is sought after for making high-quality cricket bats. This region has around 200 bat manufacturing units employing around 50,000 individuals.
    • The female cultivar of the white willow tree is preferred for cricket bat production due to its characteristics such as lightweight and ability to absorb shock.
  • Agro-processing: It adds shelf life to perishable agricultural goods such as Apples, Saffron, and Walnuts, some of the major products of Kashmir. It also adds value to these products, additionally.
    • This sustainable industry holds the potential to become the cornerstone of self-reliance for J&K.
• Development of sustainable industries in J&K provides challenges such as skill development, infrastructure development, financial resources, marketing, development of regulatory frameworks, and more which need to be overcome to unlock its full potential.

4. Accelerating Economic Growth in Villages

• The idea of self-sufficiency in Indian villages was first propounded by Sir Charles Metcalfe in 1830. Mahatma Gandhi later conceptualised Gram Swaraj, envisioning a self-sufficient village realistically.
• Villages constitute the lifeline of India, hosting 65% of the country’s population and contributing 25-30% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Additionally, 47% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.
• According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), developing countries with rapid agricultural growth experience the most significant reduction in poverty rates and the incidence of undernourishment. A 1 per cent increase in agricultural growth, on average, leads to a 2.7% increase in the income of people in developing countries.

Financial Support in Rural Areas

• According to the IFPRI study on the prioritisation of investment opportunities, investments in education and health in rural areas significantly contribute to reducing poverty and increasing agricultural growth.
• The government has increased the allocation of funds to the Ministry of Rural Development in the Financial Year 2023-24. This ministry implements various schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Gramin).

Skill Building in Rural Areas

• The government is implementing three schemes for employment generation:
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): Provides employment opportunities to unskilled workers.
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalaya Yojana (DDU-GKY): Targets rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families aiming to provide skill development opportunities.
  • Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs): Focuses on promoting self-employment among unemployed rural youth living below the poverty line. It also includes periodic skill upgradation to keep them abreast of the latest technologies.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is designed to provide skill-based training to rural youth.
• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) aims to generate self-employment opportunities by establishing micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.
• Vibrant Villages Programme aims towards boosting infrastructure development and livelihood opportunities in villages along the northern borders.

Need for Micro, Small and medium Scale industries for Non-Farm Sector Jobs:

• Growth in rural areas should be driven by agriculture-based industrialisation, gradually shifting to the non-farm sector. 
• Out of the 63.4 million MSMEs across India, 51.25 per cent are in rural areas, and 48.75 per cent are in urban areas.
• MSMEs can absorb surplus labour and alleviate the problem of disguised unemployment in rural areas. 
• MSMEs also play a significant role in the development of the secondary and tertiary sectors in rural areas.

Special Focus on Forest Fringe Villages:

• As per the Forest Survey of India (2019), 26 per cent of the total villages in India, which are home to 22 per cent of the population, are forest fringe villages. Between 60-70 per cent of the income of these villages depends on the collection and sale of Minor Forest Produce.
• The Panchayat (Extension of the Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 (PESA 1996) empowers the Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas with the ownership of minor forest produce.
• The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, has vested the right of ownership, and access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce with forest dwellers.
• The Van Dhan Yojana was launched in 2018 with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) as the nodal agency at the national level for the socio-economic development of the tribal population.

Promote Villages as Tourism Hubs

• The travel and tourism industry currently employs 14 million people and is expected to grow at a rate of 2.5 per cent per annum until 2027. 
• Rural tourism has the potential to transform villages into independent micro-economic units, providing farmers with direct access to markets.
• Chitukal village in Himachal Pradesh has been awarded as the best tourism village in India, following the criteria set by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
• With a vast and diverse geographic region, India must create basic infrastructure to develop its villages into tourism hubs.

Smart Villages

• Agriculture in rural areas needs a total revamp with the infusion of smart technologies like Artificial Intelligence, ICT applications, and Big Data Analytics to strengthen a self-sufficient village economy.
• Agritech startups are developing innovative solutions, including precision farming and supply chain management, to improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase the income of farmers.
• ‘Villages of Tomorrow’ is an initiative co-developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with Trendyol (an e-commerce platform) to reduce inequalities and promote gender-sensitive digitalization in rural areas.
• The Agricultural Accelerator Fund was established in the Budget of 2023 to encourage agri-startups founded by young entrepreneurs in rural areas.
• The YONO Krishi app by the State Bank of India is developed to meet the financial, input, and advisory needs of farmers.
• ITC MAARS (Meta Market for Advanced Agricultural Rural Service) was developed by the Indian Tobacco Company for the efficient procurement of Agri products by providing agricultural and related services to farmers digitally.
• The Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) initiative calls for developing urban infrastructure and services in rural areas to create economic opportunities outside of urban areas.

5. Need of Making Villages Aatmanirbhar

In India, more than 70% of the workforce and nearly two-thirds of the population live in rural regions, and hence strengthening the rural economy to achieve self-sufficiency at the village level is crucial. The concept of Aatmanirbhar villages embodies the potential to create opportunities for livelihood and income generation in rural communities. Making villages self-reliant can enhance food security through higher agricultural production and productivity, ensuring a consistent supply of food grains and thus reducing dependence on external sources for essential commodities. 

Employment Opportunities 

• Agriculture also serves as the source of livelihood for a significant portion of the rural population. 70 percent of rural households still depend on agriculture for their livelihood in the country. 
• Agricultural development in rural India has the potential to generate a plethora of employment opportunities, extending far beyond the farming sector. It boosts job creation in associated fields like agribusiness, food processing, and allied sectors. 
  • In addition to having the potential to strengthen rural communities locally, diversification of the rural labour market is essential in restricting the flow of people from rural to urban areas, which in turn helps to mitigate urban overcrowding and unemployment and promotes a more stable and sustainable socioeconomic environment. 

Sustainable Development 

• The promotion of self-reliance in villages serves as a catalyst for eco-friendly practices. Villages can adopt eco-friendly and regionally appropriate solutions for water, energy, and waste management, thus making a significant contribution to environmental conservation.

Role of Women 

The empowerment of women is essential for attaining self-sufficiency at the village level and fostering comprehensive socio-economic national development. Agricultural development initiatives should encompass measures promoting gender equality and provisions for women’s access to education, health, land, and credit, enabling them to actively participate in farming and decision-making.

Present Status 

• Currently, India has emerged as a prominent producer and a prominent net exporter of agricultural products, occupying seventh position in the world. 
• The import portfolio of agricultural goods in India encompasses a wide variety of agricultural and allied products, such as cereals & cereal preparations, edible oils, unprocessed cashew nuts, raw wool, raw cotton, raw jute and fertilisers. 
• The major export destinations of India’s agriculture and allied products are Bangladesh, China, Iran, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the UK, the USA, the United Arab Emirates, etc. 

Government Initiatives 

Realising the significance of achieving the goals of Aatmanirbhar Villages, the Government of India has launched many schemes and programmes.  The focus has been on raising productivity, cutting costs, and diversifying towards high-value agriculture crops by introducing supply chain reforms, a streamlined and rational tax system, etc.

• In 2020, the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, (Self-Reliant India Movement) was announced by the Government of India primarily focusing on promoting local products. 
• The Government of India’s flagship scheme, the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a pan-India electronic trading platform for agricultural products was launched in 2016, completely funded by the Central Government and implemented by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC). It provides better marketing opportunities for the farmers to sell their produce through an online competitive and transparent price discovery system and ensures fair prices based on the quality of their produce. 
• The Union Government, in 2021, launched a new central sector scheme to form and promote 10,000 new Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) in the country by 2027-28. FPOs are specialised organisations created by primary producers, including small and marginal farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen, etc. Under the scheme, the formation and promotion of FPO are based on the produce cluster area approach and a specialised commodity-based approach. 

Way Forward

• An appropriate policy coupled with a strong strategy to strengthen the rural non-farm sector deserves to be the top priority. 
• It is imperative to adopt a comprehensive strategy for strengthening rural infrastructure, supporting local entrepreneurs, establishing agro-based and cottage industries, and ensuring easy access to finance.
• Expanding digital literacy, encouraging community participation, facilitating financial inclusion, and improving access to markets are crucial.