Question

The development of India is in the development of its villages. Describe any five ways of development in rural areas.

Answer 1

1. Housing: The Indian government has prepared an action plan for the development of housing in rural areas. It includes:
   1. Construction of new houses
   2. Upgradation of Kuchcha houses
   3. Subsidy schemes for rural housing
2. Education: While we have international, fully air-conditioned schools in our cities, the schools in villages still don't have benches and chairs, leave alone computers. We have a huge shortage of teachers in rural areas, and the school dropout rate is huge. The government has set the goals for providing education under the following broad headings, i.e., basic education, adult education, and technical and professional education.
3. Medical facilities: While we may have numerous hospitals, nursing homes, and medical facilities in cities, villages neither have health awareness nor health facilities. Many villagers have to flock to cities for even basic treatments. Primary healthcare systems that are practical, community-based, and scientifically sound should be developed and strengthened. To facilitate more equitable access to health facilities, there is a need for organisational restructuring of the national public health initiatives and enhanced health standards.
4. Transport: In cities, we have wide roads, flyovers, and underpasses, while many villages still don't have proper roads. Urban-rural road links can play a vital role in rural growth. To provide rural connectivity in rural areas, the government has launched the Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Its aim is to connect all unconnected habitations with a population of more than 500 persons through good all-weather roads.
5. Electricity: Access to electricity in villages has shown improvement over time. Several government schemes have been put in place to electrify the remaining villages.