Contents
Preface
I. Introduction
II.
Rural Scenario
III.
Concept of Rural Development
IV.
Role of Co-operatives in Rural Development in
India
V.
Development of Animal Husbandry
VI.
Distribution of Consumer Articles Through Co-operation
VII.
Promotion of Small Scale Industrial Co-operatives
VIII.
Education and Training Through Co-operatives
IX. Conclusion
Preface
The co-operative movement has a tremendous potentiality to bring about a social change in rural India. But this potentiality is yet to be recognized and explored. This booklet is an outcome of this search and reveals the role of co-operatives in rural development. This booklet gives a comprehensive picture of Indian rural situation, concept of rural development and role of co-operatives in rural development..
Dr. K. T. Chandy, Agricultural & Environmental Education
I. Introduction
About 75% of the Indian population lives in the economically underdeveloped rural areas. At present, they are unable to manage their resources for their development because of malnutrition, illiteracy, ignorance and ill-health. The rural people have developed certain characteristics of their own which mould their life style, and way of work. The primitive method of cultivation, belief in fate, family-centred villages and exploitation by money lenders and outsiders are some of the factors responsible for their under-development. Moreover, the indifferent attitude of urban people and the government has brought these villages to the lowest level of destitution, chronic poverty and indebtedness.
Besides, population has been increasing at a rapid rate, leading to an increased demand for food and other consumer goods predominantly having an agricultural base. This points out the significance of promoting agricultural development. A lot of efforts have been made for achieving the self-reliance in agriculture, but the main drawback with all programmes is the lack of coordination among the various programmes, and disintegrated or individual approach to agricultural development. At this point if anything is to be done to improve the condition of our people, it is the need to formulate an integrated, resource-based rural development approach. Agricultural cooperatives can play a significant role in the whole development. process of agriculture, and rural development.
II. Rural Scenario
Approximately three-fourth of the country's huge population
(84.39 crore as per 1991 census report) lives in 5.75 lakh
villages of varying sizes, environment, resources, demography
and productivity. The density of the population varies from
place to place such as deserts, hills and plains, the average
being 267 persons per square kilometer (1991 census). Agriculture
is the main occupation of the rural people, but most of the
holdings are very small and unconsolidated. It has been estimated
that small owners of farms varying in size, from I to 2 hectare
and marginal farmers owning farms in size below one hectare,
constitute 73% of the total number of the farmers. Thus, Indian
villages are complex in nature and are facing a lot of problems,
viz. poverty, unemployment, low productivity, population explosion,
and wrong policies of the government. These are briefly discussed
here.
A.
Poverty
Poverty is a social phenomenon which denotes that a
section of the society is notable to fulfill even its
basic necessities of life. In order to determine the
extent of poverty, the concept of poverty line has been
used by many economists. They have determined the poverty
line by minimum nutritional levels for subsistence,
then estimated the cost of minimum diet on the basis
of per capita expenditure. Table 1 shows the Indian
population below poverty line in the last few years.
B.
Unemployment
Unemployment is a situation when a person is able and willing
to work, does not get a suitable employment opportunity and
hence is denied access to a source of income
