Governance and development of rural India

The author, born in 1941, was commissioned in the Army (7th Bn The Jat Regiment) on 30th June, 1963 where he got full opportunity to see active military service for about twenty years including actual battle experience of Indo Pak war of 1965 and counter insurgency operations in Nagaland and Manipur during 1969-72. Military service also gave an opportunity to study the socio-economic life of the people living in various parts of the country starting from Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Maharashtra including life in metropolitan cities like Mumbai. After having experienced the most satisfying profession of soldiering, the author decided to proceed on premature retirement which enabled him to acquire necessary knowledge of civil service in Uttar Pradesh state from 1983 to 1999. Physical knowledge of land and the people, practical experience of both military

and civil service has been the major contributing factor which helped the author to write many useful articles and books related to soldiering, social welfare, planning and socio-economic development. His first book "Guide to Garhwal and Kumaon Hills (now) Uttarakhand state) containing comprehensive socio-economic, cultural and historical survey was published in 1982 and a revised edition in 2001. His second book titled Selfless Soldiering' was published in 1985 which was described as an honest appraisal of profession of Arms. Having seen closely the status of present day civil administration, the service conditions of the people from rural areas particularly those serving in the Armed and Paramilitary forces-the author was able to write four more books for the welfare of soldiers and other citizens both in Hindi and English language. While implementing the welfare programmes of the government in Uttar Pradesh (1983-99), the author got

an opportunity to study the basic problem of poverty, planning and development in the light of changing socio

economic conditions of the people particularly those living in rural and hilly areas in various parts of the country. The

concern of the author finally resulted into a research study project undertaken on 'Poverty Planning and

Development' which was sponsored by the Planning Commission Government of the India, completed in November,

2003 and published in 2006.

The study project report on 'Poverty Planning and Development' concluded that even after understanding the issues related to poverty, planning and development-not much will change unless the quality of governance is improved. As a result of this, study project on 'Governance and Development of Rural India' was undertaken which was also sponsored by the Planning commission, Government of India and completed in August, 2010. The study project succeeded in identifying governance issues related to all sectoral programme and agencies directly involved in development of rural India. Each programme formulated for the socio-economic development of rural masses have been reviewed and discussed in this study report with particular reference to perspective plan at national level, policy framework and implementation of all welfare and development programme and schemes by various authorities designated to oversee at the level of state and below up-to village Panchayat level.

Like earlier study on 'Poverty Planning and Development this is also the first study ever carried out by any scholar which can be described purely empirical Le. research study based on experience and observations covering a period of 20 years. Research studies should be a fact finding mission, rationally analysed and presented as such like the present study report on 'Governance and Development of Rural India', which is sure to prove extremely useful for all agencies at all level involved in local area planning for development of hilly and rural India.