RURAL INDIA: Issues, Challenges and Solutions with Namita Waikar. (Report)

RURAL INDIA: Issues, Challenges and Solutions
with NAMITA WAIKAR.




Political Science Association In collaboration with the National Service Scheme, Wilson College. 

Time: 5 to 6:30pm.

Date: 4th July 2021.



The village is the cell of the national body, and the cell life must be healthy and developed for the national body to be healthy and developed- Sri Aurobindo. The major problems suffered by the rural people are poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, homelessness, crime, and violence, etc. 


  •      AGRICULTURE: 


Agriculture performs a crucial task and sector in the rural development and also in the Indian Economy, as it adds around 17% to the total GDP and provides employment to over 60% of the Indian population. 70% of its rural households depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The rural economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. Economy liberalization played a major role in reducing a farmer's income, especially for small and marginal farmers.


The challenges faced by the Rural People residing in India:

  1. Lack of good quality seeds for poor farmers.
  2. The problem of irrigation.
  3. Soil erosion.
  4. Agriculture marketing.
  5. Scanty shortage of facilities and transport.
  6. Deficiency concerning resources.
  • 15 Million farmers left agriculture since 1991; agriculture is the main source of income for rural people.
  • Most of the debt borrowed by farmers is health expenses.
  • GDP contribution by agriculture is 18% (2018- 19).

We need to transform our rural areas, restore the land of its rightful owners and significantly grow our agriculture output- Cyril Ramaphosa.

  • Some farmers are protesting against newly passed farm laws.

The speaker also discussed the three laws passed by the government:

  1. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; 
  2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and 
  3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 are the main issue behind farmers' protest.


  • COVID 19 IMPACT ON RURAL AREA:
  • India's rural health has improved since the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission and the Ayushman Bharat Program in 2018.  
  • Lockdown had some disastrous effects on migrant workers, MSME, and industries.
  • The challenges faced by women are complicated, interrelated, and without reviving their cyclic resources. Moreover, without any health crisis like the covid 19 pandemics, but rural women went through many more challenges: 
  1. Lack of education,
  2. Unemployment,
  3. Additional hours consumed upon unpaid domestic work, 
  4. Lack of choice,
  5. Lack of time, etc.
  • Pregnant women who had weaker immune systems developed extensive scarring after getting infected by the virus.
  • Women also played a crucial role in the Rural Economy: farmers, wage earners, etc.
  • TAMIL NADU: KARAGATTAM ARTISTS FROM MADURAI:
  • Karagaatam is an ancient Indian Folk Dance of Tamil Nadu, performed in praise of the rain Goddess Mariamman.
  • The artists from Madurai performing Karagattam dance folk went through various challenges during the lockdown. 

The solutions for these issues discussed during the session are:

  1. Carry their art forward.
  2. Cover these kinds of artists.
  3. Help in generating art- forms.


M.S SWAMINATHAN REPORT (2005-06) - NEVER TABLED OR DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT. 


Other issues related to agriculture are:

a.) November 2018 protest of farmers to Delhi for freedom for the dead.

b.) Asha Workers is a trained female community health activist. Selected from the community itself and accountable to it, the ASHA will be trained to work as an interface between the community and the public health system. At present, there are over 9 Lakh ASHAs. It also helps in health, education, primary healthcare, private hospitals, etc.

c.) The other issue related to crops like cotton and sugar cane cultivation was growing in areas where there was a low water supply. Ex: Marathwada and Vidharbha. 

Similar things are happening in Odissa. There is a cyclic set of problems and issues. Unless time is spent in understanding by the lawmakers.


Pari Website: The speaker shared some of the stories related to farmers:

  1. The Kisan Mukti March in Delhi.
  2. The Swaminathan Commission Report.
  3. The March goes on(Nashik to Mumbai).
  4. Pari's Series on Women's Health.
  5. People Archive of Rural India.


"The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work".


The students also raised a few questions related to the challenges of the rural people:


Q1. How is the employment and migration in Rural India?

ans: a.)Invite people from rural areas of India to address their issues.

b.) Invite a farmer to talk about his/her issue. 

c.) Increase transport, internet, water, employment, etc. in rural India.


Q2. Sanitary in women's health:

ans: a.) Taboos during Mensuration.

b.) Don't have an agency.

c.) Solution: Reproductive, sanitary pads, affordable medical facilities.


Q3. Online Education in Rural India and issues of BPL people:

ans: a.) There are no educational facilities and internet connections.

b.) They should be provided with all the required facilities and a proper internet connection.


Q4. How can we bring justice and the jurisdiction of courts closer to the rural areas?

ans: a.) To build district courts in rural areas.

b.) To see whether people receive justice? Whether the complaints are taken seriously? Is the FIR report filed?

c.) Whether people know the law?


WHAT WE CAN WE DO FOR THEM? HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE RURAL PEOPLE? 

  • START DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, SCHOOL, RURAL FORMS OF RURAL TRIBE PEOPLE IN CURRICULUM.
  • WE ARE A PART OF AN URBAN AREA AND WE ARE STILL UNAWARE OF THE CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS FACED BY THE RURAL PEOPLE.
  • INDIA IS KNOWN AS A LAND OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS AND IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE BACKBONE OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY.
  • INDIAN AGRICULTURE IS DEVELOPING DAY BY DAY, IN SPITE OF ITS DECLINE IN OUR COUNTRY'S GDP SHARE, THE AGRICULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT IT IS PROGRESSIVE. IT HAS REGISTERED IMPRESSIVE GROWTH OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES.


Report Drafted by: Vedanti Patil SYBA.

                                 Rohit Gupta TYBA Political Science.  

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