Written by Oishi Sen
Before starting our article on Community Development in India 2023, it is very important for the readers to be well versed in the idea of community development. So, community development is the process of making a community better by working together. It involves people joining hands to solve problems, improve life, and create positive changes. It is democratic in nature, i.e., everyone has a say and takes part in making decisions.
All this is aimed at improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural and urban areas. This article explores the history, how it is linked to the Indian Constitution, the objectives, current initiatives, challenges, and future aspects of community development in India.
History of community development in India
● In 1952, the Community Development Program was launched, which focused on building rural infrastructure, promoting agriculture, and improving health-education facilities.
● In 1959, the Panchayati Raj System was introduced to decentralise power and decision making to the grassroots level.
● In 1980, Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP) was introduced to target the poorest households in rural areas. Shortly after during the 2000’s MGNREGA and NRLM community development programs got more prominent which were mainly introduced to promote socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
How Community Development is Linked to the Indian Constitution?
The concept of community development is not explicitly mentioned in the Indian Constitution as a specific term. However, some provisions and principles that are laid down in the Constitution are directly related to community development and the promotion of the social, economic, and political welfare of the people (Rana, Siddhant and Rajpal 2024).
The Preamble of the Indian Constitution emphasises on justice, socio-economic and political equality of status and opportunity. And these objectives align with the goal of community development which aims to promote social justice and inclusivity.
One of the goals of the community development program is the social welfare of the people regardless of the background that they belong from. This objective can be directly connected to Article 38 of the Constitution.
Similarly, Article 39 says that the State will provide adequate means of livelihood for all the citizens, equal pay for equal work, and distribution of resources for the common good.
Article 46 emphasizes that the State shall promote the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of society and protect them from social injustice and exploitation (Rana and Bisht 2023). The Community Development Program also considers this while working on its objectives.
While the Indian Constitution may not use the term “community development” explicitly, its various provisions and principles reflect a commitment to promoting the welfare of all citizens, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable sections of society.
Objectives of the Community Development Program
Community Development Program plays a crucial role in fostering inclusive and sustainable growth, empowering communities, and addressing socio-economic challenges.
By promoting inclusive growth, community development can reduce socio-economic disparities by focusing on and empowering the vulnerable sections of the society. This ensures that the benefits of development are not restricted to the society of the rich but also reach all segments of society.
Community Development targets poverty alleviation by promoting skill development and creating livelihood opportunities thus providing services to uplift the economic conditions of the communities (Dhanaraj and Angadi 2022).
Community Development encourages active community participation and involvement in the decision-making processes as foresighted by the great Mahatma Gandhi in his notorious war cry of “swaraj”, here which took to shape of “Gram-Swaraj”.
It also empowers the communities to take charge of their development leads and greater ownership of the development initiatives. Rural areas are a significant portion of India’s population. Community Development plays an important role in uplifting them as well, by focusing on improving rural infrastructure, education, and health facilities. Along with the empowerment of the communities, women’s empowerment also stands an essential ground.
Community development encourages women to participate and provides them access to education and economic opportunities.
These programs enhance gender equality and improve the status of women in society (Das and Chatterjee 2020). The community development fosters social cohesion and a sense of community belonging, by bringing people together and promoting social harmony which in turn strengthens community ties. They also aim at achieving several other programs like Disaster-Management resilience, Government-NGO collaborations, and Sustainable Urban Development, contributing to the overall growth and well-being of the nation.
Current Initiatives and Challenges
Some of the Major government Initiatives are:
● MGNREGA, also known as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was introduced in the early 2000’s to encourage rural citizens of work and earn their living, thereby uplifting the rural communities on the economic scale. This act provides a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment in one financial year to the adult members of the rural households, willing to do unskilled
manual work.
● ONGC has implemented more than 4000 projects all over the country in the year 2018-19, in the fields of Health Care, Education, Skill Development, Swachh Bharat and Rural Development. In the field of Healthcare, ONGC has taken up major CSR projects such as, a 300 bed Multi-Speciality for the underprivileged; a Cancer Institute at Nagpur; an exclusive doorstep Medical Treatment for the elderly and other initiatives.
● In the field of Swachh Bharat and Environment Preservation Initiatives, ONGC took the Open Defecation Free (ODF) initiative. It also helped in restoration and beautification of Heritage Structures, such as At Varanasi, 4 ancient Kunds namely DurgaKund, LaxhmiKunds, LatBhairavKund and Karim Kundshave been restored in partnership with NBCC. At Ahmedabad, Siddhi Sayeed Mosque has
been adopted for upkeep and beautification for a period of one year.
Despite significant progress, several challenges persist:
● Poverty and Inequality: A large proportion of the population still lives below the poverty line, which creates a major contrast between the rural and the urban.
● Resource Constraints: Due to the Government’s limited financial and human resources, the effective implementation of community development programs is hindered.
● Cultural Barriers: Deep-rooted social norms and practices sometimes hinder progress, particularly in areas like gender equality and education.
● Environmental Degradation: Unsustainable practices have led to soil erosion, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity, affecting livelihoods.
Public-Private Partnership in Community Development
1. Private Sector Involvement:
(Past) Historically, the private sector had limited involvement in rural development projects due to high perceived risks, low returns, and lack of infrastructure.
(Present) There is a noticeable increase in private sector investment in rural development projects, driven by government incentives, CSR mandates, and the realisation of untapped market potential.
2. Availability of Internet and connectivity:
(Past) Rural areas suffered from poor transportation networks, with inadequate roads, limited access to railways, and almost nonexistent air connectivity.
(Present) Significant improvements in road and highway networks, expansion of rail connectivity, and regional air connectivity schemes (like UDAN) have enhanced access to rural areas. Although development happens in spurts, with business persons often ‘adopting’ certain areas to the mutual benefit of the community and industries. This is prominent in areas such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli, Karnataka, and others.
3. Deficit of Basic Services:
(Past) Healthcare services were sparse in rural areas, with few hospitals and clinics, resulting in poor health outcomes and high infant and maternal mortality rates.
Also, education facilities were underdeveloped, with a lack of qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and high dropout rates among rural children.
(Present) Increased collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers has led to the establishment of more hospitals and clinics in rural areas, improving healthcare access and outcomes.
In the fields of education, Public-private partnerships have resulted in better school infrastructure, digital learning platforms, and improved teacher training, leading to higher literacy rates and educational attainment.
Success Stories and Future Aspects of Community Development
The Government and the Community Development Program in India have worked relentlessly for the betterment and upliftment of the rural communities over the decades (Devi 2024). While challenges remain, success stories can be also noticed.
Some of these success stories are:
● In States like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, Self-help Groups or SHGs have empowered women, improved income levels, and enhanced social status.
● Initiatives like Watershed Management Programs in states like Rajasthan have led to improved water availability and agricultural productivity thus emphasising on being self-reliant and empowering the rural communities.
● Solar and wind energy projects in states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have contributed to sustainable development.
● Businesses adopting places has creating massive employment and brought modern facilities to small towns, villages, and otherwise remote and neglected areas in India. For example, in Hedri, Lloyd’s Infinite Foundation, the CSR arm of Lloyd’s Metals and Energy Limited, has built hospitals, schools, sports training centres, and more. Such stories are common is many parts of India.
Community development still faces problems to this day. To remedy these, the following strategies could be adopted:
● Empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to take a more active role in local development, thus strengthening Local Governance at the grassroots and empowering the active participation and involvement of the community members.
● By leveraging private sector expertise and resources for development projects, we can build public-private partnerships that strengthens the bond between the rural and the urban.
● The skills and capabilities of local communities need to be enhanced through training and education. This way the capacity and the skillset of community members can increase and later be used for their own welfare by providing equal job opportunities and self-earning feats.
● By utilising technology for better implementation of development programs, the community members can be imparted skills to work toe-to -toe with their urban counterparts.
● By ensuring that marginalised and vulnerable groups are included in development processes, the community members can be represented as their individual bodies and encouraging their participation and involvement.
