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Transcript

Hello friends. In our last class we discussed about the Nilokheri experiment and Etawah pilot project, which were emphasizing on the development related to agriculture and allied issues and how the changes that occurred. And what are the impact of these programs that we have seen in our last class. In this class we will be discussing about the community development programme which was one of the most ambitious program of the independent Indian Government. So the community development program as the name itself suggests. The unit of development was identified as a block. And how can we bring in the changes, block as a whole, and making it into different units and how the changes can be introduced. So that was the major issue under this programme.

Before we enter into various details of this program let us try to understand the definition of community development. As defined by United Nations in 1956. It is the process by which the efforts of the people themselves are united with those of the governmental authorities, to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of the communities. To integrate these communities into the life of the nation and to enable them to contribute fully for the national progress. The definition seems to be very simple obviously. But what is the message that this definition of community development is giving us. If you look at first part of this definition, which is very very clearly mentioned. That it is not the government which is alone which is responsible for bringing in the change or bringing in the development. Government has a specific role to play, but in addition to that people are also having a definite role to be played.

And that is why they said that the efforts of the government should be combined with the efforts of the people. It means whatever the efforts that are being done by the government. Accordingly it should get the response from the society also. In many of the developmental programmes we see that, government is doing its effort but the community is not supporting in one or the other way. Or otherwise also possible, and in some parts, in some situations we come across that also. The society is very active and they are demanding so many things, but the government is not responding to the needs of the communities. Under both these situations we cannot achieve development. But when these two things come together, it means. The people’s effort as well as the governmental efforts, when these two efforts come together, obviously there will be change and rest of the things that are mentioned in the second part of the definition are automatically andvery easily, comfortably can be achieved.

Another definition of community development given by Mukherjee in the year 1967, which reveals that it is the process of change from traditional way of living of rural communities to the progressive ways of living. He says that as a method by which people can be assisted to develop themselves on their own capacity and resources. So this is what is the method. So this we have already discussed in good number of earlier programmes also. So making use of the resources which are at your disposal, you can change yourself. So that is what is the major method that was adopted under community development programme. Then coming to as a programme concerning the welfare of rural people. Means, so that is what is the ultimate objective. So how can we achieve this welfare. By identifying your resources. By identifying your problems. Then efficient management of the resources that are at your disposal, which are lacking, we are going to manage them from the different sources. And ultimately to achieve the change; welfare of the people.

Then as a movement for progress with certain ideological content. So when we talk of development. What kind of development that we are envisaging. Is it that which is not desired by the community? So that’s what where the ideological content are essential. We need changes but in association with, the existing culture, the existing practices. But we need certain modifications. That is what we are trying to refer it as change. And that change is nothing but the development that we are talking about. So to achieve the community development. So there were two objectives that were set to assist each village in having effective Panchayats, cooperatives and schools. Of the five different institutions that we discuss under the sociology. Three basic institutions have already been taken care of by the community development project. That is the first one is the political institutions, that is the panchayat. The second one is the concept of education or the education again it is again an institution, through the schools. And cooperative which is an economic institution to bring in the change. Establishment of these three institutions with the efforts of the government and people, we can achieve the desired changes. Then through these institutions plan and carry out, the integrated, multiphased family, village, block and district plan for increasing agricultural production. Means at the roots we have these basic institutions. And these institutions are going to plan for the entire community involving every section of the society.

What is that plan is emphasizing on? Increasing agricultural production, improving the cottage industries, providing the healthcare and educational facilities, and providing programs for village youth. Is there any section of the society which is left over? Under this broader objective each and every individual. May he or she belong to any profession or any activity, are part of this particular program. It is not only the program related to agriculture, even though agriculture gets the major share, because that is the mainstay of the villagers. But every section of the society was taken care of, ultimately to bring in the development. Each community development program had an operational area of around 500-400 square miles as it is mentioned in the document of CD program. Then it is covering 300 villages. Roughly about the population of 2 lakhs to begin with. We call it as one community development program. To begin with 55 such community development projects were established. Later it was extended to the other parts of the country also, looking into the access and the response from the people. It was very positive.

And each community development project was headed by a project officer. And he is looking after three different blocks. That each block was headed by a block development officer. And BDO’s were supported by a range of extension officers and the grass root level workers who are known as the VLW’s or later they were identified as the gram sevak. So extension officers were taking up the related developmental activities. It is related to health, sanitation, agriculture, mechanization and development of the cottage industries. All these things we had extension officers, and under each extension officer we used to have the village level extension workers for a cluster of 5-10 villages. The steps that were followed under community development programs include. Identification of the need after analyses of the situation. What the community wants? So it was totally participatory. It was totally inclusive program development. And that is how they identify the needs. And based on the identification of the needs, the objectives were set. And based on the objectives and needs they assess the resources. And based on the assessment of the resources, they could make an inventory that what is available in the village and what they need from outside. And what are the alternatives available for meeting out that particular objective or that particular demand from the community. That was also taken care of. Then accordingly the decisions were made and leadership was provided by the formal as well as the nonformal institutions. The formal means the VLW then extension officer, BDO and the project officer who is heading the community development project. So this is the formal leadership that what we have.

Then we have the informal leaders from the village communities who are taking initiative in participation and the accomplishment of the objectives set forth. Then taking an action, that is nothing but the implementation of the program. And ultimately the project ended with being capable of solving the problems of the community, so that that is where the concept of empowerment that was achieved under this program. When we look into the analysis of the program. So there are positive as well as negative aspects, both the things that we are coming across. So the negative things or the some of the drawbacks that happen. So when we look into that, so that becomes the step for making the necessary changes in the further programs. So in that context the first point that was emerged was. The government personnel determined the needs of the villagers. Also prescribed how these needs should be and could be met. Even though since beginning it has been emphasized on the equal participation of the institutions, the public institutions as well as the ultimate stakeholders. But at some point of the time it could not achieve that particular objective, but the government professionals started dominating the rural communities and that was one of the lacuna that was identified as a part of the implementation of this project. And because of this particular behavior of the government officers, so village leaders had difficulty in mobilizing the people. And there was absence of understanding by the officers. What is that absence of understanding of the basic purpose of generating the local group dynamics. Without the involvement of the local communities we cannot achieve any changes in the villages. So that is why so they were emphasizing on participation. But at some point of the time this drawback came into existence.

Then one important thing as a student of extension, what we need to identify here is, the village level extension workers were ready to pay and provide the assistance. But least prepared to stimulate group action. It is not only under community development program. Many of the developmental programs we come across this issue. How to stimulate the group action? So that is what is nothing but the in-tension of extension what we discussed in one of our previous classes. So why we are emphasizing on that is, so if we keep the principles, the objectives, the methodologies, the philosophy of extension in mind while implementation of any program, while planning of any program. Automatically it leads to the stimulation of group action or what is required by the society, which was a neglecting factor. And because of that some impact of that was found in the community development project. Then obviously being a government supported project, we could see many obligations like the regular record keeping, submission of the reports, and reduced time to be spared for the extension activities. So it happens with most of the developmental programs that were implemented by the governmental authorities.

Even though it is an obligation on an officer. And because of that there are some implications as we are discussing them. Looking into the success of this program, and to the program was extended to rest of the country. So under the heading of National Extension Service. And to cover more area under the community development program with less cost and more people’s participation. The program was extended as National Extension Service in the year 1953, so that they can include more and more area. The similar benefits can be taken to the entire community. So that was the basic objective with which the program was extended. Rest of the modalities, modus-operandi, the methodologies, objectives remain same but the extension of this program for differentparts of the country. In the next year the best performing community development programs were identified. And the momentum that was gained under the banner of National Extension Service, the best performing community development projects were identified and they were given additional staff as well as additional financial support, so that they can work more efficiently.

So this is only to boost up their morale and to see that we can include more and more section of the society into these programs, and we can bring in the changes in the community. So this was in a nutshell about the community development program. To conclude we can say that extension services should adopt educational approach, which somewhere we find that under the community development program it was lacking. The government officers started dominating rather than the rural people. Then people’s participation is key for development. Without that we cannot achieve anything. So that is how we need to encourage participation of the communities. Passive or no participation creates gap in the development. And that is what even today that we are observing in many of the developmental programs. The similar problems, but the moment we overcome them the areas which are witnessing this gap. So there we try to classify them as a backward. And where there is no gap, we try to classify them as the forward districts or the States.

The replication of successful models is motivating factor to achieve the development which has been said in various other programs as well as this particular program also. With this we are coming to the end of the discussion on community development program. In our next class we will be discussing about the typical and exclusive agricultural programs like IADP. Intensive Agricultural District Program, Intensive Agricultural Area Program and High Yielding Variety Program.

Thank You.