Integrated rural development through a holistic approach is a national commitment. Poverty alleviation through creation of employment and income has been an avowed objective of planning in India. That employment can be generated in the process of growth itself is amply recognized. However, schemes have been designed ‘from above’ starting from community development schemes in the early 50s to National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). All these schemes have been conceived and implemented and basing on the experience, restructured from time to time. New schemes also have been devised, all aiming from income generation to environmental replenishment.

The major criticism on all these schemes has been that they were devised “from above” and implemented ‘below’ without involving people and not taking into consideration the local resources base, which widely varies across the country. Realizing the deficiency, anti-poverty programmes have been restructured from the 9th Plan onwards. Scheme like Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Development of Women & Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) have been on the implementation. New schemes like Swajaladhara, Haryali have also been introduced. Panchayat Raj institutions are involved in implementation of these schemes.

The Department of Land Resources of Ministry of Rural Development implements the schemes to increase biomass production by diverting the waste land in the country. The major programmes are Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP), Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) and Land Reforms (LR). They aim at increasing income of the rural people by increasing soil and moisture conservation and productivity of wastelands. Water supply schemes like Swajaladhara, total sanitation, etc., aim at assuring sound health of the people in the rural areas. All these schemes involve Panchayat Raj institutions at village level in implementation. However, there are still some gaps in implementation of the schemes whereby, the elected representatives of the Panchayats are not adequately equipped to reap the benefits of all the government schemes. They require 11 to be supported. NGOs like MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, SHIRDI Foundation, Bangalore, etc., Self Help Groups are involved towards this end.

MS Swaminathan Research Foundation aims at achievement of sustainable development, rooted in the principles of ecology, social and gender equity, employment generation, and economic viability with the aid of the appropriate blends of traditional and frontier technologies.

It aims at spreading an evergreen revolution based on the sustainable advances in the biological productivity which emphasizes increasing crop productivity through integrated natural resources management. This foundation has been operating for the last ten years on the principle of partnership with rural and tribal women and men. The foundation chose to work with farming families in their fields through participatory research model.

SHIRDI Foundation, Bangalore aims at development of renewable energy, focusing on Solar, Bio-diesel and Bio-mass activities.

GITAM Centre for Integrated Rural Development will also strive to be a catalyst of Integral rural development through accelerated transfer for technology, action research projects, appropriateness affordability and sustainability of technology models to the user population. Initially biodiesel production technology as been developed and after standardization it will be spread to rural areas for self employment and income generation. It will also collaborate with organizations like MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and SHIRDI Foundation and other such NGOs involved in rural development. The Centre will work as an effective link between the rural people, the Government and the Panchayat Raj institutions.