10

Rural Communities in India

1. INTRODUCTION

Rural sociology is the branch of sociology which studies the life of rural people. It is concerned with the rural society, its social structure, its social institutions, and their relationships. It analyses the attitudes and beliefs of the rural people.

India is a land of villages. That is, the majority of the people are living in villages. So, villages are a significant aspect of the Indian society. Indian villages are considered unique and distinct from the villages of other countries. Generally, a village refers to a small group of people living permanently in a definite geographical area who depend mainly on farming.

The chief characteristics of a rural community are described in Table 10.1.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN VILLAGES

• Family: In a village community, family is still the basic and most important unit. The whole of the village community structure is dependent on the family. With joint family structure in Indian villages, family is the centre of production and consumption in the village community. The family is an independent unit in so far as production and consumption are concerned.

 

TABLE 10.1 Characteristics of a Rural Community

Characteristic	Description
Village a primary institution	The development of the villagers is influenced considerably by the life of the village as it is a primary institution
Group feeling	In the life of the villagers, group feeling occupies an important place. They respect the judgement and obey the orders of their elders and panchayats
Occupation	The main occupation of the rural community is agriculture, allied activities like animal husbandry and poultry, and small enterprises like apiculture and fishing
Size	The village community is small in size. There may be a few households or a small number of people
Environment	Villages have a natural set-up. Animals, birds, rivers, ponds, and other natural things are found in the village. This natural atmosphere enables the rural people to have a simple and natural lifestyle
Population density	Population density refers to the number of people living per square mile or kilometre area. The villages have large areas of land for cultivation, but the number of inhabitants is very small. Therefore, the village communities have a low population density
Low mobility	Mobility refers to the movement or transition of people from one place to another or from one social status to another. There is physical as well as social mobility. Both are limited in villages, especially in Indian villages. Economic class mobility is also not much in rural communities
Simplicity	The villagers lead a simple life. They are far away from the evils of modern civilization. They are simple and plain people who believe in God. Their behaviour is natural and not artificial. They live a peaceful life
Faith in religion	The people in the villages have deep faith in religion. Their main occupation is agriculture, which largely depends upon nature. The farmers acquire a feeling of fear towards natural forces and start worshipping them
Joint family	Although the joint family system is breaking down in cities, it still retains its hold in the villages. Agricultural occupation requires the cooperation of all the family members. The men plough the field, the women harvest the crops, and the children graze the cattle
Role of neighbourhood	In a village, neighbourhood is of great importance. The villagers assist each other, and thus they have close neighbourhood relationships both in joy and sorrow
Community consciousness	The village-dwellers have a sense of community. The relations between the villagers are intimate. They personally know each other. Their customs, conventions, and culture are common. They take part in religious celebrations jointly
Homogeneity	The village life has much homogeneity. People of a village have a common occupation and a common style of life
Less education	As most of the villagers are engaged in agriculture, advanced education and specialization are not needed. So, there is less education in village. Even the rate of literacy is low, especially in Indian villages
Less political consciousness	Political consciousness and participation are less in villages. The people are engaged and interested in day-to-day activities of their life. They have little time or interest for politics
Stable public opinion	Public opinion is not easily changeable in villages due to the rigidity of customs, traditions, and values. Education, transportation, and communication, and new ideas and ideologies are, however, changing the public opinion in our villages too
Low status of women	Women are not considered to be worthy to take decisions in family matters. Men consult other male members in different types of work. The rate of literacy and education is also relatively less among women

• Social stratification: This refers to an order of ranking the individuals based upon relative position in society. Caste and class systems are the two major types of social stratification in society. Caste status is ascribed to one, while class status is achieved. Certain characteristics or attributes influence the position of the individual in the stratification system.
• Social processes: Social processes are the social interactions of groups and individuals with one another. They include mainly competition, conflict, cooperation, and accommodation.
• Caste system: Membership of caste, caste restrictions, social distance, disabilities, and even untouchability are still found in Indian villages. Most Indian villages are multi-caste villages. Even though we have hundreds of different castes in India, the caste composition of villages differ from region to region.

Figure 10.1 Characteristics of Indian Villages

• Education: The inadequate physical facilities of the village school, poorly trained and uninterested teachers, and inefficient and corrupt administration of the schools contribute much to the problems of village education. The introduction of new educational schemes without proper equipment, facilities, guidance, and supervision affect the secondary education in village areas.
• Agriculture: In Indian rural society; there is joint family structure because of agricultural economy. Agriculture is such a job in which a large number of people have to be involved.

3. IMPORTANCE OF VILLAGES IN INDIA

• A unit of society: The German scholar Max Weber said that India had always been a country of villages. If we talk of number, there are about 6,00,000 villages in India. If we talk of population, about 70 per cent of India lives in villages. And if we talk of occupation, India is predominantly an agricultural country. Thus, we need to concentrate on village as a unit of society, as the future of India depends upon the uplift of its villages.
• Simple lifestyle: Simplicity is the hallmark of the villagers. Since they are spartan in their needs, not much money is spent on their lifestyle. Unlike their urban counterparts, the villagers are not ambitious. They are yet to become a part of the rat race for earning more and spending more. To them, the urban notion of progress may even seem a diseased one.
• Self-dependent: In ancient times, the Indian village was an ideal democracy. This is still true to an extent as life in a village is self-dependent. Although the primary occupation of a villager is farming, the farmer is also capable of handling the work generally done by a carpenter, a blacksmith, a mason, a veterinary surgeon, a woodcutter, and sometimes even a weaver. However, in some developed villages, you may find division of labour. That is, different occupations are held by different people in a specialized manner. Whichever of the two be the case, all the needs of villages are generally fulfilled in the village itself.
• Intense primary relations: In a village, we can see intense relations between the primary groups and families. It is the family that looks after the needs of its members in all aspects of their life. At the same time, the family also acts as a regulatory authority for its members. Again, it is the family through which the new members are initially introduced to the customs, conventions, and cultures of the society. The villagers thus hold the family as an institution having a revered status. However, the family has so strong a hold on its members that their individuality gets stifled. In fact, the relations among the villagers are so close-knit that the entire village is often organized like a family. This family of villagers has limited contact with the external world. This results in their being biased, inward-looking and aggressively opposed to violent change.

Figure 10.2 Importance of Villages in India

• Preserve cultural heritage: Villages play an important role in sociology because they preserve the ancient culture of society. If India has been a religious country and continues to be so, it is primarily due to its villagers. Their chief occupation is agriculture, for which they still depend considerably upon natural forces, such as the sun, rain, and so on. As a result, they worship these forces. Besides, they lead a simple and natural life dominated by sacrifices and theistic tendencies. Thus, religion plays an important role in the life of the villagers.

4. FACTORS SHAPING THE GROWTH OF VILLAGE COMMUNITIES

We cannot hold any single factor responsible for the growth of the village community. We may categorize these factors, which are active participants in this growth, as economic, social, and topographical.

Tables 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 discuss these factors and show how they contribute to the growth of the village communities.

 

TABLE 10.2 Economic Factors Influencing the Growth of Village community

Factor	Description
State of agriculture	The village communities depend on agriculture even today. So, the better the state of agriculture in a village, the more prosperous the growth of its community. ‘State of agriculture’ means the state of production by farming. If there is ample farming productivity in a village community, it is bound to be prosperous. This prosperity also adds to the leisure of the community which is then devoted to the holding of cultural activities. In India, this is evident in the village communities in stares like Punjab. They are more developed because they produce more than their counterparts in other parts of the country. On the contrary, those residing in hills or barren lands are forced to lead a rough life shorn of all comforts
Economic and financial infrastructure	Besides agricultural production, the village economy in general plays a crucial role in the growth of village communities. Greater production in agriculture is directly linked to the availability of animals of superior breed and proper implements, such as effective ploughs, high-yielding seeds, and quality manure. It is obvious that money will have a big role to play in making all of these available. The need for money becomes all the more pronounced if we take into account the need for adequate consumption, which is also important along with the need for production. Therefore, it is necessary that realistic credit facilities be available to the villagers in times of need. In India, institutions like co-operative banks, cooperative seed stores, cooperative warehouses, and community projects have played a significant role in the improvement in the conditions of the agriculturists
Cottage industries	Cottage industries are another important economic factor in the growth of the village community. The cottage industries in a village include industries that manufacture hand-spun cloth, robes and baskets, toys, gur, molasses, and so on. These cottage industries are a boon for the landless as they provide them a means of livelihood. They are also useful for the farmers, who remain completely unoccupied for a very long period in the year. These farmers and the womenfolk can devote their spare time to cottage industries and boost the village economy

 

TABLE 10.3 Social Factors Influencing the Growth of Village Communities

Factors	Description
External and internal peace	A village community can develop on a long-term basis and in a healthy manner only when there is external and internal peace. It has been seen that in countries
Security on all fronts	Peace is based on security. Hence, if there is no security, there cannot be permanent growth of village communities. Villagers need to be secure in every conceivable way. They should be supplied with the basic amenities. They should be able to conduct their business freely and without fear. Their crops should be insured. This would strengthen the villagers against natural calamities like drought, excess of rain, flood, famine, and so on. Law and order should give them peace of mind. Proper health-care facilities need to be established in the villages. The government needs to be active on all these fronts in order to ensure growth in village communities
Intelligence and labour	Intelligence and labour form the backbone of the growth of a permanent village community. Whether it is facing natural exigencies or the problems concerning agriculture, the intelligence and the labour of the villagers are essential ingredients. In the absence of these, they can neither increase agricultural output nor profit by the scientific discoveries
Cooperation	Cooperation is a necessary prerequisite for community development. The lives of the inhabitants of the villages are intertwined. Activities, such as public health, security, peace, and proper use of public property do not fall in anyone’s personal domain. They cannot be encrusted to the responsibility of any one individual. Isolated development measures won’t help; the villagers cannot make progress without cooperation

 

TABLE 10.4 Topographical Factors Influencing the Growth of Village Community

Factor	Description
Land	Land is the most important topographical factor in the development of a permanent village community. It is important that the land be fertile and has a proper layout. A land that is rocky and uneven is unsuited for the carrying out of agricultural activities. It is difficult for villages to develop in a completely unfertile and sandy land
Climate	The climate of a place plays an important role in the growth of village communities. A temperate climate is conducive to the health of man as well as agriculture. As a result, village communities that have grown in temperate regions are the most prosperous, cultured, and developed. On the other hand, regions with extreme climate are full of hardships and hinder the growth of a natural and proper life. In a warm climate, people become supine and lazy. In India, the climate has not been very friendly to the village communities and has kept their living standards low. The village communities of Europe are in a far better shape than their Indian
Water	The availability of water is a major reason why a village community develops in a particular stretch of land. Water is a crucial commodity for mankind for purposes, such as drinking, washing and bathing, but it is especially so for the villagers, who need it to irrigate the farms. Village communities that exist on river banks are particularly prosperous and well developed for the simple reason that the rivers are a perennial source of this commodity. This becomes amply clear when we take a look at the villages along the banks of the Ganga, as these Indian villages are far superior to those which are seeking out a miserable existence in the deserts and hills. The lack of availability of water can render even the most fertile and cultivable land useless. It is due to this lack that villages are scattered far and wide in a desert. They are mainly found in oases, where water can be found. In these islands of fertility, some palm trees and grass grow and the villages crop up

5. RURAL HEALTH

The health of the individual or the group affects their work output and efficiency. Good health is not only essential for a normal life and activities but is also the basic factor for a happy life. The Health Survey and Development Committee (1946) rightly points out that the term health implies more than mere absence of sickness in the individual and indicates a state of harmonious functioning of the body and the mind in relation to his physical and sociological environment, so as to enable him to enjoy life to the fullest possible extent and reach his maximum level of productive capacity. Thus, we find that health is a condition of all-round well-being, physical, mental, moral, and spiritual, so that the members of society can lead a wholesome life.

5.1. Rural Problems

Higher birth and death rates are a problem in villages. Social problems abound, like day-to-day rural population increase, employment, migration of families to urban areas, their becoming bonded labour, and so on. There is poor health knowledge, occurrence of communicable diseases and infections, child deaths, many primary health centres (PHCs) in rural areas lying defunct, and poor health awareness of the rural people. In times of disease or ill health, people prefer going to places of worship or resorting to witchcraft than seeking the help of a medical official. This leads to poor utilization of health care. Low mobility of social status and less social differences and stratifications and lack of communication and transport are other problems. Child marriages are still rampant in Indian villages. Lack of education and the force of customs and values are the dominant factors behind child marriages. Unemployment/under-employment, untouchability and discrimination, problems of sanitation, for example, lack of sewage disposal system, insufficient drinking water, casteism and group conflicts, and indebtedness are also common problems faced by people in rural areas.

5.2. Causes of III Health in Rural Communities

Illiteracy, unemployment, poverty; increase in population, lack of awareness, and so on, are some of the common reasons for ill health in rural communities. Some important factors are being mentioned as follows:

• Bad habits: Bad habits, such as alcoholism, smoking, consumption of intoxicating substances, and so on, lead to ill health in the rural population.
• Lack of medical facilities: Because of the unequal distribution of health facilities, only a limited number of healthcare institutions and facilities are found in villages. This affects protection and care of the patients, which in turn affects the health status of villagers.
• Lack of proper housing: In the villages, kachcha houses, temporary structures, and unhealthy dwelling places are commonly found. They do not have facilities, such as toilet or bathroom, latrine, kitchen, lighting, and ventilation. In addition to these, many people are homeless. Therefore, lack of housing or improper housing is a major reason for ill health in village communities.

Figure 10.3 Causes of III Health in Rural Communities

• Lack of healthy or hygienic environment: There is a lack of safe drinking water or even of sufficient water for daily necessities. People are not careful about personal hygiene or public sanitation in the villages. There are no latrines and sewage disposal systems. Owing to these, the possibility of infection is higher in the village communities and the villagers have to face serious health problems.
• Low resistance: Imbalanced diet and an absence of proper nourishment lessen the ability to resist diseases. Less immune people fall easy prey to diseases.
• Social and cultural beliefs: Many superstitions, customs, and traditions harmful to health are found in the villages. Some of them are as follows:
  • There are occupational and social restrictions. This includes having separate sources for water, sanitary work, and considering that cleaning is the responsibility of a particular caste.
  • Purdah, and eating from a common plate with the bride.
  • Religious restriction on the use of contraceptives.
  • Prevalence of child marriage and prohibition of widow re-marriage.
  • Poor status ascribed to women.
• Lack of health education: As a result of illiteracy and very low education, most villagers in India are unaware of the common facts regarding health. This leads to a neglect of their personal health and public sanitation.

5.3. Measures to Promote Health in Rural communities

In order to improve the health status of the rural communities, we have to eradicate the factors causing ill health. The health status of the villagers can be improved by adopting the following measures:

• Reasonable distribution of medical care facilities and making health facilities available at the grassroots level. Equip and strengthen the health-care institutions existing in the villages.
• Improve the educational standard of the village communities with special care to girl child education. Provide facilities for informal education.
• Provide clean drinking water and also enough water for other daily needs.
• Improve housing facilities in villages by using locally available material and technology, and by encouraging the construction of cheap and healthy houses.
• Accept meaningful methods of population control. Encourage the use of contraceptives.
• Better co-operation with village panchayats or other local self-government bodies to improve the healthcare facilities in the villages
• Effective management of PHCs, sub-centres and community health centres (CHCs).
• Population education by making effective use of communication facilities; creating health awareness among villagers.
• Better health management and health information system to be developed in villages so that in times of emergency (plague, cholera, natural calamities, etc.) health care can be provided immediately.
• Strengthen reproductive and child health and school health services in villages.

Rural societies and urban societies are different in many aspects (Table 10.5).

 

TABLE 10.5 Difference between Rural Societies and Urban Societies

Criterion	Rural Societies	Urban Societies
Size of population	Rural population is limited	Urban population is large
Environment	Natural environment; closer to nature	Artificial environment; more problems
Occupation	Agriculture and agriculture-based occupations	Industry, trade and different occupations (education, medical, administration, engineering, management, etc.)
Social uniformity	More uniformity	Heterogeneity and differences
Stratification	Limited physical and social mobility	High rate of physical and social mobility
Density of population	Less density	High density
Means of recreation	More natural and cultural	Professional and complex; media is relatively more powerful
Political awareness	Relatively less but increasing now	More political awareness
Marriage and divorce	Marriage is traditional and permanent; divorce is negligible.	Love marriages are also found; divorce is more common
Condition of social change	Change is less	Changes are fast and more political
Education	Less literacy	More literacy; higher education
Social problems	Untouchability, child marriage, superstitions, and so on are more prevalent	Problems are based on class, economy, power, and so on
Social interaction and relationship	Personal and more cordial	Indirect and formal relationship
Interaction	Social contacts limited; primary in nature; relationships are personal, durable, and human	Wider contacts: secondary in nature; relationships are impersonal, indirect, short-lived, superficial, and touch-and-go
Social organization and family ties	Family ties are stronger; joint family system; more parental control; a sense of we-feeling; neighbourhood is important; cannot escape from means of social control, such as customs, tradition, mores, and so on	Individuals become more important; nuclear family; less parental control; less sympathy and more selfishness; the grip of social control weakens
Attitudes	Rural people are frank, open, and conservative	Artificial, cosmopolitan, secretive, and more progressive

6. CHANGES IN RURAL LIFE

Change is the law of nature. Villagers are no more what they were until a few decades ago. They are passing through a period of transition. Relations, bonds, and ties are loosening by the day and cannot be reinstated in their original form. However, if we would like to retain the simplicity of the village life, we need to improve the conditions in these villages through the establishment of panchayats, spread of education, economic reform in agriculture, and so on. We need to employ scientific methods for rural reconstruction. Although the rural communities are less susceptible to change than the urban communities, the changes are now visible in the following ways:

• Caste system: British rule in India gave a serious blow to the caste system in the villages. The economic policy and the laws of British rulers induced the removal of the various caste restrictions on food, dress, mode of living, and other matters. Even untouchability was weakened.

Figure 10.4 Changes in Rural Life

• Jajmani system: Jajmani system, a traditional feature of the village community in India, has now weakened, thanks to the governmental efforts to raise the status of the lower castes and the impact of urbanization. The occupations adopted by the villagers are not entirely hereditary or based on caste system anymore, nor is the payment for services rendered by the lower castes in kind; the transition has been made to cash payment.
• Family system: The joint family system is no longer a peculiar characteristic of the village communities. Nuclear families are on their way in. The control of the family on its members in matters of diet, dress, and marriage has weakened. The family is no longer an economic unit. The education of village girls has raised the status of rural women.
• Marriage system: Change can also be seen in the institution of marriage. Although inter-caste marriages are rare and parents continue to dominate the choice of mates, boys and girls are consulted by their parents in this regard. Individual qualities, such as education, economic status, beauty, and appearance, are now given preference over the old family status of the parents.
• Living standards: The standard of living in the village community is gradually going higher. The dressing is getting urbanized. Young men wear trousers and the girls get dresses stitched like their urban counterparts. The houses are now well-ventilated, well-furnished, electrified, and even have sanitary latrines in some villages. Mud houses are being replaced with concrete cement houses. Gobar gas plants have been installed in some houses.
• Health services: The PHCs have made people health-conscious. The immunization services, maternal and child health services, family planning services, school health services, and other health services are now provided to villagers and these ensure good health and prevention of epidemics.
• Economic system: Change has also taken place in the economic field. The educated rural youth seeks jobs in the cities rather than in agriculture. The utilization of modern technologies in agriculture has started. The farmer is taught new methods to raise his production. The rural co-operative societies have lessened the villagers’ difficulties in getting seeds, fertilizers, and credit. The per capita income of villagers has increased as they get a good price for their products.
• Political system: The development of panchayats has led to the growth of political consciousness among the villagers. The media like TV, radio, and newspapers have added to the political knowledge of the villagers.
• Modern means of transportation and communication: Better transportation and communication facilities are being extended to rural areas. Roads are being constructed and railway lines extended. This provides more opportunities for villagers to move around and also establish better connection with urban centres. With the advent of radio, even the illiterate masses can hear things and learn slowly. The government has extended television facilities to most of the rural areas and this is going to be a powerful agent of social change.
• Education: Education is a catalyst to change. It broadens one’s outlook and makes one open to change. After Independence, many schools have been established in the rural areas of India and thereby rural children are also receiving education. The educated villagers are migrating to cities for higher education and employment. Along with the educated children, their parents and relatives also migrate to urban areas. Besides, agriculture institutes and social welfare institutes have also been opened in some villages. Thus, education is responsible for many changes in rural India.

7. RURAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES

After Independence, the Union government has realized the need for rebuilding rural life by solving the economic and social problems of the villages. During the freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi often emphasized the deteriorating conditions of the villages and the need for rural reconstruction programmes for all-round development of villages. The aim of the Government of India is to usher in a new life of prosperity and total change. It gave importance to rural planning to improve the rural life and generated change by implementing certain measures, which can be classified into the following categories:

• Introducing scientific method of agriculture; use of improved seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, and improved agricultural tools; construction of major and minor irrigation projects.
• Land reforms to improve the conditions of tenants by providing rights over the land.
• Rescuing the farmers from the clutches of the moneylenders.
• Introduction of community development projects; encouraging cottage industries; establishing cooperative societies.
• Educating the masses.
• Providing better health facilities.

In spite of such rural development programmes adopted by the government, it has failed to uplift the poor labourers and provide them employment opportunities. The results have not reached the poor and the weaker sections. So, in order to identify the rural development and change, the following new programmes and policies have been implemented by the government through the five-year plans: The Community Development Programme (1952), and the Twenty-Point Programme (1975).

8. SPECIAL PROGRAMMES

• DPAP—Drought Prone Areas Programme
• SFDA—Small Farmers’ Development Agency
• MFALDA—Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Labourers’ Development Agency
• IRDP—Integrated Rural Development Programme
• TRYS EM—Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment
• Introducing Panchayati Raj.

9. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

India had to face many vital economic and social problems after Independence. Food production was the lowest in the world. Cottage industries were on decline. Literacy was very low. Death rate was very high. People suffered from various epidemics and other common diseases. Health-care facilities were very meagre. There was a feeling that political freedom had no meaning unless we improved the social and economic conditions of the people.

Community development programme is a purposive attempt induced and directed towards the all-round development of the villages. This programme was sponsored by tile Government of India in its First Five Year Plan in 1952. The Planning Commission initiated this programme as a process of transformation of the social and economic life of the villages.

9.1. Aims and Objectives of the Community Development Programme

• To develop agricultural production, transport and communications, rural health, sanitation, and rural education.
• To bring overall change in the outlook of people; to raise the standard of living by modernizing agriculture; and to develop rural industries.
• To develop rural leadership and to improve the status of women in villages.
• To provide education to the rural illiterate and compulsory education.
• To provide better housing facilities to the poor and the weaker sections.
• To provide employment opportunities to the rural youth.
• To provide better health facilities by starting public health centres; to protect the villagers from epidemics; and prevention and curative measures to improve health at the village level
• To provide health education, maternity and child health welfare, and family welfare.

Figure 10.5 Aims and Objectives of the Community Development Programme

10. TWENTY-POINT PROGRAMME

Unfortunately, the community development programmes through the five-year plans did not reach the poor and weaker sections. The social and economic life of the people did not improve. Realizing this, Indira Gandhi initiated certain bold and. progressive measures with the sole objective of eradicating poverty. She was instrumental in nationalizing banks and abolished the royalty given to the kings. On 1 July 1975, she implemented the Twenty-Point Programme. This programme opened a new chapter in the country. It included the following:

• Providing more and more irrigation facilities, and encouraging dry-land agriculture.
• Increasing the production of pulses and oilseeds.
• Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and National Rural Employment Programme (NREP)
• Distributing land to the landless.
• Fixing the minimum wages of agricultural labourers.
• Abolishing bonded labour and the rehabilitation of such labourers.
• Special emphasis on SC/ST development.
• Providing drinking water to all villages.
• Free-site distribution to the houseless.
• Increasing electricity production.
• Afforestation programme.
• Women and child welfare, and protection to mother and child.
• Universal primary education.
• Providing importance to girls’ education.
• Spread of literacy.
• Public health facilities, control of TB, eradication of leprosy and blindness.
• Opening more and more fair-price shops.
• Development of industries, particularly handlooms and handicraft.
• Family welfare programmes.
• Control of black marketers and tax evaders.

11. PANCHAYATI RAJ: DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALIZATION

Panchayati Raj is a three-tier structure of local self-government (Table 10.6). It is a complex system which represents the local inhabitants, possessing a range or degree of autonomy.

 

TABLE 10.6 Three-tier Structure of Panchayats

Types	Description
Gram Sabha	It comprises all the adult men and women of the village. This body meets at least twice a year discusses important issues, and considers proposals pertaining to various development aspects including health matters
Gram Panchayat	The Gram Panchayat consists of 15–30 elected members. It covers a population of 5,000 to 20,000. It is chaired by the president, vice-president, and secretary. It is an executive organ of the Gram Sabha and is responsible for the overall planning and development of the villages. The panchayat secretary has been given powers to function for wide areas such as maintenance of sanitation and public health and socio-economic development of the villages. The panchayat secretary has been given powers to function for wide areas such as maintenance of sanitation and public health and socio-economic development of the villages. The panchayat secretary has been given powers to function for wide areas such as maintenance of sanitation and public health and socio-economic development of the village. The Gram Panchayat is involved in planning and organizing of various health activities in the villages. One of the panchayat members is given the responsibility co-coordinating health activities
Nyaya Panchayat	Nyaya Panchayat comprises five members from the Gram Panchayat. It tries to solve the dispute between two parties/groups/individuals over certain matters on mutual consent. This saves the trouble of going to the formal judicial system

The Panchayati Raj institutions are accepted as agencies of public welfare. All development programmes are channelled through these bodies. The Balwantrai Mehta Committee, which evaluated the Community Development Programme, realized the necessity of democratic decentralization of administration so as to create institutions of democratic administration at the village level. It recommended a three-tier system of decentralization: Gram Panchayats at the grassroots village level, Panchayat Samitis at the block level, and Zila Parishads at the district level. The National Development Council approved the scheme of this committee regarding the establishment of Panchayati Raj in January 1958.

The Gram Panchayats are the elected bodies of the villagers. All adults vote to elect the members of the village panchayat. These village panchayats send their elected representatives to block-level Panchayat Samitis. A few co-opted members representing women, depressed, and scheduled castes are also included in the Samitis. The Samiti elects its president and vice-president, along with the MPs and MLAs of the district.

11.1. Panchayati Raj at Block Level

The Panchayati Raj institution at the block level is known as the Panchayat Samiti. The Panchayat Samiti includes the following members: sarpanches from all the Gram Panchayats in the block, MLAs and MPs residing in the area, and representatives of women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled. Tribes, and co-operative societies. The Block Development Officer is the ex officio secretary of the Panchayat Samiti. The Panchayat Samiti is responsible for block development activities under the Community Development Programme.

11.2. Panchayat Raj at District Level

The Panchayati Raj institution at the district level is known as Zila Parishad. The Zila Parishad includes the following members: the heads of the Gram Samitis in the district, the MLAs and MPs from the district, the representatives of women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and two persons who have experience in administration, rural development, and so on. The Collector of the district is the non-voting member. The Zila Parishad is headed by the Chairman, also known as Adhyaksha. The Zila Parishad in general supervises and coordinates development programmes being carried out by the Gram Samitis in the blocks of the district.

12. HEALTH FACILITIES IN RURAL SOCIETY

Health has been declared as a fundamental right. The Government shoulders the responsibility for the health of its people. In October 1943, the Government of India appointed a committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Joseph Bhore, called the ‘Health Survey and Development Committee’. In its nation-wide health survey, the Bhore Committee found a variety of problems in rural society that caused significant morbidity and mortality.

The important ones were as follows:

• malaria
• tuberculosis
• cholera
• small pox
• plague
• leprosy
• filariasis
• Guinea worms
• hook worms
• epidemics

PHCs were actually started in 1953, which marked the beginning of the first five-year plan. They covered a population of 100,000 or more, spread over 100 villages in each community development block.

In 1978, an International Conference, convened jointly by WHO and UNICEF at Alma Ata (Russia), set a goal of ‘Health for All by 2000 A.D.’ Under the National Health Plan (1983), the PHCs were set up for every, 30,000 people in the plains and every 20,000 people in hilly, tribal areas, rural areas. Higher populations came under super PHCS, also called ‘Community Health Centre’.

The success of health programmes depends upon the degree of human relationships, not only between health functionaries and the public, but also along health functionaries themselves. For effective delivery of primary health care services, the health worker should have at least a working relationship with the other functionaries, such as Trained Dais, Anganwadi Workers, Community Nutrition Workers, Child Welfare Organizer, Private Practitioners, Animators, Village Administrative Officers, Rural Welfare Officials, Teachers, and so on. First of all, he has to mobilize the human resources at the sub-centre level for effective implementation of health programmes.

Village-level functionaries can act as change agents, accepting the programme, counteracting rumours, and referring cases for appropriate health services and follow-up. As the people repose faith and confidence in these local functionaries, they act as a link between the Government and the community. Also, as these functionaries are local persons, continuity of services is possible. The philosophy of ‘people’s health in peoples hands’ may be put into practice by effectively utilizing these local functionaries for health care services.

12.1. Counselling

Counselling for female sterilization is as critical as in vasectomy. This applies also to postpartum sterilization. When possible, women should receive counselling during pregnancy. In any case, women should not feel pressurized into quick decisions. Health workers should also assure clients that if they do not choose sterilization, they are free to choose other options.

12.2. Rural Women

Women working in the unorganized sector are usually poor, overburdened, overworked, and highly susceptible to health problems in the workplace. Most Indian women have lower levels of nutrition than men and they are often very anaemic and undernourished. All these conditions put together make women weak and vulnerable to all kinds of health problems. Working with dangerous chemical gases and radioactive chemicals in different work environment causes many health problems to women. Agricultural women workers are affected by chemicals in fertilizers, pesticides, and organic solvents. Fertilizer powders mixed with seeds produce burning sensation in hands, irritation of the upper respiratory tract, and sweating of palms. There is no special equipment for sowing operations. Very often women agricultural labourers working in polluted waters suffer from body ache, backache, and skin infections.

Women and children who work in organized limestone kilns and quarries are affected by dust and poisonous gases which are responsible for ailments connected with stomach, liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Continuous inhalation of dust produces respiratory disorders. Beedi rolling women use their fingers and sit in a particular way and suffer from callosities of fingers and feet, lower back ache, stain in the nails, pain, and stiffness of joints. Each industry therefore threatens and harms women in different ways.

13. RURAL HEALTH-CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

Based on the population norms and the statistics the total health-care system or infrastructures is divided into three important systems:

1. One sub-centre for a plain area covers 5,000 population; it can be in hilly or tribal or difficult area covering 3,000 population.
2. One PHC for plain area covers 1,20,000 for hilly/tribal or difficult area as PHC should cover 20,000 population.
3. One CHC should cover 1,20,000 population, also cover 80,000 population in hilly/tribal or difficult area.

14. NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is a response to the verdict of the May 2004 general elections, which led to the conceptualization of a set of pro-poor policies under the common minimum program (CMP).

14.1. Goals of NRHM

• Reduction in infant mortality rate and maternal ratio by 50 per cent from existing levels in next 7 years.
• Universal access to public services for food and nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene, and universal access to public health-care services with emphasis on services addressing women’s and children’s health and universal immunization.
• Prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases including locally endemic diseases.
• Access to integrated comprehensive primary health care.
• Population stabilization, gender, and demographic balance.
• Revitalize local health traditions and mainstreaming AYUSH.
• Promotion of healthy lifestyles.

14.2. Principles

• Promote equity, efficiency, quality, and accountability in public health systems.
• Enhance people orientation and community-based approaches.
• Ensure public health focus.
• Recognize value of traditional knowledge of communities.
• Promote new innovations, method, and process development.
• Decentralize and involve local bodies.

14.3. Objectives of NRHM

• ASHA: Provision of trained and supported village’s health activities in underserved areas as per need ensuring quality and close supervision of ASHA.
• Health-care plans: preparation of health action plans by panchayats as mechanism for involving community in health.
• IPHS: Strengthening SC/PHC/CHC by developing Indian public health standards.
• FRU: Increased utilization of first referral units from less than 20 per cent (2002) more than 75 by 2010.
• District: Institutionalizing and substantially strengthening district level management of health (all districts).
• AYUSH: Strengthening sound local health traditions and local resources based health practices related PHC and public health.

• The villagers have a sense of unity; their customs, conventions, and culture are common.
• In a village, neighbourhood is very important. People know one another and have good neighbourly relationships. The villagers have great faith in religion. They lead a simple life. They are free from mental conflicts. They are sincere, honest, and hardworking.
• India is a land of villages. The bulk of its population lives in villages.
• Till the middle of the 19th century; every village was a self-contained, isolated and self-sufficient unit. But changing political and economic conditions have changed the characteristics of the villages.
• Indian villages were known for an atmosphere of peace and simplicity; But even there, a lot of change has occurred and the villages have become very active centres of political life in the country;
• The villagers are strongly attached to old customs and traditions. Indian villages are known for their poverty and illiteracy.
• In ancient India, villages enjoyed a fair amount of autonomy or self-government. But the British introduced a highly centralized system of administration.
• Today, we are again trying to review the old Panchayati Raj system. The villagers in India are today passing through a transitional period.

I. LONG ESSAY

• Define rural community, and explain the important features of rural communities.
• Define rural health, and explain National Rural Health Mission in detail.

II. SHORT ESSAY

• Explain the importance of Indian villages.
• Explain factors shaping growth of villages.
• Explain causes of ill health in rural communities.
• Explain difference between rural and urban societies.
• Explain rural reconstruction programmes.
• Explain community development programme.
• Explain Twenty-Point Programme.
• Explain Panchayati Raj.
• Explain rural health care delivery system.
• Explain three-tire structure of panchayats.

III. SHORT ANSWERS

• Explain rural problems.
• Explain caste system.
• Explain Jajmani system.
• Explain rural special programmes.
• Explain sub-centres.
• Explain primary health centres.
• Explain rural women.

IV. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Village community
   1. has been in existence since pre-historic age
   2. arose when people began to lead a settled life
   3. arose when people became politically consciousness
   4. arose when population grew in size
2. The primitive village community was
   1. small in size
   2. based on collective ownership of land
   3. based on joint family system
   4. an isolated community
3. In modern community the bond of kinship has broken down because
   1. the village people have become rich
   2. agriculture has become mechanized
   3. urbanism has affected village life
   4. the village youth is educated
4. Which of the following is not a feature of village community?
   1. faith in religion
   2. nuclear family system
   3. community consciousness
   4. joint family system
5. The village people have deep faith in religion because
   1. they are simple people
   2. they are untouched by modern civilization
   3. their main occupation is agriculture
   4. they are illiterate
6. The behaviour of village people is
   1. highly civilized
   2. very simple
   3. cultured
   4. aggressive
7. Villages will grow on a place where
   1. water facilities are available
   2. land is fertile
   3. raw material is easily available
   4. people are intelligent
8. The characteristics of Indian villages are
   1. mechanical codes of civilization
   2. conservation
   3. isolation and self-sufficiency
   4. poverty and illiteracy
9. In modern village community of India
   1. casteism has got strengthened
   2. caste system has lost its hold
   3. inter-caste marriages are common
   4. economic exploitations of Harijans have increased
10. The village is no longer a community because
    1. the bond of kinship has disappeared
    2. panchayat system has died out
    3. joint family system has become disintegrated
    4. community consciousness has decreased

ANSWERS

1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. c 6. b 7. b 8. d 9. b 10. d

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