Development is a process of growth in the direction of modernity especially towards nation-building and socio-economic progress. Development is referred to as a process of continuous progress, unyoking the people from the stages of dependency towards self reliance, assuring equitable distribution of opportunities and resources, and ensuring socio-economic justice and harmony among all sections of the society. Rural Development is a process of developing and utilizing natural and human resources, technologies, infrastructural facilities institutions and organisations, and government policies and programmes to encourage and speed up economic growth in rural areas, to provide jobs and to improve the quality of rural life.

Although in rural development programmes, priority should be given to the marginalized, poor and deprived section of society, they encompass all aspects of rural life, including nature and its elements, i.e. development of agriculture and allied sectors, socio-economic and political development, improving quality of rural life and rural disaster risk mitigation. The objectives of rural development, according to the World Bank, are not restricted to any single department but spread over several, and the resultant mix serves to raise agricultural output, create new employment, improve health and education, expand communications, provide housing, etc.

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Women’s participation in rural development is crucial for social, economic, and environmental progress, as they are central to agriculture, household management, and community cohesion. Their involvement ensures that development initiatives address key issues like education and healthcare, promote gender equality, and lead to more sustainable and inclusive growth. Empowering women through access to resources, education, and decision-making roles is vital, as it directly contributes to improved livelihoods and community well-being. India has been a welfare state since Independence and government policies and programmes were designed to alleviate rural poverty.

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It was realized that a sustainable strategy of poverty alleviation had to be based on increasing productive employment opportunities for the rural poor and providing a better and higher quality of life. Rural development is defined as the process of sustained growth of the rural economy and........

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