Handbook For Development Practitioners

Department of Extension and Communication which was earlier named as Home Science Extension and Communication is involved in rural extension work since its inception i.e. now more than a five decade "Rural development" as a component is undertaken by the department, for preparing our post graduate students to be future programme planners, development workers, programme coordinators and development managers. The concept, approach and meaning of rural development have changed with the changing world. Physical, socio-cultural, emotional and economical environment of rural people has changed in last few decades due to globalization, industrialization and modernization. With the changes in their life style and needs, the training for the rural extension work is also to be in accordance with it. The role of development practitioners is not of providing information, but also to work as behavior change agents, guide, facilitator and motivator. They need to be with people throughout the process of change, for bringing desirable changes in the behaviour, attitude and beliefs of the people.

This handbook will guide the future rural development practitioners to undertake the development work in accordance with the changing needs. The tested practices in planning, implementing and evaluating rural based projects are described .The designing of communication strategies relevant to the projects can be beneficial to development communicators. The projects planned and implemented had its share of problems and challenges which were resolved strategically to achieve the intended outcome. Weaving of development theories, steps in the planning programme, steps of media production were kept in mind, before the programmes were planned. We are sure if future development workers consider these experiences of ours in mind will plan better programmes and would achieve success in their goals. With a dream of a developed rural India "let's join hands"

Mahatma Gandhi famously noted that India lives in its villages. If the village perishes, India will perish too. This truism about the social, economic and political development of rural areas is valid even today. Since a majority of our population lives in the villages, it is important that people in rural areas should have the same quality of life as is enjoyed by people living in suburban and urban areas for the balanced growth of the nation.

In first decade of 21" century Indian rural world still facing many basic problems. There are cascading affects of poverty, unemployment, poor and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas and urban centers causing slums and consequential social and economic tensions being manifested in economic deprivation and urban poverty. This causes major imbalances in the society, thus hampering development.

Rural development means as overall development of rural areas social, economic, political and cultural - so that the people are to lead a pleasant life. Agriculture plays the most important and decisive role in rural development. Infact, nobody can deny this fact that most of the population in India is still living in villages and their livelihood is depending on agriculture. Therefore, we rightly say that India is an agricultural country. Any development, which does not touch the vast masses. cannot be justified. The goals of rural economic growth in the narrow sense but as balanced social and economic development, with emphasis on the equitable distribution as well as creation of benefits. Therefore, the development strategy should be such through which the development of the rural population and rural areas is directed towards a total development of the people and their environment through concerted action.

**Contents and Sample Pages**