Dr. Kalam's PURA Model and Societal Transformation: Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas

Ever since Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has become President of India (July 25, 2002), he has spearheaded a socio-economic movement of igniting the young minds with positive thoughts and of propagating the "Developed India by 2020" vision with constructive mission modes. PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) is the major component of President's Dream for developed India. It differs from the conventional ideas of economic development of rural areas in many ways-a comprehensive and composite rural development, government investment at urban levels in rural programmes, reverse rural- urban migration, the prerequisite quality infrastructure, supportive modern industry and investment in social and commercial service and private enterprise initiative.
PURA habitat design depends upon the infrastructural ring road linking a loop of villages and the interfacing of four connectivities-Physical, Electronic, Knowledge and Economic-to enhance rural prosperity. The Model should enable proper selection of village clusters and deployment of the youth in different areas of rural development to make this programme a reality.
The book is divided into three Parts: Pre-PURA. Socio- Economic "Divides", The PURA Revolution: Creating "Connectivities" and Post- PURA Scenario: Transforming Rural "Realties". The ten Chapters focus on: Dynamics of Societal Transformation, Rural-Urban divide: "Vision vignettes, PURA A Road Map for New Rural India, PURA: Challenges and Opportunities, PURA Model: A Neo-Gandhian Approach to Development, PURA: Towards a Sustainable Society, PURA: An Academic Angle, Connecting Rural India: Village Resource Centres, Virtual Villages: Promises, Problems and Prospects and PURA: A Success Story.
The compiled contributions are from eminent experts- Dr. A.PJ. Abdul Kalam, Dr. PV. Indiresan, Dr. M.S Swaminathan, Dr. S.P Gupta and Dr K. Venkatasubramanian and academics-Professors, Ruddar Datt and P. Jegadish Gandhi and the media reporters, S.S. Jeevan and Anand Parthasarthy.
This book is very informative and interpretative in its illuminating contents on PURA Scheme. A valuable referral to students, teachers and research scholars in social sciences and technocrats, innovative entrepreneurs and non-governmental programmers and social activists in rural transformation.

P. Jegadish Gandhi, formerly Professor of Economics at Voorhees College Vellore for over three decades, is now Director of the Vellore Institute of Development Studies. Specialising in Development and Socio-economic issues, Gandhi has more than 200 articles published in leading economic journals and in popular periodicals in India and abroad and 21 books to his credit. His book on The Socio-Economic Thoughts of APJ Abdual Kalam was published in February 2004
His Deep & Deep publications include: Socio-Economy of India: The First 50 Years and Beyond (1998), State Transport Undertakings: Structure, Growth and Performance (1998), New Facets of Financial Federalism in India (1999), Services Sector in the Indian Economy (2002), National and Sub- National Economic Development: Post Economic Reforms (2003).
Globalised Indian Economy: Contemporary Issues and Perspectives (2003) and Great Indian Economists: Their Creative Vision for Socio-Economic Development-Malcolm S. Adiseshiah, Volume 8 with D.K. Das (2004).
He has participated in and presented papers at several National and Regional seminars and International conferences (University of Sorbonne, Paris, National University of Singapore, Northeastern University Boston, Akademi Leimena, Jakarta and Informal Service Centre, Nepal). He has organized many national and regional seminars in Vellore. He was local Secretary of the 84th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association held at Vellore in 2001. Gandhi was a Associate Editor of International Journal of New Ideas (London), Archives of Economic History (Athens), The Indian Economic Journal (Mumbai) Peninsular Economist (Trichy) and Theology for our Times (Bangalore). He is a book reviewer, The Hindu-Business Line (Chennai) and the Tamil Nadu Regional News Columnist, Southern Economist (Bangalore) .

PURA is one of the five major components of President's Dream, his Vision 2020 for a Developed India. It differs from the conventional ideas of economic development of rural areas in six different ways:
(a) It aims at a comprehensive development of rural areas to generate urban-level incomes, and not mere "poverty alleviation".
(b) It plans for an investment at urban levels and not the much lower amounts that prevails at present.
(c) It aims to generate employment for the educated, thereby, halt and even reverse rural-urban migration
(d) It treats quality infrastructure as the prerequisite and not the consequence of development.
(e) It seeks modern industry, investment in social and commercial service instead of rural handicrafts and agri-based small industry.
(f) It relies on private initiative. It is a for-profit
enterprise not dependent on subsidy from the government.

Rural development is not only a process, a method, a programme, but also a movement in our country. Ever since Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has become President of India (July 25, 2002), he has spearheaded a socio-economic movement of igniting the young minds with positive thoughts and of propagating the "Developed India by 2020" vision with constructive mission modes. As President, for the first time, Dr. Kalam has outlined his pet project of PURA-Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas in the book release function held at the Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi on October 23, 2002. Since then, Dr. Kalam has passionately championing for the PURA scheme to be implemented as part of 'Developed India' vision in almost all his Presidential addresses and social dialogues. His persuasive advocacy has convinced the then Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee to declare a policy pronouncement in his Independence Day Address on August 15, 2003 that PURA as the NDA government- propelled rural project. This has kindled many state governments, private organizations and NGOs to direct their efforts towards creating more PURAS which are economically viable and technologically sustainable. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) under the Prime Ministership of Dr. Manmohan Singh has adopted pro-PURA approach as part of "New Deal" for rural India.