Village adoption scheme : a model for rural development

Abstract

The study describes a "Village Adoption Scheme" as a model for energising the rural economy in India and to slow down rural - urban migration which research has shown to be harmful to both; rural and urban people of India and their regions. The model presented here is designed to use the resources existing in social, traditional, cultural, legal, ethnic, religious, economic and political layers of the rural society and seeks to enable the region to build upon them to generate resources. The thesis describes implementation of the scheme in one region of rural India and suggests the conditions, which would be needed to prevail if the approach were to be extended. The study describes the scale of the project and also the lessons learnt from the endeavour, which would help those who plan to use the model described. The author participated in the project as a member of the GVSP's steering committee and is in a position to give first hand information of the project works.