NABARD Grade A 2021: Agriculture and Rural Development

NABARD Grade A Exams are a golden opportunity for the aspirants who are looking to work in Agriculture and Rural Development areas. In this article, we will discuss the NABARD Grade A Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) section of the paper. However, this article will solely be focused on how candidates can prepare for the Rural Development part of the NABARD Grade A 2021 ARD syllabus. Our faculty expert, Kailash Tiwari, ex-AFO, UBI, will take you through the NABARD Grade A syllabus to help you understand how you can prepare for questions about Rural Development. We will look at the syllabus for Rural Development, how to prepare for it and what are the resources available for the same.

How to study Rural Development?

There is no well-defined framework or syllabus per se as it is for Agriculture. Unlike Agriculture, there is no static syllabus for Rural Development. Questions revolve around Panchayat Raj development or about various schemes run by the Rural Development Ministries.

To begin with, first, you have to conceptualize a rural society/ village in your mind. When you do this, think about the following points with context to a rural setting.

Challenges faced in Indian villages

Lack of roads/connectivity- Single-lane roads,
Lack of housing facilities– In a rural setting, people have simple homes. Living in a pucca house is quite difficult as well.
Lack of proper sanitation– No proper management of solid and/or liquid waste. Water waste is dumped in a common canal which leads to diseases.
Maximum agriculture work (livelihood and employment)- More than 50% of Indian population lives in its villages. There is poor employment generation in the agricultural field. This is why the youth are migrating to cities for better opportunities. You will always be questioned about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
Low rates of literacy– People in the villages live very difficult lives. Acquiring basic necessities is a challenge in itself. The focus of the entire family is shifted from education to acquiring basic needs and surviving day-to-day.
Poor basic infrastructure– Primary infrastructure for the health and education sectors is very poor. The aims and objectives of the Community Development Program started in 1952 yet remain unfulfilled.

NABARD Grade A 2021: Rural Development Syllabus

Before we move forward with understanding how to prepare for the Rural Development syllabus, let us look at some broad topics that are evaluated in the examination. There are three main broad headings under which there are several subjects that are assessed. They are:

Rural Area: Concept of Rural Area, Structure of the Indian Rural Economy, Importance and role of the rural sector in India- Economic, Social and Demographic Characteristics of the Indian rural economy, causes of Rural Backwardness
Rural population in India: Occupational structure, Farmers, Agricultural Labourers, Artisans, Handicrafts, Traders, Forest dwellers/tribes and others in rural India- Trends of change in rural population and rural workforce; problems and conditions of rural labour; Issues and challenges in Handlooms
Panchayati Raj Institutions: Functions and Working. MGNREGA, NRLM – Aajeevika, Rural Drinking water Programmes, Swachh Bharat, Rural Housing, PURA and other rural development programs.

What should I focus on?

Now that we have conceptualized life in rural areas, we should understand what needs to be studied to understand and answer questions related to rural development in India.

Rural connectivity initiative and program– What is the government doing to develop roadway connectivity in rural areas?
Rural housing- Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana (PMAY-G) previously Indira Awas Yojana, is a social welfare program, created by the Indian Government, to provide housing for the rural poor in India.
SBM-ODF, ODF, ODF+- Swatchh Bharat Mission: The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban aims to fulfill the objective of 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the country by 2019. This will entail providing access to clean and usable toilet facilities for the citizens.
Source of employment (skill development and MGNREGA)- Study the schemes undertaken by the Ministry of Skill Development. Understand the aims and objectives of MGNREGA
Educational advancement (initiatives)- Study the schemes and programs undertaken by the government for educational advancement such as Midday Meal Scheme, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) among others.
Health structure and programs- Study the schemes and programs undertaken by the government to strengthen the health infrastructure such as PM Jan Arogya Yojana, PM Jan Aushadhi Yojana and Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs).

Static Rural Development

How to study Static rural development? There are no prescribed books or guidelines per se. If you have a fair idea about the problems faced in the rural areas and the work done so far, you will be able to understand what kind of questions are asked from static rural development.

Rural development context
Rural economy in India- Rural economy constitutes 46 per cent of national income. Thus growth and development of rural economy and population are a key to overall growth and inclusive development of the country.
Rural population and workforce- What is the structure of the rural population? Where does the rural population seek livelihood and employment? These and many other similar questions can be expected.
Panchayati raj institutions– How did the system of Panchayati Raj evolve? We will study the various committees set up over the years to formulate the Panchayati Raj system later in this article. Questions on Panchayati Raj are surely assessed in every examination.
About NABARD– What is NABARD? What are its functions, aims and objectives? If you are preparing for the NABARD Grade A exam, it is understood that you need to know about the work done by the institution.
Institutional and non-institutional agencies- What are the agencies that work in the rural areas for their development? Agencies such as banks, cooperative societies, registered societies and NGOs fall under this category.
Rural credit– Any loan that is taken for agricultural purposes or small home businesses across the rural areas in India is known as a rural credit. Also know about Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and Nationalization of Banks 1969.

Sources to study Rural Development

Static part- Related Ministries and the reports they publish.
Kurukshetra Magazine is a monthly magazine published by the Government of India. It helps us understand the government’s views on an issue and the steps taken to work toward it. Reading the Kurukshetra magazine will not only help you prepare for ARD, but also the Economic and Social Issues (ESI) part of the syllabus. If you are unable to read the entire magazine, you can always find YouTube videos giving you the summary of the monthly publication.
Read the Yojana magazine as well.
Dynamic current affairs- Current affairs topics related to agriculture and rural development. Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises published by the Press Information Bureau (PIB)
Economic survey-Agriculture and Rural Development for the year 2020-21.

Panchayati Raj

Balwantrai Mehta Committee, 1957

The Balwantrai Mehta Committee was the first committee that was set up in 1957 to look into the problems of democratic decentralization in India after independence. The Committee was asked to report on the Community Development Programme (CDP) for which the Committee made extensive recommendations. It pointed out that the community development programme had been unsuccessful in the past because it failed to arouse local interest and participation from people. Without local initiative, the development of rural areas would not be possible. The recommendations of the Balwantrai Mehta Committee came into effect on 1st April 1958. The committee laid down five fundamental principles:

There should be three tier structures of local self-government bodies from village to the district level and these bodies should be linked together.
There should be genuine transfer of power and responsibility to these bodies to enable them to discharge their responsibility.
Adequate resources should be transferred to these bodies to enable them to discharge their responsibilities.
All welfare and developmental schemes and programmes at all three levels should be channelled through these bodies, and
The three-tier system should facilitate further devolution and disposal of power and responsibility in future. The committee envisaged three tier system of Panchayats known as Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat and recommended encouragement of peoples’ participation in community work, promotion of agriculture and animal husbandry, promoting the welfare of the weaker sections and women through the Panchayats.

Ashok Mehta Committee, 1977

In December 1977, the Janata Government appointed a committee on Panchayati Raj institutions under the chairmanship of Shri Ashok Mehta. It submitted its report in August 1978 and made 132 recommendations to revive and strengthen the declining Panchayati Raj System in the country. Its main recommendations are:

A two-tier system, that is, Zila Parishad at the district level, and below it, the Mandal Panchayat consisting of a group of villages having a population of between 15 to 20 thousand people each.
Reservation of seats for the weaker sections
2 seats reserved for women
Zila Parishad should be the executive body and made responsible for planning at the district level.
Adequate financial resources for the Panchayat.

L.M. Singhvi Committee, 1986

L.M. Singhvi Committee was constituted in 1986 to study the problems faced by panchayat raj institutions by the Rajiv Gandhi government. The Gram Sabha was considered as the base of a decentralised democracy, and PRIs viewed as institutions of self-governance which would actually facilitate the participation of the people in the process of planning and development. It recommended that:

Local self-government should be constitutionally recognised, protected and preserved by the inclusion of new chapter in the Constitution
Non-involvement of political parties in Panchayat elections.
More financial resources for Village Panchayats
Constitutional recognition to the Panchayati Raj institutions.
For it, a new chapter should be added in the Constitution of India.
Constitutional provisions to ensure regular, free and fair elections to the Panchayati Raj bodies.
Nyaya Panchayats should be created for a group of villages.

73^rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992

The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 has added a new part IX consisting of 16 Articles and the Eleventh Schedule to the Constitution. The 73th Amendment envisages the Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayat Raj System to perform functions and powers entrusted to it by the State Legislatures.

NABARD Grade A 2021: Preparation Strategy / Exam Preparation / Preparation Plan

Our new batch for NABARD Grade A preparation has begun as of June 1, 2021. However, don’t lose heart if you have not yet enrolled. We are still taking new students if you want to join this batch. If you are preparing to clear the NABARD Grade A examination, there is no time to lose! Visit our website to join our new batch.

You should take a look at the previous year’s question papers. It will give you a good idea about what kind of questions are assessed. Similarly, you can take a free mock test to gauge the exam pattern while also evaluating your preparation. You can also understand how to cover the Agriculture part of the NABARD Grade A syllabus.

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