India lives in her villages. If we want to see real India, we must go the village. About 80 percent of the population of India lives in villages. They are the backbone of the country. without improvement their day to day life the country cannot march ahead.
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By developing self-reliant self sustaining and participant rural society with equal opportunity for all ensuring social justice the gap between the education institutions and the surrounding communities can be automatically bridge. In other words, the progress of the village is the progress of the country.
The condition of villages is pitiable. There is extreme poverty everywhere. The customs and traditions of the villagers are quite our of date. They are ignorant and superstitious. Though agriculture is their main occupation, yet it does not provide even two full meals a day to many of them. Illiteracy is widespread. Villages have become the home of epidemic and other diseases. They lack medical facilities. Even in this scientific age, there are many villages which are cut off from their neighbouring towns. Thus in villages we find only suffering, disease, poverty and ignorance.
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For real rural reconstruction, different problems must be solved at one and the same time. Piecemeal and half-hearted efforts will make no difference to the life of villagers. The following improvements must be made without further delay.
Ignorance is the root cause of many evils. It is outcome of illiteracy. hence villagers must be educated. More and more schools should be made free and compulsory. Arrangements should be made for adult education. For this, night schools should be started. Education of girls is as important as the education of boys. Girl’s schools should also be opened.
Poverty is the greatest curse in these days. To improve the economic condition of the villagers, agriculture must be modernized. They should be made to use better seeds, chemical fertilizers and scientific methods of agriculture. They yield per acre of land can only be increased thought mechanized farming. For this, land-holdings should be consolidated. Better irrigation facilities should be made available. Through these measures, production is bound to increase. Increased production will lead to better economic condition.
Agriculture is a seasonal occupation. So in many months of the year, farmers remain idle months. It is only through cottage industries that the problem of part-time unemployment and total unemployment can be solved. This will enable the villagers to supplement their agricultural income.
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Poor economic condition has affected the health of the villagers. The sanitation in villages is bad. we find pools of dirty water. The houses are mostly ill-ventilated and have no sanitary arrangements. So the conditions favorable for the breeding of germs of various disease are always present. Moreover, our villagers lack medical facilities. Hospitals should be opened provide medical aid. Gaon Sabhas should be made responsible for maintaining healthy sanitary conditions. This is necessary for rural uplift.
Villagers are the victims of various social evils. Litigation is a pastime for them. They remain under debt from generation to generation. As has been well said, ‘an Indian farmer is born in debt, lives in debt and dies in debt’. They are superstitious. They are slaves of customs and traditions. Social reforms must from an integral part of any programme of rural uplift.
Villages do not have adequate means of recreation. This is great handicap of village life. Cheap and healthy methods of enjoyment should be provide Radio and T.V. sets should be fixed at public places. Public reading rooms and libraries should be opened. Provision for games and sports must be made. Such means of recreation will provide good diversion for villagers in their spare time.
The problem of rural uplift is gigantic. Without the active co-operation of the people and the Government, the condition of villages cannot be improved. Let the Government and the people make joint efforts to improve the condition of Indian villages. our beloved Prime Minister, late Shir Rajiv Gandhi, launched the ‘Jawahar Rozgar Yojna” and a chapter been added to the Indian constitution to make Panchayati Raj a reality. In this way, it is hoped, real power will come to the people and power brokers and vested interest will be done away with. Therein lies the salvation of our country.
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The above essay can be also used for the topics like – Science And Rural Uplift OR Your Plan Of Village Service.