India needs to promote sustainable development in the rural areas where ignorance still clouds the minds of the people. To ensure sustainability in rural areas, the remoteness and potentials in those areas have to be taken into consideration and in turn used for their advantage.
Self Sufficiency
Lack of sustainability makes these areas inefficient in all fields, hence leading to the rural backwardness. In order to achieve socio-economic sustainability, it is important that the rural areas become self sufficient in terms of food production.
Every year thousands of farmers become victims of debt and inefficient climatic conditions. The farmers who feed the entire country are unable to feed themselves. The causes pertaining to rural backwardness are negligence and rural mindset.
Why Sustainability Still Not in the Picture?
In spite of the economy’s development, there are still a number of issues clogging the gates of rural success. Rural areas should tread towards their own development, consequently implying sustainability. The basic requirement for development is education.
The age of putting thumb prints has become a thing of the past. Literacy will automatically pave the way for education. Rural people should be made aware about the benefits of education and its ability to shape their future. Also, due to shortage of qualified teachers and lack of infrastructural facilities in remote areas, quality education still eludes most of the school children.
Gender inequality is another hindrance for development of these areas. Although women have made long strides in achieving equality with men, the status of women living in rural areas is still vulnerable, helpless and dejected. They lack confidence and have little or no decision making power in the household, hence, virtually left with no choice.
Inequality
Added to this, women have to bear the brunt of lack of infrastructure in the schools like separate toilets which precipitates an increase in the drop-out rate of girl students. Another problem that the rural areas face is health. Lack of proper medical facilities and poor infrastructure gives way to high mortality rates.
Thus, it becomes crucial not just to prescribe medicines, but also to educate them about the health problems and providing solutions for better health. It’s a fact that unskilled workers are mainly from the remote areas. It is estimated that only 23% workforce have undergone formal skill training.
Governmental Schemes
While launching the National Mission for Skill Development in 2015, Indian Prime Minister acknowledged a fact, “India currently faces a severe shortage of well- trained skilled workers.”. Training the unskilled workers will make the economic growth become evenly contributed in India.
A number of programmes have been launched by the government for rural development. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is one of them, aiming at cleanliness and hygiene in rural and urban areas. Ensuring that separate toilets are installed in co-educational rural schools is necessary to handle the increasing drop-out rates. Rural development has a long way to go in India. Once the remote areas are equipped with these facilities, India will see a new wave of sustainability.
Written By - Nidhi Verma
0 Comments