Explain Integrated Rural Development Programme.
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Explain Integrated Rural Development Programme.
The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was a major poverty alleviation program launched by the Government of India in 1978 with the objective of promoting integrated and sustainable development in rural areas. The primary goal of IRDP was to improve the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor by providing them with income-generating assets, skill development, and access to basic amenities and services.
Key features of the Integrated Rural Development Programme include:
Target Beneficiaries: IRDP targeted rural families living below the poverty line, particularly small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, and other vulnerable sections of society.
Objectives: The program aimed to create sustainable livelihoods by providing productive assets such as agricultural tools, livestock, and small-scale industry units. It also focused on skill development, training, and capacity-building to enhance employment opportunities.
Credit Support: IRDP facilitated access to institutional credit through banks and financial institutions to enable beneficiaries to establish income-generating activities and micro-enterprises.
Convergence Approach: IRDP adopted a convergence approach by integrating various development components such as agriculture, animal husbandry, cottage industries, health, education, and infrastructure development to promote holistic rural development.
Community Participation: The program emphasized community participation in project planning, implementation, and management to ensure local ownership and sustainability of development initiatives.
Monitoring and Evaluation: IRDP implemented robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of interventions and improve program effectiveness over time.
Despite its initial focus on poverty alleviation, IRDP faced challenges related to targeting, loan recovery, and sustainability of benefits. The program underwent restructuring and transformation into subsequent rural development initiatives, such as the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), with renewed focus on livelihood promotion, social mobilization, and empowerment of rural communities.