Panchayati Raj System in India: A Symbol of Participatory Democracy and Decentralized Development

Rural development programmes are designed to facilitate a multi-faceted growth of the rural poor by extending the benefits development to them. It aims at the improvement of their living standards by providing them opportunities for the fullest utilization of their potential through their active participation in the process of goal-oriented change. Rural development also tends to reduce migrational pressure on cities and towns. It also enables the use of human and national resources in the rural areas and to reduce area-wise differences. The government has initiated a number of programmes to resolve the chronic problems facing village in India. As we have adopted policies of liberalization and globalization since 1991, we will have to look at the rural development from a holistic angle rather than from the angle of compartmentalization between the urban and rural development, particularly became of fast changes which are taking place in all spheres of life with market driven economy.