Rural Development

India, World Bank may ink $500 million deal for rural housing project

"SHIELD is designed to make rural housing cooler, more energy efficient, and more disaster resilient," another government official said

Bill Gates, Shivraj Chouhan discuss agri, rural development collaboration

Chouhan told Gates that India's focus is on the development of climate-resistant and bio-fortified varieties to ensure future food security

Govt considers increasing MGNREGS funds as rural work demand rises

Expenditure under MGNREG scheme has reached 106 per cent of the available funds, with Rs 82,963 crore already disbursed from the approved outlay of Rs 86,000 crore for FY25

MGNREGS, PMAY-G account for 75% of rural development dept's budget: Report

Flagship rural employment scheme MGNREGS and housing scheme PMAY-G together account for 75 per cent of the budgetary allocation for the Department of Rural Development, a new report has said. In the union budget for 2025-26, the Ministry of Rural Development was allocated Rs 1,90,406 crore. The Department of Rural Development, which implements programmes to provide employment in rural areas, support economic development and ensure livelihood and social security for the poor and vulnerable, was allocated Rs 1,87,755 crore, 8 per cent higher than the revised estimates of 2024-25, while the Department of Land Resources was allocated Rs 2,651 crore, 35 per cent higher than the revised estimates of 2024-25, the report by thinktank PRS Legislative said. As of 2021, 65 per cent of India's population lives in rural areas. MGNREGS, which provides for 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year for adults of rural households, accounted for 46 percent of the allocation for the

Rural Development Ministry warns against fraudulent recruitment ad

The Rural Development Ministry on Monday issued a statement warning against a "fraudulent advertisement" purportedly carrying out recruitment by the name of 'The National Rural Development & Recreation Mission'. "The Ministry of Rural Development wishes to draw attention of the general public to fraudulent advertisements by an organisation purportedly carrying out recruitment in the name of the ministry," it said. "The National Rural Development & Recreation Mission-NRDRM claiming to have its office at Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi, 110001 and websites viz-a-viz www.nrdrm.com (http://www.nrdrm.com) and www.nrdrmvacancy.com (http://www.nrdrmvacancy.com), does not work under the purview of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, as claimed," they said. The ministry warned the general public that any recruitment activities undertaken by the 'National Rural Development & Recreation Mission-NRDRM' do not have the ministry's endorsement. "The MoRD ...

PM Modi launches 6-day Grameen Bharat Mahotsav, unveils rural India vision

At the inauguration, PM Modi interacted with artisans and was felicitated by Nabard Chairperson Shaji KV

Rural development ministry aims to sanction 1 mn houses under PMAY-G in Jan

The Rural Development Ministry on Wednesday said that in January, it will focus on sanctioning 10 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMJAY-G) as part of targets set for 2024-25. An official statement said the ministry will set monthly goals to ensure the implementation of rural development schemes on time and to help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of creating a poverty-free India. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the ministry to decide the action plan for the month. "Poverty-free villages is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge. Today, on the first day of new year, we have set some targets," Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in a post on X. "The schemes of the Rural Development Ministry are bringing a change in the lives of people. The effort is to ensure that all the beneficiaries get the benefits of these schemes in an effective and transparent manner as soon as possible," he said. The statement said poverty-free .

Out of sync: Persistent mismatch between MGNREGA wage growth and inflation

Over the past few years, wage growth has consistently trailed both general and food inflation rates, with the exceptions of FY21 and FY24

Over 3.5 mn MGNREGS job cards deleted, 3.8 mn added in FY25: Govt

More than 35 lakh MGNREGS job cards were deleted in the current fiscal while over 38 lakh were issued, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Job cards cannot be deleted due to non-linkage with Aadhaar, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan further said in his written response. "Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), Aadhar Payment Bridge System is only a mode of payment and job cards cannot be deleted due to reason of non-linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts," he added. Paswan said updation and deletion of job cards was a regular exercise undertaken by states and Union territories. "In the current financial year 2024-25 (as on 16.12.2024), a total number of 35.57 lakh job cards have been deleted," he said. The cards were deleted due to being fake or incorrect, duplicate, households not willing to work, family permanently shifting from gram panchayat and "single person in job card and that per

Took several tours of Odisha to speed up development work: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said she has broken the protocol and undertaken several tours of Odisha and her native Mayurbhanj district in order to speed up development work. Murmu, on the last day of her five-day visit to the state, was addressing a gathering here after laying the foundation for three new railway lines, besides a tribal research and development centre, Dandbose airport and sub-divisional hospital at Rairangpur. "Generally, there is no provision of visiting own state and district as the President. However, I broke the protocol and came down here frequently because of the difficulties faced by the people of this area. Keeping in view the requirements of this area, I do whatever is possible on my part," Murmu said. Murmu said she had met the incumbent Railway Minister several times when she was the governor of Jharkhand to press for the development of railways in tribal areas. "When I was the transport minister of Odisha in 2000, I had requested the incumbent

Several measures undertaken to address 'Sarpanch Pati' practice: Govt

The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is undertaking several measures, including the use of community radio, to spread awareness against the "Sarpanch Pati" system, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The "Sarpanch Pati" system is a practice in which the husband of an elected woman sarpanch wields the actual power. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj SP Singh Baghel said various modes of information, education and communication activities, media engagement, conferences, seminars, training programmes, screening of public service awareness films, broadcasting of programmes through community radio were being done to spread awareness on issues such as the "Sarpanch Pati" system. Programmes such as "Jan Jan Tak Jankari" are being broadcast through 15 community radio stations in Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra on a pilot basis to create awareness about the practice of proxy-sarpanch, Baghel said. The ministry i

Haryana govt working for basic amenities in colonies under MGGBY: Minister

The Haryana government is actively working on the efforts to provide all the basic amenities in the colonies established under the Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana (MGGBY), Minister Krishan Lal Panwar said in the State Assembly on Tuesday. Regarding the provision of basic amenities such as electricity, water, roads, lanes, and drains in colonies established under the scheme, Panwar assured that the state government is actively working on these efforts. Development and Panchayat Minister Panwar said under this scheme, approximately 4,573 colonies have been established, with basic facilities provided in around 2,250 colonies where settlements have begun. In the past 10 years, a budget of about Rs 320.5 crore has been allocated for this initiative. This includes Rs 94.5 crore for the Electricity Department and Rs 66 crore for the Public Health Engineering Department to ensure the provision of essential services, he said. While responding to a calling attention notice of INLD member

Work demand under MGNREGS falls for 12th consecutive month in October

For the 12th consecutive month, work demand under the MGNREGS fell in October, reflecting a shift in the rural economy toward more lucrative job opportunities

Rural safety net: Dependence on MGNREGS needs to be permanently reduced

The scheme undoubtedly remains a robust welfare tool to support incomes and livelihood in rural areas. However, it should be the last option for people seeking employment

How land policy shapes economic outcomes in China, US, UK, and India

How to improve land and capture its value is central to growth and development policy even in the 21st century

Demand for work under MGNREGS drops for 10th consecutive month in August

Nearly 19 million individuals requested work under MGNREGS, showing a 17 per cent decrease compared to the same period last year

SC to hear Punjab's plea for release of rural development funds on Sept 2

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on September 2 an interim plea of the AAP-led Punjab government seeking release of over Rs 1,000 crore urgently from the Centre on account of alleged dues pertaining to the Rural Development Fund. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was told by lawyer Shadan Farasat, appearing for the state government, that the apex court website does not show the matter listed in the list of business of September 2. The lawyer said he was assured that the matter will be listed on that day. We will see, the CJI said, adding the matter will be taken up. The state government has filed an interlocutory application (IA), in a pending lawsuit against the Centre, and has sought urgent release of over Rs 1,000 crore as an interim measure. The Bhagwant Mann government, in 2023, had moved the top court alleging non-release of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and withholding a portion of the market fee by t

MGNREGA demand dips 19% as agriculture activities pick up pace

July and August are usually considered lean months for the scheme in terms of demand for work as agricultural activities are in full swing in the rural parts of the country

Rising focus: Budget push likely for social sector to lift rural demand

Bumper RBI dividend may help govt increase funding

Priority sector tag needed for women-led rural enterprises: World Bank

Recommends institutional reforms to support growth and contribution of women's entrepreneurship