India, after Independence, emphasized growth, modernization, self-reliance and social equity while planning for accelerating the pace of economy with the launching of community Development programme and establishing a network of National extension service in the villages, a beginning was made to create awareness among rural communities of the potential and means of development. This institutional infrastructure at grass-root level facilitated abolition of intermediary landlords system and implemented land reforms that enabled farmers to adopt technologies in agriculture. Investments in the successive five year plans helped to establish essential physical, social and institutional infrastructure to bring about socio-economic change in rural areas. Several programmes were introduced in successive five year plans for agricultural development, employment generation, promoting rural, cottage and artisan based industries, poverty alleviation, special area development, meeting basic / minimum needs towards rural development.

For India, rural development has been an integral part of nations socio-economic political development. The problem is not merely one of the development of rural areas but of the development of rural communities to dispel ignorance and poverty and create self-reliant and self-sustaining healthy modern little communities. Rural development can be longer be identified with more increase in gross national product or even per capita income. The objective should be to reconstruct the rural economy in such a way that income flowing from the ownership of productive assets, skills and labour would be automatically distributed more equitably. The sustainable development intervention in the rural areas largely depends on the successful and effective implementation of self employment programmes. 

Keeping this in view the editors have made valuable efforts to bring together the various components of rural development under one umbrella. The Book systematically presents the recent programmes, policies and developments in the area of rural development. The book will serve as a valuable reference material on extension education and rural development for scientists, research workers, student community and policy makers.