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Projects/Studies Completed |
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1. |
A
Study of Political
Consciousness of the Tribals of Jhabua (M.P.) Yatindra
Singh Sisodia |
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2. |
Increasing Gender Bias among Scheduled Castes (A Desegregated and District wise Analysis of Decline in Sex Ratio in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan : 1961-91 R.P.
Gupta |
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3. |
Baseline
Survey of 60 Villages in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh Jhabua
Development Communications Project of DECU,
ISRO Sandeep
Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt, S.S. Chandel |
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4. |
Communication Brief Writing in the Area of Panchayati Raj, JDCP of DECU, ISRO Yatindra Singh Sisodia |
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1. |
Mid Telecast
Survey(T1.1)
of 60 Villages in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh under JDC Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt, S.S. Chandel
Jhabua
Development Communications Project was a pilot project launched by
Development and Educational Communication Unit of Indian Space Research
Organisation, Ahmedabad. The
main objective of the project was to develop the predominantly tribal
district through media intervention. Under
the project 150 Direct Relay Stations (DRS) were installed in the 150 gram
panchayats of the district for communication of developmental programmes
covering multidimensional issues of social welfare.
To assess the impact of developmental programmes, a series of surveys
were planned in the district after definite intervals.
For this purpose 36 villages from the 150 DRS villages were selected
as experimental villages. Besides
this 24 control villages were selected from rest of villages where DRSs were
not installed. After data
collection the interview schedules were coded and data entry was done in
computers. A field observation
report was prepared separately. The
study was sponsored by DECU, ISRO, Ahmedabad. |
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Pretesting of Programmes on (i)
Panchayat Raj/Social Issues (ii) Development Issues under JDCP of DECU,
ISRO, Ahmedabad Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt
Under Jhabua Development Communities Project of ISRO the MPISSR
undertook the responsibility of pre-testing programmes on (i) Developmental
issues, and (ii) Panchayat Raj/Social issues. Pre-testing of various
programmes relating to the said two issues was done in six villages of the
district. Pre-testing was done taking into consideration the aspects like -
Attentiveness towards the programmes, Interest in programmes, Comprehension
of language, Pace of presentation, Personal Relevance, Understanding of
Content/Subject matter, and likings and dislikings of the viewers. Detailed
separate reports for each of the two issues were prepared and submitted to DECU,
ISRO, Ahmedabad. |
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Impact of IRDP on Poverty
Alleviatio in and Employment Generation in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh Sandeep Joshi A study to assess the impact of the IRDP was carried out at the Istitute. The objectives of the study were - (i) to study the impact of IRDP on change in income and employment status of agriculturalist beneficiaries, (ii) to examine the work of IRDP as a strategy for poverty alleviation and employment generation, (iii) to study the socio-economic status of the beneficary household, (iv) to assess the adequacy of credit advanced and its utilization, (v) to identify the sustainability of the assets provided to the beneficiaries and their impact on their employment status, (vi)to study the problems related to selection of the beneficiaries, provision of subsidy and repayment of loans, and (vii) to find out problems based on the field investigations and to offer recommendations for better implementation of the programme. As per findings of the study, on an overall basis, 50 per cent of the sample beneficiaries had crossed the poverty line which reveals that there is a desired and positive impact of IRDP assistance on the income of beneficiary households. The study also concludes that the efforts made under IRDP have generated employment in 71 per cent cases. The present study brings into sharp focus that the IRDP is indeed an effective step in the right direction as it has enabled the poor peasants of the district to improve their lot. |
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1998-99 |
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Democratic Decentralisation and
Emerging Tribal Leadership: A Study with special reference to Jhabua
District Ashish Bhatt
Madhya Pradesh is the first state which introduced new panchayat raj
act in accordance with the 73rd Amendment Act and held elections in
May-June, 1994.
A study was carried out keeping in view the following objectives - to
investigate the socio-economic background of the Panchayat raj leadership;
to evaluate the perceptions of the emerging leadership; and, to assess the
role of leadership in the process of democratic decentralisation through
panchayat raj.
For this study, the unit of observation is Sarpanch of those gram
panchayats belonging to ST category. Adopting stratified random quota
sampling framework 108 tribal Sarpanchas were selected from all 12 blocks of
the district. From each block 6 male and 3 female Sarpanchas were taken
randomly for the purpose of the study. Selected respondents were interviewed
with the help of a structured interview schedule. Collected data were
entered in computer and analysed.
The main findings of the study reveal that in the backdrop of
democratic decentralisation "tribal" leadership has emerged in a
vigorous and determined manner to take up tribal causes. Now, villagers,
instead of going to the traditional people for common disputes, look towards
such emerging panchayat leaders. |
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Village-Level Studies to Assess
the Occupational Mobility of Scheduled Tribes and Impact of Economic
Liberalisation on Weaker Sections: A Study of Western Tribal Belt of Madhya
Pradesh R.S. Gautam
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India
sponsored village-level research studies in different parts of the country
to assess the quantum and nature of occupational mobility among tribals
during decades. The studies also aimed to analyse as to how and to what
extent the process of economic liberalisation has affected the weaker
sections.
This study is a part of an all-India study, focussing on the
conditions prevalent in the scarce resource western tribal belt of Madhya
Pradesh.
The objectives of the study were: to assess the three generation
occupational mobility; to identify the forces of economic liberalisation;
and to analyse the impact of economic liberalisation on occupational
mobility of the scheduled tribes.
As per methodology 10 villages of Jhabua district were selected
taking into consideration different characteristic of villages of the
district.
Group discussion and personal interviews were taken for data
collection. Findings of the study clarify that the tirbal villages are
changing, several innovations have been adopted by the tribals but from the
comparison point of view the villages do not have significant
differentiation. Tribals occupations have significantly changed from
agriculture to labour. The volume of migration has increased. The wages of
labour have increased after liberalisation but due to inflation the status
has remained more or less the same. |
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Implementation of Panchayat Raj
and Political Empowerment of Scheduled Caste Women : A Study with special
reference to Ujjain Division of Madhya Pradesh Yatindra Singh Sisodia
The enactment of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act and the subsequent
state-wise Panchayat Raj Acts in India have brought to frontline
significance of grassroots democratic processes. The statutory provisions
for the reservation of SC, ST, OBC and women are significant decisions so
far as the political empowerment of the depressed sections of the society is
concerned. The project aimed to study the socio-economic background of SC
women leadership in panchayats; implementation of panchayat raj and role of
SC women leadership; and attitude of SC women leadership towards political
processes.
For this study, the locale was Ujjain division of Madhya Pradesh. All
the five districts of division viz., Ratlam, Dewas, Mandsaur, Shajapur and
Ujjain were covered by the study. The unit of observation was Sarpanch of
gram panchayats reserved for SC women category.
The main findings of the study are as under: the socio-economic
status of SC women Sarpanch is average and this is more or less the same as
that of scheduled caste members of society. From the point of view of
implementation of panchayat raj the SC women leadership has played a very
significant role in some specific cases related to their groups while this
kind of leadership played an average role in many general cases. In fact,
the SC women leadership is in the process of learning for the last four and
a half years the basic ideas and principles of panchayat raj. As far as
their level of consciousness is concerned it leaves much to be desired.
However, what is more important to note is that this backward group of
society has at last become a part of political process at the rural level.
It is really significant that what was the most backward segment of the
society till yesterday is now introduced to the political process and this
will provide opportunities of equality and social justice to this section. The study was sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi. |
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Mid Telecast Survey (T1.2)
of 60 Villages in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh under JDCP of DECU of
ISRO Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt, S.S. Chandel
Under the Jhabua Development Communications Project of ISRO a Mid
Telecast Survey (T1.2)
was carried out by the MPISSR in the month of April 1998. This survey was in
continuation of two previous surveys conducted by the MPISSR.
The methodology and objectives of the survey were similar to those in
the Mid Telecast Survey (T1.1). The survey was conducted in 60
villages of Jhabua district. The size of sample was 1800. A structured
interview schedule was administered to assess the level of their awareness
towards media in general and the programmes telecast under JDCP in
particular. A significant change in the level of awareness is seen among the
tribals. |
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Role of Panchayat Raj and Teacher
Accountability: A Study of Ujjain (SC), Ratlam (ST) and Shajapur (General)
Districts of Madhya Pradesh R.S. Gautam, Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt
Primary education is the foundation of the edifice of society's
educational structure and the role of the teacher in such a system is
considered pivotal. With the
introduction of Panchayat Raj in Madhya Pradesh, as elsewhere in the
country, school education has come under the direct control of Panchayat Raj
Institutions. The powers of control, inspection and supervision have been
transferred to the Panchayat Raj Institutions by the State Government.
Keeping in view this major change affecting the overall functioning
of the schooling system, it was deemed proper to conduct a study to
investigate the nature, extent and other vital dimensions of teacher
accountability under the new regime of PRIs. The present study on "Role
of Panchayat Raj and Teacher Accountability in Ujjain (SC), Ratlam (ST) and
Shajapur (General) Districts of Madhya Pradesh" deals with the status
of primary education in general and primary school teachers in particular in
relation to Panchayat Raj in three different socio-economic situations.
The locale of the study was the rural areas of three selected
districts of Madhya Pradesh. All the Gram Panchayats and Primary Schools of
selected districts comprised the universe of the study. From each district
one block was selected for the study keeping in view the
higher percentage of SC, ST and General populations in the blocks of
Ujjain, Ratlam, and Shajapur districts respectively. 10 Gram Panchayats from
Ujjain district; 9 Gram Panchayats from Ratlam district; and 13 Gram
Panchayats from Shajapur district were selected purposively making the total
number of the Gram Panchayats and Primary Schools 32 and 60 respectively. Conclusions of the study throw significant light on the nature of teacher accountability in the three districts under study and provide reliable data for policy formulations for the sake of improvement of educational system at the grassroots levels. |
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Concurrent Evaluation of IAY and
MWS in the 12 Districts of Madhya Pradesh Ashish Bhatt MPISSR was entrusted with the Concurrent Evaluation of Indira AawasYojana and Million Wells Scheme in 12 districts of Madhya Pradesh by the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, Government of India. The evaluation of the said two schemes was completed within the stipulated time and data on floppies have been sent to the concerned agencies. |
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Programme Telecast Survey (T2)
in 60 Villages of Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh under JDCP of DECU,
ISRO, Ahmedabad Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt, S.S. Chandel The Programme Telecast Survey (T2) was conducted by MPISSR in 60 villages of Jhabua district in the month of December 1998. In this survey 3600 respondents were interviewed. 32 field investigators provided their useful support in collection of the data. |
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Impact of Various Schemes Related
to Elementary Education: A Comparative Study of Girls Literacy in
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Yatindra Singh
The challenge of quality elementary education for all the children in
the age of 6-14 years continues to elude India. Literacy for girls has a
reaching implications both for society and the recipient girl. Ground
realities of achieving the goal of universalization of education differ from
state to state and therefore Planning Commission identified some states as
'Educationally Forward State' and some states as 'Educationally Backward
States' to study the status of girls' literacy in such states.
The project was aimed to study as to why the various schemes
introduced in two or more states have succeeded in one and failed in the
case of other state? What are the causal factors of failure and success?
Maharashtra was recognised as 'educationally Forward State' and Pune
district was chosen for an indepth study. Madhya Pradesh was recognised as
'Educationally Backward state' and Ratlam district was taken for the study.
From each selected district one block each was selected. 10 villages from
each block were selected for an indepth study. Panchayat raj
representatives, Parents, Teachers and Educated Villagers were units of
observation. Data were collected through separate Interview Schedules. More
emphasis was given to the study and assessment of various schemes, mechanism
of implementation, budget allocation, organisational set up and other
operational aspects of elementary education.
The project data reveal that girls' literacy in Madhya Pradesh is low
as compared to Maharashtra due to several reasons. The study highlights that
the level of information about government schemes for elementary education
in Madhya Pradesh is very limited. The study underlines educational problems
in rural areas as, lack of interest of parents, little care of siblings,
lack of infrastructure, dearth of teaching aids etc.
The problem has to be tackled at various level- at the level of
school administration, at societal level and at the level of panchayat raj
institutions.
The study was sponsored by Planning Commission, Government of India. |
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Poverty
Alleviation Programme and Role of Panchayat Raj Institutions : A Study of
Jhabua (ST) and Ujjain (SC) Districts of Western Madhya Pradesh Sandeep Joshi
The Constitutional status accorded to Panchayat Raj Institutions has
enabled them to function as instruments of vibrant and viable rural
local-self government. Panchayat Raj Institutions are now engaged in
preparing plans for economic development and social justice and also in the
implementation of various poverty alleviation programmes. Keeping in view
the fact that the PRIs have been entrusted to deal with such problems under
the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Act, 1993, the study was an
attempt to know the role being played by them actually in the implementation
of poverty alleviation programmes.
The specific objectives of the study were: to examine how far
Panchayat Raj Institutions in general and Gram Panchayat in particular have
been successful in ensuring effective people's participation in
implementation of poverty alleviation programmes; to locate bottlenecks, if
any, existing in the way of Panchayats in discharging their duties properly
and effectively with regard to implementation of poverty alleviation
programmes; and, to ascertain as to what extent bureaucracy at the three
levels of PRIs helps or hinders in making these Institutions as an effective
instrument of rural development.
The locale of the study was two districts of Western Madhya Pradesh
viz., Ujjain and Jhabua. With a view to making the study more comparative
and useful, these two districts were selected purposively because they have
dominance of SC and ST population respectively. From Ujjain district the
Tarana block was selected as it has the highest SC population. Similarly, in
the Jhabua district the Udaigarh block was selected as it is predominantly
inhabited by the ST population. From each block 5 Gram Panchayat were
selected. For an in-depth micro analysis of the various issues pertaining to
the topic of study, 11 respondents from each Gram Panchayat were interviewed
with the help of pre-tested structured Interview Schedules. The respondents
were elected Panchayat Representatives, Beneficiaries of poverty alleviation
programmes, and officials associated with the implementation of poverty
alleviation programmes.
On the basis of the analysis of the data collected from the districts
certain policy recommendations have been made. The more important among them
are - the establishment of Mini Secretariat covering an area of 10 - 15 Gram
Panchayats; appointment of only those persons in the PRIs who are duly
qualified in the field of rural development; making available substantive
amount in the form of untied funds; and imparting of training to the PR
Representatives a regular feature.
The study was sponsored by the Ministry of Rural Development, Govt.
of India, New Delhi. |
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Evaluation of Employment
Assurance Scheme in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh Sandeep Joshi
Creation of employment opportunities has always been an important
objective of development planning in India. The relative higher growth of
population and labour force has led to an increase in the volume of
unemployment and under-employment. Policy planners have realised that larger
and efficient use of available human resources is the most effect way of
alleviating poverty, reduction in inequalities and sustenance of reasonable
high pace of economic growth. The Employment Assurance Scheme is one such
scheme which has been introduced keeping in view the above situation. The
crux of the EAS is that those who are in need and are seeking employment
will get assured wage employment for 100 days during the lean agriculture
season.
In order to know the actual implementation of the scheme at the
grassroot level an evaluation study was conducted in Jhabua district of
Madhya Pradesh with the following specific objectives - to examine the
organisational and administrative set up under the new Panchayat Raj system
in relation to EAS; and, to review the programme of work and assess the
overall impact of the scheme. On the basis of number of works undertaken and
the availability of adequate number of beneficiaries of EAS, Alirajpur and
Thandla blocks of the districts were chosen purposively. According the
original plans, from each of these two blocks, 10 Gram Panchayats were to be
picked up but due to non-availability of required number of Gram Panchayats
having EAS beneficiaries, 7 Gram Panchayats from Alirajpur and 6 Gram
Panchayats from Thandla were be selected. In all, evaluation of 17 works - 9
in Alirajpur block and 8 in Thandla block - has been done under the present
study and a total number of 170 beneficiaries were interviewed with the help
of a structured Interview Schedule.
Major findings of the study suggest that the EAS is quite helpful for
those who need work during lean agricultural season. The importance of such
schemes may gain a significant place in the economy of a drought-prone
district like that of Jhabua as during lean agricultural season majority of
tribals do not have any work. For implementation of EAS in a more stringent
and scientific manner certain recommendations have also been presented in
the report submitted to the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of
India, New Delhi, the sponsoring agency of the study. |
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Impact of JDCP's Panchayat Raj
Programmes on Tribals and Panchayat Raj Representatives Yatindra Singh
Jhabua Development Communications Project (JDCP) was undertaken by
DECU of ISRO, Ahemdabad. The purpose of taking up this project was to
demonstrate the effectiveness of communication means to developmental
activities in the district. Panchayat Raj
is one of the programme production areas and the study was concentrated to
Panchayat related issues and programmes of JDCP.
The study was aimed to know the level of awareness about panchayat
raj among tribals and panchayat raj representatives; to find out level of
identification of panchayat raj programme, to analyse the effects of
panchayat raj programme and to evaluate the impact of Interactive Training
Programme.
Methodology adopted for the study was as follows: Jhabua district was
divided in three parts from the point of view of development and 3 villages
selected from each group, totalling 9 village. From each village 12 tribals
(6 Male and 6 Female) along
with all and all available Panchayat raj representatives were selected for
the survey. Thus 108 tribals and 63 panchayat and 63 PRR were interviewed
with the help of separate Interview Schedules.
The findings of the study highlight that the medium of television is
identified by tribals as the most communicative medium. JDCP has made tribal
people aware about the multifarious aspects of Panchayats. Average level of
understanding among tribal viewers has risen. It is also noticeable that
tribal people have become fully aware about various issues involved in the
functioning of panchayats. It is expected that the programme will proceed to
achieve the long felt goal of social justice and economic development of the
tribal society. The study was sponsored by DECU, ISRO, Ahmedabad. |
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Sardar-Sarovar Project and
Rehabilitation: A Study of Displaced Families of Barwani District of Madhya
Pradesh Manu Gautam
Sardar-Sarovar Project, a part of Narmada Valley Project, has become
a centre of controversy in recent years. The controversy is between those
who consider construction of dams as symbols of development and those who
look upon dams as destroyers of human habitats and ecosystems. The central
point of controversy is the uprooting of families which have been forced to
evacuate the areas of their habitat that come under the waters of the dam.
Evacuation of families that have lived in their homes for generations, when
deprived of their social and ecological moorings, face a trauma which can
not be compensated in terms of money or compensatory lands allotted
elsewhere. Such are the arguments of the "no-dams" champions.
The above study was an empirical study of displacement of families
from Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh.
Objectives of the study were - to find out the economic status of the
displaced people and to assess the loss of assets due to displacement; to
find out the productivity of land giving to the displaced people; to find
out the nature/worth of basic facilities like drinking water, sanitation
etc. for the displaced people and to find out how many people have been
forced into wage labour who, prior to evacuation are displacement, had
sustaining occupation in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors
For the study, 107 displaced families from Barwani district and
rehabilitated in Gujarat, were chosen and interviewed with the help of an
interview schedule. These families have been rehabilitated in seven blocks
of Kheda, Baroda, Rajpeepla and Bharuch districts of Gujarat.
The conclusions of the study show that the rehabilitated families
have received adequate compensation from the government of Gujarat. After
getting rehabilitated in Gujarat 18.69 per cent of families, that were
landless in Madhya Pradesh, became land owners. 38.32 per cent of
rehabilitated families started living in their own pucca houses for the
first time and 58.9 per cent of families stopped practising labour work
after coming to the resettlement sites. Some of the infrastructural
facilities like Post Offices, Fair Price Shops, Veterinary Hospitals etc.
are not developed properly in the resettlement sites. The study suggest that
situation of agricultural irrigation will remain grim unless the displaced
agriculturists receive water from the dam which is still under construction.
The study was financed by MPISSR. |
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Village India: Identification and Enhancement of
Cultural Heritage (An Internal Necessity in the Management of Development) A
Study of Village Bhairogarh of Ujjain District of Madhya Pradesh Sandeep Joshi
The above study was a part of UNESCO sponsored national level study
which was taken up by the UNESCO Chair in the field of Cultural Development
of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi covering 100
villages from all the 25 States and seven Union Territories.
The study envisage various aspects of India's cultural heritage
keeping in view the objectives like - exploring a new approach to village
study; identifying the trends of technocentric development; determining the
inner potentiality of village life; suggesting the use of cultural heritage
as a tool for development; mapping India's cultural heritage zones; and
drawing up a technical document for development planners and researchers.
Selection of village for study was based on certain considerations like,
significant ecological, social and religious variations and also uniqueness
in terms of ethnic, occupational and cultural peculiarities. The village
Bhairogarh is selected as a part of this national study because of its
having age old traditions of 'Bhairogarh Printing' and of 'Post Cremation
Religious Rituals' performed by the followers of Hindu religion. The village
Bhairogarh was the unit of study and every household of the village was
interviewed with the help of a structured Interview schedule. Besides, a
good number of informed persons at the State capital and district
headquarters were contacted to enrich the data. Data were collected on
various aspects of village life - local names for tools, products, and
processes; on rituals, beliefs and values; on traditional expressions,
specialists' knowledge system, creation myth, human nature; people's view of
city culture, of Gandhi etc. Based on these, a detailed report was submitted
to IGNCA which indicated the village Bhairogarh as a combination of two
types of village, viz. (i) The Artist village, and (ii) The Shrine village.
The report also brings to limelight various changes which have been
occurring as a result of the transformation in the outward appearance during
the last few decades and the impact of such changes on the economic,
political and social life of the village. |
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Analytical Review of Innovative Approaches to
Non-formal Education for Sustainable Development: A Study of Abujhmarh Rural
Development Project Sandeep Joshi
The study was taken up by the Indian Institute of Education, Pune on
behalf of ARTC, UNESCO-PROAP, Bangkok. The study includes a few projects
which address themselves to literacy and primary education with innovative
approach for empowerment of disadvantaged sections of rural population. One
of such case studies covered under the project on 'Education of Tribals of
Baster District in Madhya Pradesh with particular reference to the Abujhmarh
Rural Development Project' was conducted by Dr. Sandeep Joshi.
The main objectives of the study were - to bring out national
policies and conceptual perspectives of the programmes of formal and
non-formal education for sustainable development; to present innovative
approaches adopted in the selected project for promoting literacy and
education; to bring out the replicable aspects of the innovation areas of
the country; and, to focus on the problems and difficulties in faster and
more successful implementation of the project. With a view to understanding each and every aspect of the project a week long visit to the project area i.e. Narainpur base camp, was undertaken. During the period an in-depth discussion with the project authorities, employees, teachers, students and some of the parents was held. Moreover, required available data and literature relating to the project were also collected. Based on such findings, a concise report on the project was submitted to the IIE for its inclusion in the comprehensive report. The report concludes, inter alia, that the ARDP is a successful venture because it has an integrated approach to the various local problems, such as of education, exploitation of the tribal populace and their poverty, diseases and old methods of agriculture etc. |
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Working of Voluntary Organisations for Tribal Development
in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan (A Study of their Role,
Structure, Programmes & Performance) R.S. Gautam, Sandeep Joshi, Yatindra Singh, Ashish Bhatt
The activities of voluntary organisations have spread manifold in
recent years. Since the tribal population forms an integral part of the
Indian community, most of the voluntary organisations have started working
actively on the issues related to tribal development. The voluntary
organisations in their functioning have demonstrated freedom and flexibility
of working along with a personal touch, and a capacity for initiative and
experimentation with new programmes. They are free to select the service
area and are comparatively free from bureaucratic control. The present study
explores the nature of activities of voluntary organisations, the impact of
their activities on the tribals and the problems faced by these
organisations while working for tribal development.
The locale of the study was some select tribal areas of Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. One predominant tribal district from each
state was chosen for the present study. 10 voluntary organisations from each
district were taken for an in-depth study. From each selected organisation,
personnel and beneficiaries were units of observation. Data were collected
through questionnaire from the personnel of the organisations. A separate
interview schedule was administered on the beneficiaries of the
organisations.
Findings of the study revealed that the Voluntary Organisations that
have sound financial position provide better service to the tribals.
Financially sound Voluntary Organisations have a wider area where they
operate. The study also brings to the forefront an important fact that the
Voluntary Organisations operating in the state of Gujarat have an edge over
their counterparts in other two states covered under the present study, i.e.
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Based on the field experience and analysis of
the data gathered for the study, a good number of suggestions have also been
given in the report for improved working of the Voluntary Organisations.
The study was sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, Government of India, New Delhi. |
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Panchayat Raj System in Scheduled Areas of Madhya Pradesh:
A Study with Special Reference to Gram Sabhas Yatindra Singh
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 is a significant
milestone in the journey of Panchayat Raj Institutions in India in general
and Madhya Pradesh in particular. The Act provides respectable spaces to the
tribal people in the working of the panchayat raj system but it could not
make the tribal communities sole masters of their socio-political destinies
in their homelands and therefore the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled
Areas) Act, 1996 was enacted. Accordingly the state government also made an
amendment in the state act. The amendment included several provisions to
make the tribal panchayats function as the units of self-governance.
The study was aimed to know the level of awareness of villagers about
gram sabha; to find out the level of participation of villagers in gram
sabha; to assess the level of information among panchayat raj
representatives; to evaluate the perceptions of Panchayat Raj
Representatives about various facets of gram sabha, and to suggest viable
measures for the strengthening of gram sabha in the scheduled areas.
The study was carried out in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh which
is the highest tribal populated district of the state. The district was
arranged in three parts from the point of view of development and from each
part 3 gram panchayats were selected randomly. Units of observation were
panchayat representatives and gram sabha members. In all 52 panchayat
representatives and 108 gram sabha members were taken for an in-depth
interview. Two structured interview schedules were administered to the
respondents.
Findings of the study suggest that the tribal community is very less
informed about the specific provisions of the new panchayat raj system. Gram
Sabha has been empowered with all powers to take all the decisions at
village level but the study reveals that the tribals are not aware about the
specific roles assigned to them. There is therefore an urgent need to make
the tribals aware of their roles and rights through training and awareness
campaigns. The study was sponsored by Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi. |
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Welfare Programmes and Tribal Development in Villages of
Madhya Pradesh R.S. Gautam, Yatindra Singh
Tribal community, having its origins in one of the oldest
ethnological sections of population, lives in isolated areas as a distinct
group. The tribals are usually backward people socially, educationally and
economically. Because of their distinct ways of living, patterns of
behaviour, customs and traditions, the programmes for their advancement
ought to be in consonance with the social realities of their life. With this
reason, various governmental programmes/schemes both from the centre and
state are being chalked out and implemented for the upliftment of their lot,
so that they may join the mainstream of national life. Since the
governmental efforts have not effectively solved the problems of the
tribals, some of them have reached staggering proportions. As a result there
has been a growing concern among the policy planners for the speedy
development of tribal areas. Hence there is an urgent need of thorough
introspection of the present welfare programmes for tribal development.
Objectives of the study were: to explore and explain the performance
of tribal welfare programmes, to evaluate the planning process of welfare
programmes at state level and their execution and to estimate the overall
impact of the welfare programmes on the conditions of tribal people.
The
locale of the study is Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The selected
districts are Dhar from Indore Division and Ratlam from Ujjain Division
respectively. A proportionate sampling framework was adopted for the study.
For a proper special coverage one block was selected from each
selected district. 5 villages were selected randomly from each block. The
tribal household was the unit of observation for this study. 20 tribal
households were selected from each selected village. Thus, the size of
sample was 200 from 10 selected villages.
Primary data were collected from tribal households with the help of
an interview schedule. In each selected village, a Village Listing Schedule
was also administered among all the tribal households of the villages.
The findings of the study indicate that the society has very less
exposure on and about the present development paradigm. It seems that there
is an urgent need to make the society aware about welfare programmes so that
the maximum benefit of such programmes can reach to the needy persons.
Awareness campaigns through panchayats can be a very effective and result
oriented instrument.
The project has been sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi. |
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Panchayaton Ki Karyapranali Ka Moolyankan: Dewas Zile Ki
Gram Panchayton Ke Sandarbh Mein Ek Adhyayan Ashish
Bhatt
Elected Panchayat bodies under the 1994 elections completed their
term in June 1999 and therefore it was felt necessary by MPISSR to conduct a
study of the performance and working of panchayats during 1994-99.
Recognizing that the Gram Panchayats were the most significant units from
the point of view of implementation of rural development programmes, Gram
Panchayats of Dewas district (Madhya Pradesh) were selected for the study.
9 Gram Panchayats were selected through purposive sampling.
For the data collection
informal interviews with the panchayat raj representatives and villagers
were taken. Group discussions and personal observation of accomplished work
by the selected panchayats were also the source of information. A village
listing schedule was also administered to find out the details of work done
by the panchayats.
Findings of the study indicate that many rural developmental
programmes have undertaken and completed by the Panchayats under study.
Attention has also been paid to the welfare of the backward people. Our
study reveals that the Panchayats depend more on financial support from
Governmental agencies, both central and state and have not exercised their
own powers of raising funds through taxation. Thus there is no generation of
local resources. Another notable fact observed by the study is that
Panchayats by are large as the programmes implementing agencies of the state
government; their activities remained confined to construction of village
roads or implementation of certain welfare schemes handed over to them by
the state government. As a result of such activities, the Panchayats have
remained far away from the ideal of functioning as units of self-governance
and local agencies of integrated rural development. The study was financed by MPISSR. |
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Strengthening of Panchayat Raj System - A Training
Intervention for Madhya Pradesh
Yatindra Singh
The Institution of panchayat raj in its rejuvenated form, after the
73rd Amendment Act, seeks to achieve the objectives of
democratic decentralization to accelerate socio-economic development with a
view to ushering in equity and social justice. Madhya Pradesh was the first
state in India which had not only formulated its state legislation in
accordance with the objectives of 73rd Amendment Act but also conducted
panchayat election in 1994. Elections for the second term were held in 2000.
Although the state government has been making efforts for the strengthening
of panchayat raj system, the panchayat raj institutions have yet to become
the independent units of self-governance. Panchayats are still working like
the line departments of states. At governmental as well as non governmental
level efforts have been made to provide training to panchayat officials but
the nature of training has been such that it failed to address the inherent
principals of decentralization in real sense.
Looking into this aspect, the project was taken up to develop a
module with the grassroots reality of Madhya Pradesh. The input of research
works and experiences of previous training programmes were used in
developing the module. As the panchayat raj representatives at grassroots
level have a culture of silence, the training module has been planned in
such a manner that the culture of silence can be broken. Capacity building
and sensitisation are also important aspects to be imparted among
representatives. Therefore the Participatory Learning Methods (PLM) is
proposed to use to maximum possible extent. Besides this, lecture, group
discussion, field visit etc. are other methods proposed for training. The
module contains 30 technical papers covering all the aspect of panchayat raj
system. The training programme is planned to address the aspects of general
orientation, politico-legal orientation, role orientation and behavioural
aspects, development and planning orientation, management orientation and
issues of governance at gram panchayat level. The Project was sponsored by
Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi. |
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A Study of Utilisation of Special
Central Assistance to Special Component Plan for the Development of
Scheduled Castes In Rajasthan Sandeep Joshi
This study has been taken up to evaluate the impact of the Special
Central Assistance on the Scheduled Castes in regard to the objectives of
the Scheme whereunder different schemes have been undertaken in various
sectors during the past several years. For the purpose of the study four
districts of Rajasthan were been selected taking into consideration their
level of development. From each district one block each and from each block
five gram panchayats were selected where the persons belonging to the SCs
are predominantly inhabited. From each Gram Panchayat 10 beneficiaries of
the SCA scheme were selected randomly to collect the data on various
aspects.
Based on the interpretation of primary and secondary data collected
from the beneficiaries and concerned implementing agencies a detailed report
has been submitted to the Ministry. The report, inter alia, is
indicative of the fact that various
schemes being implemented with the Special Central Assistance are not having
the impact desired from them. The Report suggests ways to overcome the
prevailing situation at the ground level. This study was financed by the
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, New
Delhi. |
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Madhya Pradesh Ki Panchayat Raj
Vyavastha Mein Gram Sabhaon Ka Sashktikaran: Ujjain Zile Ke Vishesh Sandarbh
Mein Ek Adhyayan Ashish
Bhatt Gram
Sabha is the main organ of panchayat raj system in Madhya Pradesh as
elsewhere too. Its primary purpose is to involve the people in the
decision-making and seek their participation in development programmes.
Keeping this view the present study was undertaken with the following
objectives: to know the level of awareness of the people about Gram Sabha
and its powers to access the level of their participation in Gram Sabha, to
evaluate the perceptions of the panchayat raj representatives about Gram
Sabha, and to analyse the working of Gram Sabha.
For this study, the locale was Ujjain District of Madhya Pradesh. Two
blocks of the district were chosen for study. From each block 6 gram
panchayats were selected purposively. Units of observation were panchayat
raj representatives and member of Gram Sabha. From each Gram Panchayat, 5
Panchayat Raj Representatives and 10 Gram Sabha Members were selected
through purposively sampling. Total of the sample size for the study was
180. The findings of the study reveal that the gram swaraj system could not lead to rejuvenate the gram sabhas as desired. The peoples participation has remained more or less same and therefore the quorum is still a problem. In most of the panchayats because of quorum, the meetings are not being held. People are not informed and aware about the provisions of the new system. The study was sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. |
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Chronic
Poverty in Remote Rural Areas of South-Western Madhya Pradesh D.C.
Sah and Amita Shah
Of the several ways to conceptualise and operationalise poverty, the
Indian state has narrowly defined poverty as income poverty. It is argued that access failure to education, health, social
freedom, environmental quality and political freedom can also pull people
into poverty. Macro findings
have identified Southwestern tribal belt of Madhya Pradesh as one of the
economically poorest regions in the country.
Badwani district in the region has been selected for an in-depth
study. Two Janpads, one relatively developed Sendhwa and one resource poor
Pati, were selected for the study. One
village from each of the selected Janpads, Pospur from Pati, and Kirchali
from Sendhwa, were selected based on their relative remoteness from urban
centres; Kirchali was relatively less remote compared to Pospur. Both
quantitative and qualitative methods were used in collecting data with an
aim to understand the characteristics and determinants of chronic poverty in
these remote areas. Economic
performance of Madhya Pradesh has been modest; its industrial sector is very
thin and agriculture performance indifferent. A large mass of its people
struggles with labour base survival. The head count income poverty is high
and positively associated with human development indices, wage rate, forest
coverage, tribal concentration, sex ratio and female work participation.
Marginalisation of tribals in the region has historical roots.
Despite a strong base for social capital to develop, the community
has remained aloof from non-social issues. Image of modernity and changes
are mirrored simultaneously in traditionalism and status quo.
Diversity and stratification in an apparently homogenous society is
evident.
Two-thirds of the rural households in the study villages are poor.
Locations that are relatively remote have higher proportion of severely poor
households. A large proportion of the poor are chronically poor while a
small group of poor is transitory. Population pressures in remote rural
areas are also a cause of transmitting chronic poverty to the next
generation. Poverty in remote rural areas is closely associated with
land. But as agriculture being
only a part of livelihood during a shock, poverty dynamics consists of a
complex mix of processes, including migration.
In the last fifteen years, agricultural practices have changed as
energised irrigation has helped seed-fertiliser technology transfer possible
in a miniscule of the area. Farmers have been incorporated into local and
national markets, and farm households have moved to high external input
production. In addition, as cotton, wheat and soybean have entered farming
systems, the proportion of production for subsistence has declined. Combined
with these innovations, monetisation
of the local economy and its engagement in the wider cash economy has
increased. The unavailability of cash savings opportunities and the almost
entire absence of non-farm enterprise in the area results in the need to
borrow seasonally and periodically for capital investments for the purchase
of irrigation pumps, investment in digging irrigation wells and for
contingencies such as bride price payments and funeral expenses. The
villagers in the area do not have easy access to formal banking. The Bania
in nearby markets is the sole source of credit and has a monopolistic
position, charging high rates of interest.
Increasing population pressure, in the absence of a significant
diffusion of crop technology and avenues for occupational diversification,
have pushed large number of rural households into a spiral of poor resource
base, limited borrowing capacity and out-migration. Droughts only aggravate
these already stark conditions under which the poor have to eke out their
meagre livelihood. Tribal
migration in search of employment has increased over the years. Migration
from tribal areas, however, is not uniform; some locations have large
out-migration whereas others have relatively less. The intensity of
migration seems to have strong links with borrowings for meeting current
consumption. Seasonal migration does supplement investable surplus when cash
needs are high and sources of institutional borrowings are few.
In fact, migration and credit work as supplement as well as
substitutes in this area. A large part of the savings from migration,
however, goes for servicing debt. Lower dependency ratio, larger asset losses and thus larger
borrowings, result in increasing the intensity of migration. However,
expenditure gap narrows if intensity of migration is high, whereas such
households that do not resort to migration have larger gaps in expenditure.
Migration also induces short-term land transactions like sharecropping,
fixed rent and land mortgage. This not only reduces the risk of farming but
also optimises the efficiency of family labour. Some of these land
transactions also strengthen social links that maintain individual's
position in social hierarchy even in his absence.
Political decentralisation, in this apparently homogenous tribal community, created fissures with intense social, political and economic interests. The experiences of democratic decentralisation in the tribal areas are mixed; it created a set of new leaders within the community but the governance became intensely centralised. The gains of the decentralised governance have been few and iniquitous. As expectations of the community remained unfulfilled, its participation in decision-making slowly dwindled. Sarpanch, and his coterie, have made people lose their faith in the decentralisation process. The community does notice and monitor how the system neglects it. But it does not get enough opportunity to register its protest. Despite the provisions of recall, it is only once in five years that the people get freedom to punish bad governance by rejecting those involved in the governance. The community also has no freedom in the process of planning programmes it needs. The blame for this unfreedom to decide 'how the local development should take place' falls at various levels. First, the process of centralisation at the Panchayat level is too overpowering for the community to exert pressures for participatory process to begin. Secondly, the quantum of financial allocation is too meagre to meet the demands of the community. Third, the desire of the bureaucracy and the elected representatives at higher echelons to control the activities and finances of the Gram Panchayats does not allow functional decentralisation. Lastly, existing laws that govern the natural resources, obstruct the process of giving their control to the community. Social capital in tribal context is omnipresent. Its utilisation in development decision-making, and more importantly, its pattern of manifestation is contextual to the milieu where it is operational. It was observed that social capital need not always bring efficiency in governance; it could work in a vicious pattern, obstructing options that are virtuous in nature. In economically homogeneous and relatively remote tribal areas the social capital is much more vibrant. But the transfer of social capital from social sphere to political sphere is possible only if gains of governance are large and equitable. The trust and concerns for fellow members is in perpetual conflict with political hierarchy which is self-serving. As the representative democracy could not prevent the macro processes subsume the micro-variability of the economy, most likely the participatory democracy is a feasible option to safeguard the interests of this closed economy. The participatory democracy has capabilities to convert cumulative unfreedom to distributive unfreedom. Gram Swaraj has failed in practice but Gram Swaraj must succeed, theoretically speaking, to harness capabilities of the social capital. The study is a part of larger study on Chronic Poverty in India being conducted by Chronic Poverty Research Centre, Manchester University, UK. |
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Study
for Generating GRAMSAT Proposal in Chhattisgarh State Sandeep
Joshi ISRO has been conducting several experiments in the use of interactive television for distance education and training. These experiments have been found very effective for training and education hwere the learners/participants are spread over large distances at a number of locations. This approach is very effective in fields of distance education, training of employees in large organisations and training of rural development functionaries i nthe government. In this backdrop Development and Educational Communication Unit of ISRO, Ahmedabad sponsored a needs assessment study to assess the communication needs of the newly carved out Chhattisgarh State for implementation of GRAMSAT Programme. GRAMSAT is avery comprehensive programme which comprises of the wide range of components like Training and Development Communication Channel (TDCC) which has bothOne-way Video and Two-way audio and Two-way Video and Two-way audio facilities. Other Satellite Based Support to Development through Remote Sensing Applications are: Natural Resources Information System, TV Broadcast, Data Transfer and E-Governance, Disaster Management and Telemedicine. Keeping in view the objectives of the study detailed discussions were carried out with various sections of people. Views and perceptions of the senior officials and NGOs have also been sought with regard to the process of operationalisation of GRAMSAT programme in Chhattisgarh. Besides, information on other concomitant issues was also collected from various departments of the State Government. Based on that a detailed draft report on the communication needs of the Chhattisgarh State has been prepared which contains, inter alia, suggestions for the proper implementation of GRAMSAT programme in Chhattisgarh. The study concludes that Chhattisgarh has potentiality to grow into one of the most wealthiest States in the country. GRAMSAT project can play a vital role in the overall development of this State which has great potential to become one of the progressive States of the country. |
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Public
Distribution System and Sustenance of Tribals: A Study of Western Tribal
Belt of Madhya Pradesh Manu
Gautam
The Indian Public Distribution System (PDS) is probably the largest
distribution network of its type in the world. The system is designed to
help both the producers and consumers of food grains by linking procurement
to support prices and ensuring their distribution along with other essential
commodities at affordable prices throughout the country. The importance of
the PDS increases manifold in the tribal areas where people have suffered
mostly due to the recurrent droughts and inaccessible terrain. The study is
planned to investingate the PDS abd tribal sustenance in western tribal belt
of Madhya Pradesh. The objectives of the study were to look in to the
working of the PDS in the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh; to see how it is
playing an important role in providing food security to the tribal people;
to suggest the remedial measures for the effective implementation of the
scheme; and, to suggest alternatives, if any, to the present PDS.
The study was undertaken in the Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh. The
methodology of the study was as follows - Five tribal blocks have been
chosen for the study. The interview schedules are prepared for the ration
card holders, salesmen of the Fair Price Shop (FPS) and for the cooperatives
which are engaged in the implementation of PDS. From each block five
villages were chosen; thus making the total number of villages 25. From each
village 8 ration card holders and one salesman of the FPS was interviewed.
Thus the sample for the study was 200 ration card holders and 25 salesmen of
the FPS. Apart from this, head of the various Link Societies and Lead
Societies working in these five blocks were also interviewed. To enrich the
present work secondary data was also collected from books, articles, case
studies, unpublished materials and all relevant available sources.
The major findings of
the study were - the quality of ration items and its availability at fair
price shop was endorsed by a majority of cardholders. Mismanagement was
observed during the distribution of customers entitlements. Higher prices
were charged by the salesmen and quite often complete quota was not given.
Price factors was considered as the major difference between the items of
fair price shop and market purchase. The lifting of foodgrains by the APL
category was dismally poor. The schemes offering special subsidised rates
were approved by majority of consumers. The role of panchayats in
implementing the system was found negligible. Salesmen of fair price shops
were mostly non-tribals having higher levels of education. They argued that
absence of construction activity played a critical role in poor lifting of
foodgrains. The difficulties faced by salesmen were from unavailability of
sanctioned quota, higher transportation costs and problems in distinguishing
APL and BPL households. On the wider platform cooperatives were running in
loss due to the extended responsibility of executing PDS at district level. The policy implications emerged from the present study constitutes specific recommendations to reform the system of public distribution in India. There recommendations are - firstly, there is a serious requirement to increase the per capita entitlements. Secondly, to incapacitate the purchasing power among the rural consumers the system of public distribution should be effectively linked with schemes of employment generation. Thirdly, the implementation of food delivery system should be administered very strictly, thus removing corruption and inefficiency rooted in the system. Fourthly, the operations of Food Corporation of India should be restructured strongly. Lastly, the universal distribution of foodgrains is advocated as it minimises the errors of wrong exclusion, which has a high welfare cost that the errors of wrong inclusion. The Study was financed by MPISSR. |
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Panchayat
Raj System in Scheduled Areas of Madhya Pradesh: A Study with Special
Reference to Gram Sabhas Yatindra
Singh Sisodia
The enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act and the
subsequent state-wise panchayat raj Acts in India have brought to frontline
the significance of grassroots democratic processes. The Union Government
passed the legislation to be known as 'Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled
Areas) Act, 1996' for the special empowerment of tribals. Accordingly Madhya
Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Dwitiya Sanshodhan) Adhiniyam, 1997 was enacted by
State Assembly. A perusal of catalogue of powers of scheduled area
panchayats convinces that they have been equipped with special powers for
the preservation of tribal identities. The gram panchayat in scheduled areas
shall work under the general superintendence, control and direction of the
gram sabha.
The Panchayat Raj System in Scheduled Areas of Madhya Pradesh has
empowered Gram Sabhas with all such powers and duties to become the real
unit of self governance. As a result, there has been a growing concern for
the speedy development of tribal areas. The present study is a modest
attempt in this direction to know the level of awareness among villagers
about Gram Sabha; to find out the level of participation of villagers in
Gram Sabha; to assess the level of information among Panchayat Raj
Representatives about Gram Sabha; to evaluate the attitude of Panchayat Raj
Representatives towards Gram Sabha; to know the role of Tribal Sub-Plan
component in tribal development and to find out the level of involvement and
perception of panchayats regarding Tribal Sub-Plan; and to suggest viable
measures for the strengthening of Gram
Sabhas in
the Scheduled Areas.
Jhabua, a predominantly tribal district with 85.66% tribal population
was chosen for the study. The district was divided into three parts viz.
upper, middle and lower from the point of view of development. For the sake
of proper representation 9 Gram Panchayats were selected (three from each
part) purposively for this study. Panchayat raj representative and tribal
people were the units of observation. From each selected Gram Panchayat
efforts were made to include all panchayat raj representatives of gram
panchayat (Sarpanch, Up Sarpanch and Panch) in sample. In total, 52 PR
representatives were included in the sample. From each selected Gram
Panchayat, 12 tribals were included
in the sample out of which 6 were male and 6 were female, totalling 108 gram
sabha members. Primary data were the main source of data for the study. Two
separate Interview Schedules were prepared, one for the Panchayat Raj
Representatives and another for the Tribal people (Gram Sabha Members) and
date were collected from field.
The major finding of the study suggests that the level of
participation of people at grassroots level has been very low and gram
sabhas are almost a formal institution with no role in various assigned
works. The state government transferred nearly all the powers previously
exercised by gram panchayats to gram sabha. This is theory, it has thus gone
from representative democracy at the grassroots to direct democracy but the
fact remains that despite this endeavour there is a clear cut gap between
macro level decisions and grassroots reality.
It is unfortunate that both grassroots leadership and grassroots
bureaucracy could not strengthen the gram sabha. The grassroots experiences
suggest that majority of the panchayat representatives and villagers are not
aware about the quorum required for gram sabha meetings. The required women
representation for quorum is not known to majority of the people. The
reasons shown for low attendance are mainly the engagements of people in
agriculture and labour work. Besides this, migration, lack of information,
groupism, scattered habitation, negative point of view etc. are other
prominent reasons. It appears that the required number for quorum is very
high which needs to be relooked with ground reality.
The vibrancy and efficacy of gram sabha will remain dismal if it does
not possess the capacity to perform assigned roles and responsibility. This
question becomes more pertinent in a socio-cultural milieu where human
resource development is low and society is deeply fragmented and
hierarchical. And therefore it is urgently needed that marginalised sections
of society which have been out from the process of decision making have to
be taken in mainstream through sensitization and capacity building. At the micro level, the gram sabha is a peoples' institution and has been made a statutory body through a Constitutional Amendment. Panchayat raj system in scheduled areas has provided all powers and duties to gram sabha. The resource flow to gram sabha and its ever-increasing powers and authority has generated a lot of interest in people. It is expected that this interest is likely to be translated into a more broad based and participative leadership at grassroots level. The need is to address the issue of awareness generation among masses. Training camps, awareness campaigns and audio-visual mediums can be of critical importance for the sensitization and capacity building. The study was sponsored by Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi. |
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In-depth
Study of Chronic Poverty in Southwestern Madhya Pradesh D.C.
Sah and Ashish Bhatt
In
order to understand why people are trapped in chronic poverty in Remote
Rural Areas (RRAs), a pilor study was conducted in 2002 in a high poverty
region of tribal Southwestern Madhya Pradesh. Findings of the study
demonstrated that (i) poverty is an outcome of complex interaction of
various forces that affect individuals, households, as well as groups, and
(ii) it is important to recognise that poverty analysis needs to be seen
beyond narrow income poverty, for the complex multidimensionality of poverty
may defy solutions that are initiated for alleviating income poverty.
The research, apart from understanding the processes that trap people into poverty, points towards the following facets of Remote Rural Areas :
Households with lower agricultural production rather than high are three times more likely to be chronic poor rather than not But in relatively less-remote areas, growth in agriculture production reduces the incidence of chronic poverty significantly more as compared to remote areas.
Households without investment in irrigation are five times more likely to be chronic poor rather than not but in remote areas, the increase
The study is a part of larger study on Chronic Poverty in India being
conducted by Chronic Poverty Research Centre, Manchester University, UK and
IIPA, New Delhi. |
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Processes
of Socio-economic Transformation of Tribal Areas under Development
Programmes: A Temporal Evaluation of Jhabua District (Madhya Pradesh) Sandeep
Joshi
Social change is a complex phenomena, involving a much wider range of
variables, including the physical, locational, economic, socio-political,
technological, and behavioural. In tribal areas, such as Jhabua, where the
resources are scarce, population pressure is more and the society is
undergoing fast transformation due to large-scale seasonal migration and
concentrated developmental interventions, situation has to be analysed in
its particular context. It was, therefore, realised that a temporal
evaluation of the development process, based on some authentic and
scientifically collected data base, will not only be valuable to analyse the
trend and overall processes at work, but this grass roots information will
also be helpful in theory-building. With this background in view and also
keeping the survey design the same as it was adopted during the first
survey. The present study resurveyed twenty villages, for which a database
was available from a study conducted in 1984.
Last two decades have witnessed a rapid change in this area. The area
has become relatively more prosperous but the labour migration has also
increased - a fact which is quite astonishing for traditional thinkers. The
extent and patterns of migration have been analysed in detail with
references to a number of socio-economic indicators, based both on the
secondary and primary sources.
The findings of the study show that statistically there has been a
significant and positive improvement in the economy of this tribal area on
all fronts. The results of the study are summarised in two sections, viz.,
the pattern of change; and, the process and trend of change. The economy of
the tribal area was based basically on agriculture and earnings from
unskilled labour. Forests, minerals, industry and dairying played an
extremely limited role in the household economy of an average tribal. Last
two decades witnessed a rapid improvement in the agricultural base, bringing
about an unexpected increase in agricultural income to a level of more than
50 per cent, at constant price level. To those farmers whose agricultural
resources were limited, relatively higher wage paid employment in towns of
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh provided them opportunity for cash
saving, decreasing their dependence on money lenders. The increase of
household income, together with a large population of those youths who
remained constantly in contact with urban area, initiated a process of
social change that has paved the way for rapid transformation of the
socio-economic scenario of this area. The large-scale public investment
under sub-plan strategy, in spite of large leakages, helped to build an
infrastructural base of the area, providing thereby strong ground for this
transformation.
Findings also indicate how certain processes, such as seasonal labour
migration, which emerged out of survival compulsion, later on helped the
society to increase their productivity and pave the way for faster
transformation. Marx is known to have asserted that the character of society
depended on the way in which economic problems were solved by that society.
In the case of Jhabua, besides this in-built mechanism, the intervention of
the State in terms of planned inputs, has also significantly contributed to
providing a strong infrastructural and capital base for bringing about this
transformation. The rapid
change witnessed during the last two decades should be viewed in a frame of
multi-causality with chain reactions. The basis of the change has been those
processes which helped to increase household income at the grassroots level,
i.e., of those who were cultivators and wage earners. With the enhancement
of income, coupled with the awareness generated due to urban contact, mass
media, increased accessibility, political process, and education, they
started a chain of social processes which resulted in decreased crimes,
accelerated process of assimilation, and creation of separate status
identities among tribals themselves. The study was sponsored by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi. |
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