Rural Community Development: Need For Appropriate Technological Interventions

Villages are backbone of India and most of the India’s population lives in villages. Though Indian villages are having vast natural resources which are not fully utilized to boost the economic status of the villagers. The same is replicated on economic status of the nation. It is very imperative to tap the resources and proper channelizing of those resources for holistic development of villages. Hence, it is essential that NGO's, educational institutions should adopt villages within operating vicinity and implement projects to alleviate rural poverty. Along with sustainable programmes and projects to alleviate poverty, technological interventions play a crucial role. NGO's can play a lead role in mapping the resources and tying the people, resources, needs and markets with appropriate specialists and to bring out a transformation in the geographical area. This requires a collaborative approach between educational institutions, technology developers, disseminators, marketing agencies, funding agencies, competency of local people, line departments of state and union government etc. NGOs have to involve themselves enthusiastically in such kinds of social development exercises and disseminate appropriate technology interventions for rural community development. Therefore the rural sector has to be developed and the problems prevailing in the regions are to be eradicated through well-defined development activities. The appropriate developmental programmes should focus on poverty alleviation by accelerated income generation through value addition to the agricultural products, increasing the productivity, agro- waste addition to the agricultural reduction, spreading marketing network, setting-up small scale production units etc. all these issues can be well- tackled through promotion of appropriate technologies and rural resource management. In the present demanding situation, social organizations and NGOs and technology developing institutions should shoulder the responsibilities and disseminate appropriate technologies to uplift the rural poor and to improve their quality of life.

• Eco friendly technology development for utilizing local resources

• Optimum exploitation of natural recourses

• Nurturing natural resource regeneration

• Simple adaptable technology – not high tech

In the present day scenario rural technology plays a major role in the socio-economic development of downtrodden masses. India has the potential to be self-sufficient and even to lead the world but requires appropriate and indigenous technologies for societal development. Rural technology applications for rural development not only reduce the drudgery of the rural people but also help to maintain traditional technologies. In addition technologies identified for rural areas should play an important role in developing the economic status of rural people. Innovations to suit the local conditions and successful implementation of technologies are essential in reducing the poverty of the rural poor and to secure livelihoods that minimize resource depletion and environmental degradation. However, development of appropriate technology for rural needs requires adaption, innovation, constant modification and upgradation. Development and innovation of a technology cannot be separated from its transfer to the field. Similarly sustainable technologies will also help to create eco-friendly environment in the rural areas. For effective implementation, a holistic approach on each village is needed rather than random implementation on topographical presence. Hence it is imperative on NGOs, education institutions. Adequate knowledge and training on the technology are essential for technology dissemination. Promotion of S&T interventions for rural development involves planning as well as cooperation and coordination among technology developing institutions, NGOs and line agencies of rural sectors. Execution of surveys in the rural areas on locally available recourses, socio economic status of the community, facilities available etc… are needed to be carried-out through people’s participation. The needs of the villagers and their motivation level could be well identified by the process of participatory rural appraisal. Motivation and creation of awareness plays important role in successful implementation of rural programmes. It is very important to note that from time of the generation of project to its successful completion, people participation is necessary to make an impact on the rural masses through systematic approaches. The following areas could be studied extensively for resources available in the village and possible interventions have to develop for improvement of our rural India. Interventions have to invade both technical

• Non-conventional energy sources

• Water purification/availability of potable water

• Fuel efficient technologies

• Identification of alternative non-conventional fuel

• Bio-technology based agro industries

• S&T for enhanced agricultural productivity

• S&T application for conversion of local available raw materials/resources for Income generation

• Medicinal plants & Herbal gardens

• Waste management & agriculture productivity

• Seaweed cultivation for income generation in coastal areas

• Exploration and extraction of natural dyes

• Value addition through processing of good and agricultural products.

As three fourths of India’s population reside in rural areas, and these areas are generally with lesser income levels, higher unemployment and higher poverty rate than urban area. At the same time, impoverished rural people use less public assistance because they do not have access to information or some misconceptions about programmes in rural areas. These factors make rural social work practice a unique endeavour. Social Work services are surely needed in rural areas of our country. Social Work practice in rural community challenges the social worker to embrace and effectively use an impressive array of professional intervention and community organization skills. Across the nation rural families are facing so many problems such as lack of improvement in agriculture, indebtedness, decline of handicrafts, cottage industries, population increase, lack of access to public services etc. All these factors together took their toll on the traditionally stable rural families. In rural areas, urgently needed services are in the following areas:

• Job and economic problem

 Alcohol and drug addiction and problems of adults and youth

• Marriage and family problems and

• Personal stress, anxiety, depression... etc.

The Royal commission report on agriculture which stated that "For rural upliftment removal of illiteracy, poverty, ignorance, dirt, disease and general apathy and sustained effort should be made by all those departments whose activities touch the lives and surroundings of rural population". In India many community development programmes are carried out to promote better living for the whole community with the active participation and initiation of the community themselves. Most of the rural development programmes are aimed to build self-sustainability and self-reliance. The ultimate social work philosophy also believes in this only. So rural social work has become an essential tool to develop rural areas. The rural social worker serves the rural people with help of wide range of intervention methodologies and professional skills. Further the rural social worker must have sound knowledge about rural community background, community organization process and also be able to work with individuals or groups. While working in rural communities the worker has to be aware about positive aspects such as open communication inter agency co-operation source of community and negative aspects like geographic isolation, personal services isolation, etc.

Making new social and educational technology available in culturally sensitive ways with respect to marginalized, poor and deprived peoples is an area of publicly avowed concern of a growing number of social work professionals world-wide. However, this concern has not been translated sufficiently into professional social work education or practice. Much more concerted efforts are needed to develop and adopt a arrogance that has been defined as "a support for technologies, often of limited social utility or questionable technical feasibility, whose introduction leads to an underestimation of environmental or social costs" (Josephson, 1992, p. 26). Certainly, new and more appropriate technology developed from within a community or society, as well as technology transfers from outside, continues to be necessary for any community or nation that desires to help large numbers of its people break out of the cycle of poverty. A major challenge is for social workers to join actively with other socially concerned and culturally sensitive professionals, social scientists, citizen leaders and government officials in providing new forms of local, national and international technology development, transfer, adoption or adaptation to support the well-being and human realization of all people. Such a practice frame of reference and approach can serve a cross commitment of goals that reflect concerns and aspirations for and of all people. Moreover, such an inclusivity model will help social workers to act on their belief that communities and societies are measured ultimately by the way they treat their members, particularly those who are their least privileged. In this direction the students of social work department used to work with rural communities during their rural field work and rural camps. They identify the problems in rural areas and also identify the resources available and educate the community people about programmes, ways and means to get the programmes. Further the social work students conduct many awareness programmes about latest technology intervention available and how to use them for sustainable development and for environmental protection

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