Almost 70 per cent of the Indian population lives in villages. Therefore it is natural that for ‘inclusive’ development, the Government must focus on them. Placing the emphasis on creating ‘smart cities’ is flawed policy. We must give top priority to the development of ‘smart villages’ — preserving the sustainability of villages will positively impact cities in the long run.

In recent times, more cases of farmers’ suicides due to crop failure have been reported. Even after 70 years of independence, we lack a ‘support and guidance system’; nor do we have professional counselling for farmers. Many of them have no secondary source of income — this is a major lacuna. The lack of job opportunities in villages coupled with less remunerative farming (except in the case of large land holdings) compels village youth to migrate to cities. There, many of them do not enjoy a reasonable quality of life because they manage to get only subsistence jobs. The migration is also uni-directional as they continue to live in cities in the hope of landing better jobs. In the long term, this leads to desertion from villages, dilution of village culture, reduced land under cultivation and, consequently, farm output. In the cities, uncontrolled migration adds to pollution, traffic problems, crime, and over-burdening of civic amenities and infrastructure.

Towards self-sustenance The top priority should be the creation of opportunities for youths in villages, thereby discouraging migration to cities. Farming should be made a remunerative occupation, with guidance and mentoring to small farmers on how to get the best yield and market at remunerative prices. It’s important to train them to develop a secondary source of income. The benefits of schemes such as crop insurance, soil health card, and neem pesticides must reach the grassroots. Proper implementation is key. A helpdesk set up in every village and manned by trained individuals to handle farmers’ queries and provide solutions would be most useful.

We must create an eco-system that makes youth interested in working from their villages. BPOs/KPOs can operate from villages and young people can be encouraged to take up IT jobs there. Many jobs require computer skills instead of degrees. The digitisation of post offices, rural banks, and IT-enabled services provide excellent opportunities. Projects supported by Digital India and Skill India should be integrated through a unified agency to reach villages. For instance, Skill India can empower youths to start their own small businesses after training as masons, mechanics, electricians, and drivers or to run repair shops, poultry and dairy farms, kirana stores, tea-shops, dhabas and so on.

India’s crafts thrive in villages, especially as cooperative ventures. Pottery, metal craft, weaving, jewellery making, wood craft, shell craft, cane craft, embroidery, ivory craft, glass craft and paper craft could be sources of income. The arts and crafts ecosystem of villages is impossible to recreate in cities. A great deal of export potential is hidden here. Senior/elderly artisans can be employed as ‘trainers’.

Inclusive approach We have sizable tribal population in India, who live in villages, and do not wish to be uprooted. We need to make them part of development. Skill India can study the art/craft unique to each tribal cluster and train their youths to grow in their vocations. They will come into the mainstream by learning the use of new tools and techniques , without the fear of losing their lands, identity and culture.

Villages traditionally preserve large number of water bodies like ponds, wells, bawadis, canals etc. Training villagers in water harvesting methods, rejuvenating ponds/wells to improve water storage and sharing these good practices systematically with others, would help mitigate hardships.The NITI Aayog can draw a master plan to make every village smart in the next five years. Invite support from private institutions or NGOs; however, execution must remain with a governmental ‘nodal agency’.

Smart villages can translate into improved farm productivity, water conservation and economic independence to village youth. It makes great social, economic and political sense.

The writer is a professor at the Integral Institute of Advanced Management, Visakhapatnam. The views are personal

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