DECENTRALIZATION, COOPERATIVES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Book Details:

• Author: D. Rajasekhar, M. Devendra Babu and R. Manjula (Eds.)

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2019

• ISBN: 9788131610862

• Pages: 200

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches

About the Book

Institutions are central to delivering quality services and driving sustainable rural development. In India’s post-independence development vision, Panchayats and Cooperatives were envisioned as key grassroots institutions entrusted with both social and economic transformation in rural areas. These institutions were expected to function in a complementary manner. However, over the decades, they have often operated in silos.

This volume explores whether—and how—Panchayati Raj Institutions and Cooperatives collaborate at the ground level. Are there synergies between them in service delivery, infrastructure development, agriculture, and microfinance? If not, what potential areas of collaboration remain untapped, and what challenges stand in the way?

Bringing together twelve insightful chapters authored by leading scholars and practitioners, this book delves into the historical evolution, structural dynamics, fiscal decentralization, and institutional linkages of Panchayats and Cooperatives. It evaluates the promise of decentralized governance in India and highlights best practices that could serve as models for South Asia.

Topics include the delivery of drinking water and sanitation services, rural public works, microfinance integration, cooperative agriculture, and the cooperative business model for sustainable rural development. The book also critically examines the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments and their implications for decentralized governance.

This book is an invaluable resource for policymakers, academics, researchers, and students involved in public administration, rural development, political science, and cooperative studies.