Aims and Objectives of Community Development Programme in India

The community development has been instituted with a view to free the toiling millions of the country from the chain of economic slavery. Broadly speaking it creates opportunities to guarantee the people their basic human rights such as right to earn a living the right to receive the rewards of one’s efforts.

In fact it is a living movement giving the people new hopes and aspirations for better and peaceful living. The people are taking a breath of solace after a long suppression by foreign rulers over centuries.

Government of India officially declared the purpose of the programme, as the purpose of the community development programme shall be to serve as a pilot in the establishment, for the men, women and children covered by projected areas, of the right to live, food the principal items in the where with all for this purpose relieving the primary emphasis in the initial stages of the programmes.

In one occasion Nehru said… “the community projects appear to be something of vital importance not only in the material achievement that they would being about but much more so because they seek to build up the community and the individual and make them a builder of his own village centre and of India in the larger sense.”

Sri V.T.Krishnamachari is of the opinion that the aim of National Extension Service and C.D. is not merely to provide for ample food, clothing and shelter, health and recreational facilities in the villages, what is emphasised is a change in mental outlook of the people, instilling in them the ambitions for higher standards of life and the will and determination to work for such standards.

However the board aims and objectives can be discussed as follow:

i) Community development is based on the principle of people welfare. This would be expressed in such terms which are intelligible to the people. The programme should be capable to inspire people to develop the desire for better living by dint of their own efforts.

ii) Community development programme aims at promoting and developing socio cultural and economic conditions of a particular community. Such a development is to be achieved through co ordinate methods with more emphasis on utilisation of local resources.

iii) To bring about an all round development in the field of industry, agriculture, etc.

iv) To develop a feeling of community living.

v) To develop the sense of self dependence and self reliance among the people.

vi) To make the villages self sufficient and to bring them to the main stream of national life by fostering the spirit of nationalism.

All these aims and objectives are to be achieved by specific activities like i) Developing the village and cottage industries, ii) Making arrangements for fuller employment, iii) Mobilisation of available resources mineral, forestry water etc. Iv) Popularising science and technology by demarcation in the field of agriculture and other allied activities v) Giving guidance and assistance to the people by trained personnel’s, VI) Organisisng co operatives vii) Making infrastructural arrangements like roads, electrification etc vii) Proper arrangements for sanitation etc. To translate all these activities into reality too different methods are to be used.

These two are organisation and extension; organisation refers to forming of community life and developing the spirit of community living. Here participation of people through organisation of co operatives is given importance. The programme and different activities are to be institutionalized to make them self propelling which will make a self sustaining and continuous growth possible. Under extension method the people are to be motivated towards the programme, their outlook is to be changed they should be made ready to accept changes and new things.

It is in reality on educational process which proceeds through five important phases like Awareness, Interest, Testing, Acceptance and Adoption.