The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on special rural grants for health and education, piped filtered drinking water programs, public and affordable housing programs, public work programs and grants for rural roads and infrastructure. It also provides special grants to rural local bodies.
The current minister is Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been in office since 10 June 2024, while the ministers of state are Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Kamlesh Paswan.
History On 31 March 1952, the Community Projects Administration was established under the Planning Commission to manage programs for community development. The community development program, which began on 2 October 1952 marked a significant step in rural development history. Over time, this program went through several changes and was overseen by different government bodies.
In October 1974, the Department of Rural Development was created as part of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Then, on 18 August 1979, it became its own Ministry called the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. This ministry was later renamed the Ministry of Rural Development on 23 January 1982. In January 1985, it was once again made a department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which was later renamed the Ministry of Agriculture in September 1985.
On 5 July 1991, the department was upgraded back to a Ministry called the Ministry of Rural Development. A new department, the Department of Wasteland Development was established under this Ministry on 2 July 1992. In March 1995, the Ministry was renamed as Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, which included three departments namely the Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Wasteland Development.
Again, in 1999 the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment was once again renamed as Ministry of Rural Development.
Departments The ministry has two departments: the Department of Rural Development and the Department of Land Resources. Each is headed by a senior civil servant designated as the Secretary of the Department. Anita Choudhry is the secretary of Land Resources and Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, is the secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development.
Department of Rural Development The department run several national-level schemes: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for rural roads development Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood mission (DAY-NRLM) for self employment Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for rural employment Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin for rural housing, National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD)
Department of Land Resources The Department of Land Resources runs three national-level programs:
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (Watershed Development Component) Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme Neeranchal National Watershed Project Other Programmes GIZ led pilot Land Use Planning and Management Project Ease of Doing Business - Initiatives
It has the following divisions: Land Regulations Watershed Management and Development Programme Monitoring & Evaluation (PME)
Cabinet Ministers Died in office
PortraitMinisterTerm of officePolitical party MinistryPrime Minister From To Period Minister of Rural Reconstruction Bhanu Pratap Singh(Minister of State, I/C) 30 July 1979 14 January 1980 Janata Party (Secular) Charan Charan Singh Rao Birender Singh 20 January 1980 23 January 1982 Indian National Congress Indira IV Indira Gandhi Minister of Rural Development Rao Birender Singh 23 January 1982 29 January 1983 Indian National Congress Indira IV Indira Gandhi Harinath Mishra(Minister of State, I/C) 29 January 1983 2 August 1984 Mohsina Kidwai(Minister of State, I/C until 31 Oct 1984) 2 August 1984 31 October 1984 4 November 1984 31 December 1984 Rajiv I Rajiv Gandhi Buta Singh 31 December 1984 25 September 1985 Rajiv II P. V. Narasimha Rao(Prime Minister) 21 June 1991 11 June 1995 Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao Minister of Rural Areas and Employment Jagannath Mishra 11 June 1995 16 May 1996 Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao Atal Bihari Vajpayee(Prime Minister) 16 May 1996 1 June 1996 Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee I Atal Bihari Vajpayee Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu 1 June 1996 19 March 1998 Telugu Desam Party Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral Babagouda Patil(Minister of State, I/C) 20 March 1998 13 October 1999 Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee Minister of Rural Development Sundar Lal Patwa 13 October 1999 30 September 2000 Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee III Atal Bihari Vajpayee M. Venkaiah Naidu 30 September 2000 1 July 2002 Shanta Kumar 1 July 2002 6 April 2003 Ananth Kumar 6 April 2003 24 May 2003 Kashiram Rana 24 May 2003 22 May 2004 Raghuvansh Prasad Singh 23 May 2004 22 May 2009 Rashtriya Janata Dal Manmohan I Manmohan Singh C. P. Joshi 28 May 2009 19 January 2011 Indian National Congress Manmohan II Vilasrao Deshmukh 19 January 2011 12 July 2011 Jairam Ramesh 12 July 2011 26 May 2014 Gopinath Munde 27 May 2014 3 June 2014 Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi Nitin Gadkari 4 June 2014 9 November 2014 Birender Singh 9 November 2014 5 July 2016 Narendra Singh Tomar 5 July 2016 7 July 2021 Modi II Giriraj Singh 7 July 2021 9 June 2024 Shivraj Singh Chouhan 10 June 2024 Incumbent Modi III
Ministers of State
PortraitMinisterTerm of officePolitical party MinistryPrime Minister From To Period Minister of State for Rural Reconstruction R. V. Swaminathan 24 November 1980 23 January 1982 Indian National Congress Indira IV Indira Gandhi Baleshwar Ram 16 January 1982 Minister of State for Rural Development R. V. Swaminathan 23 January 1982 29 January 1983 Indian National Congress Indira IV Indira Gandhi Baleshwar Ram Gaddam Venkatswamy 21 June 1991 2 July 1992 Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao Uttambhai Patel Gaddam Venkatswamy 2 July 1992 18 January 1993 Uttambhai Patel 11 June 1995 Rao Ram Singh Rameshwar Thakur 18 January 1993 22 December 1994 Minister of State for Rural Areas and Employment Uttambhai Patel 11 June 1995 16 May 1996 Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao Rao Ram Singh 30 March 1996 Vilas Muttemwar 15 September 1995 16 May 1996 Chandradeo Prasad Verma 1 June 1996 19 March 1998 Janata Dal Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral Minister of State for Rural Development A. Raja 13 October 1999 30 September 2000 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Vajpayee III Atal Bihari Vajpayee Subhash Maharia 29 January 2003 Bharatiya Janata Party Rita Verma 30 September 2000 1 September 2001 Annasaheb M. K. Patil 1 September 2001 22 May 2004 Krishnam Raju 29 January 2003 Suryakanta Patil 23 May 2004 22 May 2009 Nationalist Congress Party Manmohan I Manmohan Singh Ale Narendra 23 May 2004 24 August 2006 Telangana Rashtra Samithi Chandra Sekhar Sahu 24 October 2006 22 May 2009 Indian National Congress Pradeep Jain Aditya 28 May 2009 26 May 2014 Manmohan II Sisir Adhikari 22 September 2012 Trinamool Congress Agatha Sangma 27 October 2012 Nationalist Congress Party Lalchand Kataria 31 October 2012 26 May 2014 Indian National Congress Manmohan II Upendra Kushwaha 27 May 2014 9 November 2014 Rashtriya Lok Samta Party Modi I Narendra Modi Sudarshan Bhagat 9 November 2014 5 July 2016 Bharatiya Janata Party Ram Kripal Yadav 5 July 2016 30 May 2019 Niranjan Jyoti 31 May 2019 9 June 2024 Modi II Faggan Singh Kulaste 7 July 2021 Kamlesh Paswan 10 June 2024 Incumbent Modi III Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani Telugu Desam Party
References
External links
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, website