COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Community: is a group of people who live in a geographical area and have an interest in each
other for the purpose of making a living.
Development: connotes growth or maturation. It implies gradual and sequential phases of
change. It refers to the upward or increasing differentiation.
Community Development: It is a movement designed to promote better living for the
community with the active participation and/or the initiative at the community.
It is a method by which people of villages are involved in helping to improve their own
economic and social conditions and thereby they become more effective groups in programmes
of their national development.
It is a process of change by which people's efforts are united with those of group
authorities to improve their economic, social and cultural conditions of communities, into the life
of the nation and to enable them to contribute fully to national programmes.
Genesis of Community Development Programme (CDP - 1952)
Based on the experiences within the country and abroad, the recommendations of the
Fiscal Commission (1949) and the Grow More Food Enquiry Committee (1952) the CDP was
launched on October 2, 1952, the birth-day of Mahatma Gandhi.
At the initial stage in 1952 there were 55 community projects in 3 blocks. Each of the
community development projects covered an area of about 450-500 sq.miles with about 300
villages and a population of about 2 lakhs. Each project area has been divided into three
development blocks. A development block consisted of about 100 villages with about 150-170
sq.miles and a population of about 60-70 thousands. Each block was further divided into groups
of 5-10 villages each. Each such group formed the area of operation for a village level worker
(Gram Sevak) who was the basic level extension functionary in the community development
programme.
The need for rapid extension of the programme to other parts of the country led to the
National Extension Service (NES) along side the CDP on October 2, 1953 covering the entire
country within a period of 10 years.
In 1957, the Balvantroy Mehta team recommended the establishment of statutory elective
of local leaders i.e., Panchayat Raj Institutions (Village Panchayat, Panchayat Union and District
Development Council). This programme laid emphasis on all round development of the whole
community with special emphasis on weaker and under privileged sections through the use of
area development, self-help and integrated approaches. The CDP , however, could not bring
expected change in improving the conditions of rural masses or there was not much development
in the area of agricultural development.
Objectives of Community Development in India
The fundamental or basic objective of Community Development in India is the
development of people of "Destination Man".
Its broad objectives are (I) economic development, (ii) social justice and
(iii) democratic growth. The attempt is to secure as good a balance as possible among these
three objectives and to inter-relate them in a manner that they support one another. More
specifically, objectives of the Community Development Programme are:
i) To assist each village in having effective panchayats, cooperatives and schools;
ii) Through these village institutions, plan and carry out integrated multi-phased family,
village, Block and District.
a) Increasing agricultural production.
b) Improving existing village crafts and industries and organising new ones.
c) Providing minimum essential health services and improving health practices.
d) Providing required educational facilities for children and an adult education programme.
e) Providing recreational facilities and programmes.
f) Improving housing and family living conditions, and
g) Providing programmes for village women and youth.
