The Community
The term 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.
"A community, while in it consisting of several parts, is also a part of a larger social system. It is a
dynamic social unit which is subject to change of internal or external origin”.
Development
The development connotes growth or maturation. It implies gradual and sequential phases of change.
According to MacIver "Development" to signify an upward course in a process "that is, of increasing
differentiation.
Analysing the term- Community Development
Community development is a continuous process of social action by which the people of a
community:
a. Define their common and group needs;
b. Organize themselves formally and informally for democratic planning and action;
c. Make group and individual plans to meet their needs and solve their problems
d. Execute their plans with maximum reliance upon their own resources
e. Supplement their resources from outside the community, when necessary with services and
material
According to Carl Tylor, "community development is a method by which people in villages are
involved in helping to improve their own economic and social conditions and thereby they became
effective working groups in the programme of their national development". This carries the
assumption that people became dynamic if they are permitted to make their own decisions end are
helped to carry on the programme.
Community Development Programme
The community development programme was started in India, just after independence (1952). It was a
multi project programme with the aim of an overall development of rural people. This programme
consisted of agriculture, animal husbandry, irrigation, cooperation, public wealth, education, social
education, communication, village industries etc. There are officials for each activity at district level
to plan execute and evaluate the programme up to the village level.
Essential Elements of CD
The Successful Community Development programme stresses the following basic elements:
1. Activities undertaken must correspond to the basic needs of the community. The first projects
should be initiated in response to the expressed needs of people.
2. There should be concerted action and the establishment of multi-purpose programme.
3. Change in the attitudes of the people is as important as the material achievement through
Community Development during the initial stages of development.
4. Community Development aims at increased and better participation of the people in
community affairs, revitalization of existing forms of local government and transition towards
effective local administration where it is not yet functioning.
5. The identification, encouragement and training of local leadership should be a basic objective
in any programme.
6. Greater reliance on the participation of women and youth in community projects invigorates
development programmes, establishes them on a wide bases and success long-range
expansion
7. To be fully effective, community self help projects require both internal and external
assistance from the government.
8. Implementation of a C.D.P. on a national scale require adoption of consistent policies, specific
administrative arrangement, recruitment and training of personnel, mobilization of local and
national resources and organization of research, experimentation and evaluation.
9. The resources of the voluntary non-governmental organization should be fully utilized in
community development programmes at the local, national and international level.
10. Economic and social progress at the local level necessitates parallel development on a wider
national level.
Objectives of the community development programme
In India, the objective behind the community development programme is to develop the resources of
the people numbering about 640 millions who form the rural population. The elements of
development are:
1. General: Farm, home, public service and village community.
2. Specific: To bring improvement in the production of crops and animals, living conditions,
health and education of the people.
3. Elements which need change are: People-men, women and youth
4. Change agents: The change agents are:
a. Voluntary local leaders-members of Panchayats, village and Block Advisory
Committees etc.
b. Professional community development workers- Village Level Workers, extension
officers, block development officers etc.
Philosophy behind Community Development Programme
The philosophies on which the Community Development Programme should be based are as follows:
1. ‘Work based on felt needs': The programme should help the community to solve some of the
problems which it fells are existent.
2. Work based on assumption that people want to be free from poverty and pain: It is
assumed that the members of the community want a standard of living that allows them to be
free from pain caused due to lack of sufficient, food, lack of sanitary conditions, lack of
clothing and shelter.
3. It is assumed that people wish to have freedom in controlling their own lines and deciding the
forms of economic, religious, educational and political institutions, under which they will
live.
4. People's values given due consideration: It is presumed that cooperation, group-decision,
self-initiative, social responsibility, leadership, trust worthiness and ability to work are
included in the programme.
5. Self-Help: The people actually plan and work on the solution of their problems themselves of
the problems of the community are entirely ameliorated through the efforts of some outside
agency, then the development of such things as group decision making, self-initiative, self
reliance leadership etc. will not be forth coming and it cannot be said that the community is
developing.
6. People are the greatest resource: It is by getting the participation of the people in
improvement activities that they become developed.
7. The programme involves a charge in attitudes, habits, ways of thinking, relationships among
people in the level of knowledge and intellectual advancement of people, changes in their
skill practices of agriculture, health etc.
Causes of failure
The causes of the failure of the community development programme are as follows:
1. Uneven distribution of the benefits of the programme
2. Absence of clearly defined priorities in the programme
3. Failure to evoke popular response
4. Unqualified personnel
5. Lack of functional responsibility
6. Ritualism: A spirit of ritualism permeated the block programmes and inauguration,
opening or foundation stone laying became the be all and end all at all block activities.
The project officers were purposely emphasizing the welfare aspect of the programmes so
that they could show to the visiting dignitaries some tangible result of thus efforts. But the
creation of these welfare activities only kindled the dissatisfaction with the economic
condition of the people.
Weaknesses in the community development Programme:
A Critical analysis of the Programme with regard to the objective shows that the programme has some
weaknesses there are discussed as
1. The Programme administered has remained largely a government programme without
people's participation and has not yet become a people's programme with assistance from
government agencies no single agencies operating in the field is responsible for this
weakness.
2. There has been too much emphasis on end result and less emphasis in following the correct
methods and process to bring about change in the attitudes of the people.
3. Due to lack of understanding of the objectives of the CD programme there has often been lack
of adherence to the real objectives of the C.D Programme there has not been much
concentration on essential items.
4. Extension education methods which are so essential for a democratic approach remained
mostly as a claim.
5. Lack of uniform understanding about the concept principles methods role function etc, at all
levels from village to national level.
6. Lack of proper and adequate supervision and guidance both administrative and technical at
various levels.
7. Establishment of superiority by providing democratic leadership is very much lacking to
replace autocratic authority.
8. The C.D workers feel unhappy at all levels their moral is not very high unhappy workers or
change agents can not a make a good organization.
Administration of CDP-1952, Prior to Panchayat Raj
National level: For implementation of CDP at the national level there was a central committee with
Prime Minister as Chairman. This committee was to lay down broad policies and to provide general
supervision. It was also responsible for economic development. It was also responsible for economic
development. It was assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of the secretaries of developmental
departments of central ministries. Under central committee there was Community Projects
Administration (CPA). At the beginning CPA was very small and it grew up as a big organisation.
Therefore, from September 20, 1956 a separate central ministry was created known as ministry of
community development.
This Ministry was overall in-charge of the programme. This department prepared national basis
programmes, budgeting, directing and coordinating throughout the country.
State level: There was a State Development Committee or a similar body. This body was entrusted
with the execution of CDP and NES. This committee was presided over by the chief minister and
consists of all ministers of development departments.
The Development Commissioner acted as Secretary to this committee. This Development
Commissioner had three-fold functions.
1. He had two functions with the centre. He had to receive kprogramme guidance from the
centre and report progress and suggestions to the centre
2. He coordinated the programme at block levels. He also assure proper and adequate
supervision
3. He maintained an administration relationship with the District Collector who in turn is
responsible for planning, coordination, executing and evaluating the work of each block in his
district.
District level: At district level the district collector is the chairman of the district planning of
Development Committee. He is assisted in carrying out this development responsibilities by BDOs.
The district Development Committee consists of all Heads of Department in the district. It has both
officials and non officials as members.
Block level: At Block level BDO is assisted by a team of experts in agriculture, cooperation, animal
husgbandry, cottage industries, etc. These technical personnel are assigned with the development
works at block level. Block Development Committee consists of representatives of panchayats,
cooperatives, progressive farmers, social workers, MPs and MLAs of the area.
Village level: VLW or Gram Sevak acts a s a multipurpose man at village level. Each Gram Sevak is
incharge of about 7 or 10 villages. He is incharge of both village and family development. He is
guided and assisted by various technical specialists at the block level. He is the last official
administrative person in the administrative chain for carrying out this nationwide programme for
village development.
As seen, at every level along with the official setup, non-officials participation has also been
emphasised. This programme is often called as a "peoples' programme". There is great stress on the
peoples' participation not merely in the execution of the programme but also in its planning.
According to Nehru a Panchayat, a cooperative and a school are the three essentials for an Indian
village. Panchayats deal with political affairs, cooperatives with the economic affairs and schools with
education. With these three village institutions Indian villages are build on a strong foundation.
National Extension Services (NES-1953)
NES was implemented from 2.10.1953. This was implemented in the areas which were not covered
by CDP, so that entire country would get the benefit of development. When compared to CDP, the
NES was less intensive in character.
Since CDP and NES had the same basic ideas, they were integrated both at the centre and state. With
effect from April, 1958 there was no distinction between CD blocks and NES . All NES blocks
became CD blocks was achieved by October 1963.
NES covered almost all the villages in the country; For this national programme apart from the
existing system, a new administrative organisation was built. At central level Planning Commission
itself headed by PM acted for direction and coordination of development. It was assisted by an
advisory board comprising of secretaries of several Central Ministries concerned. An administrator for
CDP was appointed to work under the control of the Central Committee for the overall management
of the programme.
At state level, a state development committee under the chief minister was set-up with several
ministers as its members. It was assisted by the state level advisory aboard with development
department secretaries. A development commissioner was responsible for management of the
programme.