Rural development and provision of batter qualities of life to the rural people have been a major objective of planners in India throughout the entire planning period. In the 1990's the primary focus was given to the various programmes and strategies adopted in the successive plans to provide the basic necessities to the rural poor. After the elapse of four five year plans in the country, it was realized that the various development programmes undertaken in the economy had not improved the socio-economic conditions of large majority of the rural people. Thus, the realities of the rural...