Indian Economy
General Knowledge

Important Development and Employment Programmes



Important Development and Employment Programmes

» During the Seventh Five-Year Plan, a scheme called 'Jawahar Rozgar Yojana' was introduced from April 1989 to solve the problem of unemployment in the rural sector. The former ongoing two main rural employment programmes National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) were merged with Jawahar Rozgar Yojana.
» The total expenditure on Jawahar Rozgar Yojna was shared by the Centre and the State Government in the ratio of 80 : 20.
» Under the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, 30% employment opportunities was reserved for women.
» Under the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, it was made compulsory to spend 60% of the total expenditure on labour used in the works completed under the scheme.
» A sub-plan of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana—'Indira Awas Yojana' was made an independent scheme in itself on January 1, 1996.
» The Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS), was introduced on October 2,1993, in selective rural areas. The aim of this scheme is to provide work in the form of unskilled physical labour to all the employment seeking men and women (of ages between 18 years to 60 years) in rural areas. The expenditure on this scheme is shared by the Centre and the States in the ratio of 80 : 20. From maximum of 2 members from one family can be benefitted under this scheme. Since January 1, 1996, the Integrated Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (IJRY) has been merged with Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS).
» The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was started on an experimental basis in 1978-79. This programme was launched in the whole country on October 2,1980. The basic aim of IRDP was to provide assistance to rural poor families living below the poverty line.
» The Integrated Rural Development Programme is financially assisted by the Centre and States in the ratio of 50 : 50.
  Under the Integrated Rural Development Programme, targeted group includes at least 50% families belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. Apart from this, among the beneficiaries, 50% were females and 3% physically handicapped persons.
» Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) and Training Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM) were the sub plans of Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP).
» The objective of TRYSEM was to provide training to those rural youth (ages 18-35 years) who belong to the families living below the poverty line. This programme was started on August 15,1979.

Development of Women and Children in Rural Area Programme (DWCRA)

It was started in September 1982. Under this programme, a group of 10-15 women was taken, who belong to the families living below the poverty line and they were given training for starting any economic activity. Every group was given the economic assistance of Rs. 25,000.