Appointment of young professionals as Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows - Some questions

23 Apr, 2012 . 2 mins read

There has been quite a bit of news and excitement about the Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows recently appointed by selecting young professionals from top professionals institutions like IITs, IIMs, TISS and others. It is a welcome idea that large numbers of professionals have been attracted to be such Fellows. It is to be seen if they will deliver what is expected out of them, especially while working in the districts affected by left wing extremism. I wish them all success but the history of such ideas and experiments have failed globally and we should have deeper analysis of them, says Achyut Das of Agragamee, Orissa.

The critics of the PMRDFS have already started asking questions as follows:

Whether these professionals are really motivated to work in left wing extremism affected districts or are attracted by the salaries and perks? How will they reinvigorate the sagging spirit of the demoralised development administration?
Whether these Professionals will be exulted assistants to the District Collectors deeply engaged in report writings and analysing statistics or will be courageous enough to be among the tribal communities?
Whether these professionals will have a human face and an ideological understanding of the structural situation on the ground?
Whether these young fellows distinguish the difference between the paddy and ragi, between ethnicity and acculturation and between indigenous values and so called modern development?
What is the commitment of these professionals? How many of them will remain when chips are down or there is an offer of a better career?

I want to underscore that the global financial crisis and global food crisis are caused directly and indirectly by the elders of this fraternity of hard core professionals with their branded ties and suits as the Banks and Agi-business farms are managed by top professionals from IIMs and Harvard Business Schools. Please don't forget this. The rich countries have subsiidised trillions of dollars of public money to keep these institutions of profit alive and the pay package of these professionals intact.

Years back, there was a radical thinking in the 7th Five Year Plan that the key to rural development is the Organisation of Rural Poor (ORP) and it was envisaged that Social Animators and Rural Volunteers selected from the rural communities with BAREFOOT skills and understandings in large numbers would transform the rural areas and bring in self-managed institutions. Had it been pursued seriously, we won't have faced left wing extremism today nor there would have been any need of these top notch professionals sponsored by those who believe that development will trickle down from top.

I shall be happy if someone will prove me wrong.

Path Alias

/articles/appointment-young-professionals-prime-ministers-rural-development-fellows-some-questions

Post By: Amita Bhaduri