Career In Rural Development: Courses, Jobs, Salary

Do you wish to make a difference in the lives of people living in rural areas?

If yes! Then pursuing a career in rural development can offer great opportunities and bring a meaningful impact in the lives of people.

A career in this field is perfect for those passionate about uplifting underprivileged sections of the society.

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As per the economic survey (2022-23) 60% of India’s population resides in rural areas. This vast majority of the country’s population face many challenges like lack of schools/colleges, healthcare facilities, lack of employment opportunities and poor infrastructure.

Career In Rural Development

A career in Rural Development and Management is not only good from a salary point of view but it also brings personal satisfaction and a sense of contributing to a society.

In this article, we will explore in detail about the courses, career opportunities, eligibility criteria, admission process and top colleges in India.

But before we begin, let’s understand about rural development and management.

What is Rural Development

Rural Development is defined as improving the standard of life of rural people that includes social, economical, political and spiritual development of the people living in rural areas who are deprived from basic facilities.

What is Rural Management

Rural Management includes the study of managing the rural resources effectively. It includes planning and executing rural development programmes that profit the rural livelihood.

Let us discuss the important aspects about how to make a career in rural development and management.

Also Check – Management Courses after 12th

Rural Development and Management Courses

Candidates can start their career in rural development and management by pursuing courses offered at diploma, bachelor and master’s level.

Most sought rural development programmes offered by the reputed institutions are mentioned below:

Diploma Courses

Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management
Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development
Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Finance
Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Marketing

Bachelor Courses

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Rural Development
Bachelor of Rural Technology and Management

Also Check – Top Management Courses

Master Courses

Master of Arts in Rural Development
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Rural Management

Doctoral Courses

M.Phil in Rural Development
Ph.D in Rural Development

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates applying for the rural development courses, must meet the following eligibility criteria:

For Bachelor Courses

Minimum educational eligibility of 10+2 from a recognized educational institution is required for applying to bachelor’s courses.
The candidates must have scored a minimum aggregate marks of 45–50% (varies by institute).

For Master Courses

A bachelor’s degree in any discipline (preferably Social Sciences, Agriculture, Commerce, or Management).
Admission is offered on the basis of qualifying entrance examinations like CAT, MAT or any university specific.

For Diploma/Certificate Courses

For diploma, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in any stream.
For certificate programs 10+2 qualification is normally required.

Admission Process

The admission in UG courses is done on the basis of entrance exams conducted at university or national level.
Most universities accept CUET UG exam for admission to the bachelor’s program and CUET PG for admission to master’s courses.

The admission in management programs like MBA or PGDM is done on the basis of CAT, MAT entrance examination.

Some private universities also conduct their own entrance exams for admission to various UG and PG courses.

Top Colleges & Universities

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU), Gandhinagar
University of Madras, Chennai
Osmania University, Hyderabad
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
University of Pune (Savitribai Phule Pune University), Pune
University of Delhi (DU), Delhi
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli
University of Mysore, Mysuru

Career Scope

India is home to the world’s largest rural population. According to the Census of India (2011), Withnearly 65% of Indians are living in rural areas or remote areas of the country.

With such a large population living in rural areas, there is huge demand for professionals who can work in sectors like Education, Healthcare, Microfinance, agriculture and infrastructure development.

The career opportunities for candidates interested in rural sector exists in:

Government Jobs

Graduates can work as Village Development Officers (VDOs), Block Development Officers (BDOs), and in various government-sponsored development projects.

NGO’s

Many national and international NGO’s employ rural development specialists to execute projects in sectors like education, healthcare, and livelihood.

experienced professionals can also start their own NGO and work towards the betterment of the people.

International Organizations

Global bodies like World Bank, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP offer excellent career opportunities in rural development projects across Asia and Africa.

Corporate Sector

Many national and international companies are expanding their products and services to the rural areas, which is one of the largest untapped markets in the world.

These include Microfinance, FMCG, Agri-business and banking companies.

Candidates can work with companies like HUL, AMUL, NABARD, ITC which offer great career opportunities to the young individuals.

If you are a highly experienced professional you can work in advisory roles with consultancy firms, academic institutions and in government institutions framing policies and guidelines.

Job Profiles

After completing the course, candidates can work in the following job roles:

Rural Development Officer
Project Coordinator/Manager
Field Officer
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Manager
Microfinance Manager
Community Development Specialist
Policy Analyst/Researcher
NGO Coordinator/Program Head
International Development Consultant

Top Recruiters

Companies that recruits rural management professionals are listed below:

Government of India – Rural Development Ministry
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)
Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
AMUL
HUL
ITC
Mother Dairy
Indian Grameen Services (IGS)
World Bank and UN Agencies
NGOs like PRADAN, CARE India, ActionAid, Oxfam India, BAIF Development Research Foundation
Microfinance Institutions such as SKS Microfinance, Bandhan Bank
World Bank and UN Agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, IFAD)
Corporate CSR Divisions (Tata Trusts, Reliance Foundation, ITC Rural Initiatives, Mahindra Foundation)

Salary and Payscale

Candidates can start their career in NGO’s, Government organizations, Private companies and UN organizations (UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank projects).

The salary of fresh graduates starts with ₹3 LPA – ₹5 LPA, working in the roles like CSR executive, project assistant, field officer etc.

After 5-10 years of experience, candidates can earn in the range ₹8 LPA – ₹12 LPA working in roles like a CSR Manager, Project Manager, Policy Advisor.

In leadership roles (director, senior consultant), a professional can make anywhere between 15 LPA to 25 LPA.

If working in the government sector then your earning will depend upon the pay scale decided by the government.

International organizations like world bank, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP offers great career opportunities along with significant scope for professional growth and development.

Books & Study Materials

Here, we have listed some best books that you can refer for pursuing a career in In Rural Development and Management:

Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management by Katar Singh
Rural Development Management by B.S. Bhatia, G.S. Batra
Encyclopedia of Rural Management by Muniraju S.B., Manoj Kumar
Rural Management by KB Gupta, Faizia Siddiqui
Rural Development: Indian context BRDE 101 by GPH Panel of Experts
Target 3 Billion: Innovative solutions Towards sustainable development by APJ Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh
Research Methods in Rural Development by G Ramesh and s Nakkiran
Rural development in India by G Sreedhar and D Rajashekhar

FAQ’s

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