"Pemmasani Chandrasekhar touts Viksit Gaon as the crucial stepping stone towards achieving Viksit Bharat by the year 2047"
### Building a Prosperous Rural India: A Stepping Stone Towards a Developed Nation
In a recent review meeting, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, emphasized the importance of creating a "Viksit Gaon" (developed village) as a foundational step towards achieving a "Viksit Bharat" (developed India) by 2047.
The "Viksit Gaon" vision encompasses a transformative approach to rural India, focusing on providing pucca houses for every family, enhancing rural connectivity, offering employment opportunities to the youth, and empowering women financially. This vision is seen as crucial in achieving a "Viksit Bharat".
#### Housing and Infrastructure
To ensure every rural family has a pucca house, the government plans to build an additional 2 crore homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) by 2029. Furthermore, programs like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) aim to improve rural connectivity by constructing quality roads, thereby enhancing access to markets and services.
#### Employment and Empowerment
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been instrumental in combating rural unemployment and distress migration, providing over 250 crore person-days annually. Other initiatives such as the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) focus on empowering women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), promoting financial independence, and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) provides rural youth with vocational skills to secure better employment opportunities.
#### Innovative Approaches
The Ministry aims to shift from mere wage payments under MGNREGS to more meaningful asset creation and community participation in project selection. This requires renewed energy, innovative thinking, and deep commitment from the government and stakeholders.
#### Key Programs
PMAY-G, PMGSY, MGNREGS, DAY-NRLM, and DDU-GKY are the primary programs supporting the "Viksit Gaon" and "Viksit Bharat" vision. These initiatives have shown significant progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key cabinet ministers.
#### Challenges and Future Directions
Moving forward, the key challenges include ensuring sustainable development, enhancing community participation, and effectively integrating these programs for holistic rural growth. The government's emphasis on innovative thinking and deep commitment is crucial in overcoming these challenges and realizing the vision of a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
Under the 'Lakhpati Didi' initiative, 1.5 crore women are already earning over Rs 1 lakh annually. The government's goal is to have 3 crore women earning over Rs 1 lakh annually under this initiative. The Minister also advocated for the adoption of eco-friendly, region-specific construction methods for housing to make it more sustainable and cost-effective.
Community-based monitoring was advocated for long-term sustainability of rural infrastructure, and innovative financing models were suggested for rural infrastructure development. The Minister also called for the creation of state-level maintenance funds for long-term sustainability.
The DDU-GKY programme has trained over 17 lakh youth and placed more than 11 lakh in gainful employment. The Minister announced a fresh target of 2 crore homes to be built by 2029 to address growing rural demand.
The review meeting, which was first published on July 14, 2025, was attended by senior officials from the Centre and state governments, including Union MoS Kamlesh Paswan and Rural Development Secretary Shailesh Kumar Singh. The Minister highlighted the MGNREGS as a significant factor in rural progress.
- The discussions surrounding the 'Viksit Bharat' vision, which aims to make India a developed nation by 2047, frequently touch upon policy-and-legislation related to rural development, as demonstrated by the various programs such as PMAY-G, PMGSY, MGNREGS, DAY-NRLM, and DDU-GKY.
- In the broader context of general-news and politics in India, initiatives like the 'Lakhpati Didi' and the focus on community-based monitoring and innovation in rural infrastructure development are noteworthy, as they reflect the government's commitment to empowering rural communities and ensuring sustainable growth.
