Paper Title
Impact of NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) in the district of Bongaigaon in Assam
Abstract
Usually, there are two parts of the country. One is Urban areas, and the other is rural areas, and various numbers
of livelihood opportunities are available there in these areas as per the requirements or availability. Here in this article, we
will be talking about the rural livelihoods, the various sources of livelihood that are present in rural areas for the people to
live their lives. Rural livelihoods mean sources of income for rural people to live their lives. This article will help the
students to understand this concept and create a base for rural India.
India's rapid economic expansion has tried to include the rural population, which is concentrated in places where rain-fed
agriculture is the primary source of income. Poverty remains, however, because of restricted and inequitable access to
productive resources such as land, water, improved inputs and technologies, and microfinance, as well as drought and other
natural calamities. Low literacy and skills conspire to keep people in poverty, prohibiting them from claiming their basic
rights or engaging in extra activities that would earn them money or help them create assets.
It's not just about poverty alleviation. It's most important for people to stand on their feet and develop on their own. A lot of
times, people in rural communities have the knowledge, but there are not enough opportunities for them to apply their
knowledge.
There are various ways in which people can earn their livelihood in rural areas. Rural areas are those areas which are not yet
that much developed as per the modern technology and where there are very few factories and industries and a few modern
jobs. Whenever we think of rural India, what picture comes to our minds? A village, farmer, crops, livestock, etc. There are
various farms and non-farm activities that are present, which people use in rural areas to live their lives.
65.53% out of the total population of India lives in rural areas as per the data of 2019. There are various types of livelihood
opportunities in rural India, which includes: Farming, Poultry or Dairy Business, Agricultural Laborers, Money Lending,
Fishing, Handicrafts, Small and Cottage Industries
There are a lot of other sources of income as well in rural areas, such as
Silk production of wool production by keeping silkworms and sheep, etc.
Teaching opportunities for educated people.
Educated youth also go to cities for work.
Have small general or grocery shops.
Woodcutting or selling wood.
Jute bags making or handmade clothes.
Barber, doctor, nurse, painter, electrician, etc. Jobs profiles are also present there in rural areas.
Brick making on a larger scale.
Some challenges affecting rural livelihoods include natural disasters and disease outbreaks. These have brought serious
threats to their livelihoods, and the rural poor are the most affected. Some natural disasters include floods, earthquakes,
storms, fires, landslides, and so on. Natural disasters cause loss of life, property, and livelihoods. Among rural populations
whose livelihoods depend on the land and other natural resources, natural disasters deprive these communities of human
capital. People lose crops, livestock, and sources of income, which leads to the loss of their financial capital. In addition,
people have lost their homes; the community has nothing and is trying to recover from the disaster. Because of the loss of
income and income-generating resources, natural disasters can lead to poverty. The emergence of diseases after natural
disasters further complicates the situation. Apart from these problems; also the road, electricity, telecommunications, and
transportation facilities are in poor condition.
Keywords - NRLM, Rural livelihood, Rural Development, Right to Work, Gram Panchayat, Rural-Urban Migration