BRDE-101 ASSIGNMENT

Q.1 Describe major types and important features of Indian society in terms of caste and
class?

Ans :- It is a system of stratification on the basis of education, etc, Karl Max- 'Man is a class
animal' i.e. his status age, education etc are not same in the society property – capitalist & the
poor – the haves & the have notes.

Education Illiterate & literate

Business or occupation-farmers,clerk officers, industrialists etc.

In general, class consciousness is a must in the class system. There must be the we feeling. The
charade of in group given by summer is found in the class system summer – I belong ?
identifying oneself in a particular group or family. The behavior of a person is fixed due to their
class consciousness. Trade union is a result of class consciousness. These is feeling of superiority
& inferiority in class syst. The higher has the feeling superiority & the lower class feels inferior.
In these classes too there is sub classes as Upper Open class, middle upper class, lower upper
class; lower middle class, middle class; upper lower class, middle lower class, to lower2 class.
Class system is open in character. Because it is based on a variety of things like age, sex etc.
Also one can change one's less easily. The people of lower class may enter the upper class &
those of the upper class may become members of the lower class.

Definition Of Class:-
P.Gisbert - "A social class is a category or group of persons having a definite status in society
which permanently determines their relation to other group – feeling of superiority &
inferiorities. The relative position of the class in the social scale arises from the degree of
prestige attached to the status.

Mac Iver & Page - "A social class is any portion of community marked off the from the rest by
social status 'Ongburn & Nimk off. A social class is the aggregate of persons having essentially
the same social status in a given society." i.e. a class consciousness.

Max weber – held that "classes are aggregate of individuals who have the same opportunities of
acquiring goods. The same exhibited standard of lining.

Hoebal defines "A social class is a group within a society, whose members hold a no. of
distinctive status in common & who trough the operation of roles associated with these status,
develop are awareness of the life interest as against the unlike trait & interest of other groups."

In general "A social class consists of group of individuals who are ranked by the members of the
community in socially superior inferior position."

Characteristics of class system:

Class system is based on occupation, wealth, education, age, sex

Hierarchy of status group. In general there are 3 class – upper middle & tower. Status, prestige
& role is attached. Upper class are less in no in comparison to the other two whereas their status
& prestige is most. This is like a pyramid. Karl max (Rich & poor) preliterate &

Feeling of superiority & inferiority. In these 3 classes there are such feelings the upper class
people feel they are superior to the other two whereas the lower class feels it is inferior to the
upper class.

Class consciousness – wherever a class is formed this feeling a consciousness is a must. There
should be feeling of in group i.e. I belong class conflict is due to this the people of the preliterate
class feel the upper class exploits them their they unite revolt. The behavior action is determined
by this class consciousness.

Sub-classes, class is divided into different groups. Similar to caste system, the class system is
divided.

Class system is an open system.

There's social restriction in this too. In general there is endogamy in a class. To maintain their
status & position they mix among themselves & it is seldom that marriage between upper &
lower class is wished. Distinction between Caste & class. They are the two phenomena of social
stratification (Stratification is division of society on the basis of birth).

S.No. Caste Class

1. Based on birth Birth, educ. Wealth etc.

2. In general there are 3000 castes & sub- Whereas class has subclasses (based on
castes in India. different things)

3. Define class syst. Discuss its character

4. Distinguish between Caste & class

5. Caste & class there are the 2 phenomena

of social stratification. How?

6. Caste is a closed class. Discuss.

Caste is a closed group whereas Class is an open system. Even Sanskritisation is unable to
change caste whereas class can be changed quiet easily.Caste System. Caste is hereditary but
there is no such thing in class. A child of Brahmin will always be a Brahmin but not so in class.
Status is inborn and ascribed in Caste System whereas in class system, it is acquired & achieved.
The word ‘caste’ is used in everyday life and we use it to distinguish one person from another.
We say that such and such person belongs to a particular caste. In saying it we generally mean to
convey that he is born of such parents or is a member of the family, said to belong to a particular
caste. In this way caste is a hereditary group. In biology this word is used only for descent or
heredity. But this definition is inadequate for the purposes of sociology since it requires a more
comprehensive and clear definition. Caste may be defined as a hereditary endogamous group
which decides the individual’s status in the social stratification and his profession etc. Modern
thinkers consider it best to enumerate the features of caste in defining it. The following are the
predominating characteristics of caste.

1. Determination by birth: The membership of caste is determined by birth. A person remains

the member of the caste into which he is born and his membership does not undergo any change
even if changes take place in his status, occupation, education, wealth etc.

2. Rules and regulations concerning food: Each individual caste has its own laws which
govern the food habits of its members. Generally there are no restrictions against fruit, milk,
butter etc. but kachcha food (bread etc.) can be accepted only from a member of one’s own or of
a higher caste.

3. Definite occupation: In the Hindu scriptures there is a mention of the occupation of all castes.
According to Manu the functions, of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudras were definite.
The functions of the Brahmin were to study, teach, guide and perform religious rituals and to
give and receive alms, that of the Kshatriya to study, perform religious rituals, give alms, punish
the evil and to go to war; that of the Vaishya to study, perform religious rituals, give alms, work
in agriculture, trade and animal husbandry; that of Sudra to do menial work for all the other
castes. Having developed from Varna system the occupations in caste system are definite. In
Hindu society even today in most cases the son of a cobbler pursues the occupation of his father;
the son of a carpenter becomes a carpenter.

4. Endogamous group: The majority of persons marry only within their own caste. Brahmin,
Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra all marry within their respective castes; Hindu community does
not approve inter-caste marriage even now.

5. Rules concerning status and touchability: The various castes in the Hindu social
organisation are divided into a hierarchy of ascent and descent one above the other. In this
hierarchy the Brahmins have the highest and the untouchables the lowest position. The sense of
superiority among the Brahmin is much exaggerated and manifests in the South.

The stringent observation of the system of untouchability has resulted in some low castes of the
Hindu society being called untouchables who were consequently forbidden to make use of places
of worship, cremation grounds, educational institutions, public roads and hotels etc. and were
disallowed from living in the cities.
6. Authority: The last feature of caste worth considering is the existence within it of an organ
wielding a varying degree of authority which compels obedience from caste members. In the
high castes it is public opinion which exercises this control over its members, though in modern
times this may be eluded. In most cases the authority invested in a board called the panchayat
which is supposed to be composed of five members, but in fact there are many more social
groups who meet whenever its decisions are needed.

Q.4 Explain important features of Community Development Programme ?

Ans :- The features of community development programme was started in India just after
independence (1952). It was a multi project programme with the aim of an overall development
of rural people. This programme consisted of agriculture, animal husbandry, irrigation,
cooperation, public health, education, social education, communication, village industries etc. In
fact all these aspects of life relate to the 80 per cent of India’s farming population. There are
officials for each activity at district level to plan, execute and evaluate the programme up to the
village level.

The features of Community development is an exclusive term. It is frequently used to

encompass any and every effort towards the advance of community interests. A variety of
interpretations are therefore easily available. The features of Community development is a
compound term. It is useful, therefore, to consider its components.

The Community:

A community is a group of people, who live in a geographical area and have interests in each
other for the purpose of making a living
.
It is a farm of social organization existing between the family and state.
A community, while in itself consisting of several parts, is also a part of a larger social
system. It is a dynamic social unit which is subject to change of internal or external
origin. Some of the important characteristics of the community are
1. Communities are close-knit
2. Their customs are interrelated
3. These communities are complexes of sub-group relationship and
4. There is a discernible leadership within the community.

Development:

The term development connotes growth or maturation. It implies gradual and sequential phases
of change.
By understanding the above terms, we can say that community development programmes means
a programme for gradual change in a group of people living in a geographical area and have
interest in each other for the purpose of making a living.

Features of Community Development:

1. The features of Community development is a movement designed to promote better living

for the whole community with the active participation and on the initiative of the community.

2. The features of Community development is a balanced programme for stimulating the local
potential for growth in every direction. Its promise is of reciprocal advance in both wealth and
wealth and welfare, not on the basis of outside charity but by building on the latent vitality of the
beneficiaries themselves with the minimum of outside aid.

3. The features of Community development is technically aided and locally organized self help.

4. The term community development has come into international usage to denote the process by
which the efforts of the people themselves are united with those the governmental authorities to
improve the economic social and cultural conditions of the communities, to integrate these
communities into the life of the nation and enable them to contribute fully to national progress.

5. The features of Community development is the term used to describe the technique which
many governments have adopted to reach their village people and to make more effective use of
local initiative and energy for increased production and better living standards.

6. The features of Community development is a process of social action in which the people of a
community organize themselves for planning and action, define their needs and problems.

Community development has now set the pattern for the development of the rural people and the
rural areas. The objectives of development and the new approach it makes to the solution of the
problem of rural reconstruction, the comprehensive nature of the programme that it is
promoting. The approach to the programme is two fold, educational and organizational. The
rural people are to be educated in the art of better living, for bringing about a change in their
attitude, for breaking away from primitive methods of production, unhygienic says of living
based on tradition and for the adopting of progressive ways based on science and technology.

Size of Unit:

For each community project, as at present planned, there will be approximately 300 villages with
a total area of about 450 to 500 square miles, a cultivated area of about, 1,50,000 acres and a
population about 2,00,000. The project area is conceived as being divided into 3 development
blocks, each consisting 50,000 to 70,000. The development block, is, in turn, divided into
groups of 5 villages each, each group being the field of operation for a village level worker.
Location of Units:

The initial programme has been started with approximately 55 projects of rural development
located in select areas in the several states of India, A certain degree of flexibility is allowed in
the actual allotment of projects. Thus, while many are complete projects of about 300 villages
each, some are also independent development bocks of about 100 villages each, depending upon
the needs and conditions of the particular areas chosen for development

Q.5 Describe the concept of micro finance and Self Help Groups ?

Ans:- -Indian economic policy emphasises on achieving high growth rates coupled with ensuring
that the poor are able to participate equally in the opportunities available in the market economy.
This agenda for Inclusion involves creating specific environment through which the poor across
the country have open, safe, secure and affordable access to various financial products.
Microfinance is one such strategy for inclusive growth, which can be explained as provision of
financial services such as loans, savings, insurance, financial literacy, etc. Those who promote
the concept of microfinance as an inclusive development tool believe that such unrestricted
access will help in poverty alleviation and uniform growth. Various steps have been taken in this
direction since Independence by Government, Financial Institutions, Microfinance Institutions,
and NGOs which include SHG-Bank Linkage Programme as one such initiative. Microfinance in
J & K is still in its initial stage; from the formal sources like Public Sector Commercial Banks,
District Cooperative Societies, Regional Rural Banks and Private Sector Commercial Banks,
which provide microfinance services to few thousand SHGs formed in the State and it is in this
direction that the present study has been undertaken. This study carried out in one of the
Southern Districts of Kashmir attempts to assess the role of microfinance in Self Help. The study
is empirical in nature and attempts to analyse the performance of Self Help Groups in terms of
growth, income, improvement in living standards and so on. The results of the study show that
microfinance has played a positive role to make Self Help Groups successful ventures in the
district.

Q.6 Explain administrative setup for rural development at various levels in India ?

Ans :- The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted
with the task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on
health, education, drinking water, housing and roads. As of May 2008, the Minister in charge of
Rural Development was Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ministers of state were Miss Agatha Sangma,
Mr. Shishir Adhikari and Mr. Pradeep Jain Aditya.

On 12 July 2011, the Ministry was given over to Jairam Ramesh, an IIT-B graduate.On 13 July
2011 the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation was separated from the Ministry of Rural
Development and named the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitaton.Jairam Ramesh himself
assumed additional charge of the Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Shri. Chaudhary Birender Singh was made the Minister of Rural Development, Minister of
Panchayati Raj, Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation after NDA came to power in May
2014 LokSabha elections. Shri. Sudarshan Bhagat is the present Minister of State for Rural
Development.

On 5 July 2016, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the Narendra Modi ministry, Narendra
Singh Tomar replaced Chaudhary Birender Singh as the Minister of Rural Development. The
ministry has two departments, Department of Rural Development and Department of Land
Resources, each headed by a senior civil servant designated as the Secretary of the Deportment.
Mrs Anita Choudhry is the Secretary land Resources and Mr Jugal Kishore Mahapatra, a senior
bureaucrat from Odisha is the Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development.

Department of Rural Development

The department run three national-level schemes: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY) for rural roads development, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) rural
emploment and for rural housing, Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY). It handles the administration of
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), and has three autonomous organisations under it:

Council of Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)

National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD)
National Rural Road Development Agency (NRRDA)
The Minister of Rural Development is the Chairman of these three organisations and the
Secretary of the Ministry is the Vice Chairman. The Minister is currently Mr Chaudhary
Birender Singh, and the Secretary is Subrahmanyam Vijay Kumar.

Department of Land Resources

The Department of Land Resources run three national-level programs.

Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)

National Land Record Modernisation Programme (NLRMP)
Technology Development, Extension & Training Programme (TDET)

Q.7 Describe the involvement of major NGOs in development activities for the youth ?

Ans:- The government is to be ideally held responsible for the legal and constitutional matters.
Now whether the Indian government can be held responsible for the same is a question. Who,
then, should take care of the concerns that arise out of compassion and social responsibilities?
Compassion triggers actions which, usually, are beyond constitutional matters but the good news
is that the constitution does pay due respect to them and aids them within its own vista.

Our country is flooded with a number of NGOs and identifying the credible ones is really a
tough task. There are reports of NGOs that are just set up to take over the government’s treasury
in the veil of social service. I have tried to curate a list of the NGOs which are time, ethics and
effort tested, by and large.
This list is not a ranking, the NGOs have been listed in no particular order.

1) PRS Legislative Research: PRS aims to deepen and broaden the legislative process by
providing MPs with the necessary data and analysis for debates in parliament and for
deliberations in committee meetings. This is done by synthesising feedback from a range of
stakeholders to provide MPs with comprehensive information on an issue. The aim is to
complement the knowledge base and expertise that already exists in the government, citizen’s
groups, businesses, and other research institutions.

2) Save Life Foundation: Focused on enabling bystander care or community-driven emergency

medical response for road accident victims, they have been training more than 3000 police
personnel in the states of Delhi, UP and Maharashtra for the casualty and trauma care for road
accidents. They have also been working on a supportive legal framework for bystanders to help
the victims of road accidents. Usually people do not indulge in these cases fearing the formalities
and police issues. Hence such an organization is much needed to nurture the kindness which is
killed by our legal and formal procedures.

3) CGNet Swara: A voice portal that enables ordinary citizens to report and discuss issues of
local interest. To use it, they call a phone number using any mobile (or fixed line) phone. Callers
are prompted to press ‘1’ to record a new message, and ‘2’ to listen to messages that have
already been recorded. Once a message has been recorded from the field, professional, trained
journalists, who access the system using a web-based interface, review and verify the report.
Approved reports are then made available for playback over the phone. The reports also can be
accessed on the CGNet Swara website. This kindles the local intervention in dissemination of
information of local interest and prompts them to use the technology which they, otherwise,
would be reluctant to use.

4) Video Volunteers: An international community media organization equips women and men in
underdeveloped areas with critical thinking, creative, activist and video journalism skills,
enabling entire communities to expose underreported stories from their communities and take
action to right the wrongs of poverty, injustice and inequality. Thus, it encourages community
producers to have a voice and be recognized. And it would be redundant to mention that videos
are the best source of being virally known over the media.

5) Chetna: Childhood Enhancement through Training and Action. CHETNA is an NGO working
towards the empowerment of street and working children in a participatory approach. They are
given a chance to develop some understanding of their situation, their rights and opportunities.
CHETNA provides education, counselling, recreational activities, and a framework to get
organized.

6) Breakthrough: This is an initiative that has primary focus on human rights activities. They
devise innovative strategies, customized for each issue this country witnesses, to engage youth
participation rather than just documentation and conventional rallies. They engage in
partnerships, develop grassroots actions, audit the impact and share lessons with all the
stakeholders to direct further actions, train leaders and use media, art, culture and technology to
reach mass audiences. The innovative strategies they have come up with seems promising.
7) Jagori: Jagori undertakes training, documentation, grassroots action research, advocacy and
campaigning in partnership with stakeholders including individual women and their partners,
community members, civil society representatives, and other state/ institutional actors. It works
on awareness building on violence, health, education, development, and other issues critical for
women, individual and collective empowerment. It also works on production and distribution of
creative material on feminist issues, dissemination of information and knowledge on feminist
concerns to meet the needs of women´s groups, NGOs, and development organizations and
advocacy on women´s rights and gender equality.

8) Arth India: Academy for Applied Research and Training in Healthcare in India is a non-
government initiative striving for the attainment of better health of the community
supplementing, and not substituting, the existing and future government systems and networks in
healthcare in India. It believes that the non-availability, sub-optimal quality and relative lack of
credibility of healthcare personnel, of the health-related data and information are the two major
impediments against optimum healthcare delivery in the country. It works to bridge these gaps.