Patterns Of Social Exclusion In Watershed Development In India

This book explores the exclusion of community groups from the perspective of people’s equal opportunities and equal access to newly generated economic benefits, tracing the factors determining their denial and exclusion. Paying specific attention to watershed development projects, it considers the detailed processes involved in the denial of institutional and livelihood opportunities to resource-poor groups, and discusses potential avenues for their meaningful social inclusion in the governance of natural resources.

"This paper was presented at the Second Workshop on "Patterns and causes of social exclusion and the design of policies to promote integration", Cambridge, 14-18 July 1994"--Title page verso.

Despite India’s record of rapid economic growth and poverty reduction over recent decades, rising inequality in the country has been a subject of concern among policy makers, academics, and activists alike. Poverty and Social Exclusion in India focuses on social exclusion, which has its roots in India’s historical divisions along lines of caste, tribe, and the excluded sex, that is, women. These inequalities are more structural in nature and have kept entire groups trapped, unable to take advantage of opportunities that economic growth offers. Culturally rooted systems perpetuate inequality, and, rather than a culture of poverty that afflicts disadvantaged groups, it is, in fact, these inequality traps that prevent these groups from breaking out. Combining rigorous quantitative research with a discussion of these underlying processes, this book finds that exclusion can be explained by inequality in opportunities, inequality in access to markets, and inequality in voice and agency. This report will be of interest to policy makers, development practitioners, social scientists, and academics working to foster equality in India.

India being predominantly agricultural country is rich in natural resources and biodiversity. However, more than half of the agriculture is rainfed where delayed, deficient or erratic ranges lead to severe reduction in crop production. Increasing natural resource productivity is crucial to enhance livelihoods and reduce poverty in rural areas which demands for sustainable development of natural resources. In view of the conservation of land and also combating desertification as well as development of wasteland is imperative to ensure food security while conservation of water resources is important for water recharge, maintaining soil moisture and sustaining vegetation coverage. The watershed development programmes focus on conservation of natural resources and combating desertification as well as increasing potential of irrigation in rainfed areas and development of wasteland. National Watershed Development Programme began in 1995 was the first significant initiative to develop rainfed areas. There has been paradigm shift in watershed development in India. The focus has been shifted from development to management besides merger of all the existing programmes of watershed development into integrated watershed development programme in recent past. Government has also accorded high priority to the holistic and sustainable development of rainfed/degraded areas based on watershed approach. There has been massive investment in watershed development programmes both by government and international donor agencies. The watershed development programmes have positive and long-term impact on agriculture, poverty alleviation, conservation of natural resources and overall community empowerment. Against this view point, present study has been carried out to assess the impact of watershed development programmes in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Present book has been planned in seven chapters. Chapter 1st is introductory one which describes the agro-climatic conditions, evolution and review of watershed development programmes. Chapter 2nd is concerned with theoretical perspective of watershed development. Chapter provides a theoretical framework of watershed development, literature review and highlights the major research studies in this field. Chapter 3rd is concerned with performance of watershed development programmes in India. The chapter has provided a depth analysis of physical and financial performance of desert development programme, drought prone area programme, integrated wasteland development scheme and integrated watershed management programme. Chapter 4th deals with profile of selected states. Chapter focuses on agro-climatic features, land use pattern, land degradation, water resources and physical and financial performance of watershed development programmes in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Chapter 5th is related with socio-economic profile of respondents. Chapter 6th is concerned with management of watershed development programmes. It deals with the aspects of planning and training, social and institutional dimensions, earth work, impact and sustainability, etc. Chapter 7th is concluding one which provides analysis of major research findings and policy recommendations.

Most of us work in or for one, but there are surprisingly few sustained analyses of the problems and peculiarities of organizations. Anthropologists are increasingly turning their attention to the study of western organizations, and this timely collection addresses the pleasures and pitfalls of ethnographic research undertaken across a range of organizational contexts. From museums to laboratories, health clinics, and multinational businesses, leading anthropologists discuss their fieldwork experiences, the problems they encountered, and the solutions they came up with. This book highlights the practical, political and ethical dimensions of research in organizations. Among issues vividly described are the relations between gender and politics in organizational hierarchies. How are sexual politics played out and experienced in health clinics? How does a business manager's personal biography affect the relationships within the organization as a whole? How are language and metaphor used to refigure the way people think about and act in organizations? Institutions often have well-defined procedures for bringing in visitors and guests. When is the anthropologist an insider to the organization, and when an outsider? What ethical issues arise when researchers are caught between observing organizations and participating in their work? In answering these and other questions the authors consider both the current status and future prospects for organizational ethnography. Comprehensive and varied, the book represents an invaluable aid to anyone interested in the politics and complexities of working life.

With accelerating urbanization and growing inter-dependence of rural and urban dwellers on the markets and resources they each offer, rural urban linkages have become a very important focus in recent years for research and policy relating to local and national economic development, poverty reduction and governance. The emergence of new livelihoods based on diversified income sources and mobility reflects profound social, cultural and economic transformations, and new forms of resource allocation and use. This volume collects the key contributions in the field, covering the conceptual background, the key issues and the current debates, locating different approaches in their wider intellectual and historical contexts. It also includes important recent empirical work from all the relevant geographical regions that that will be the basis for future thinking. Fifteen papers are clearly organized around the principal themes and accompanied by a valuable editorial introduction clearly setting out the issues, the arguments and the evidence. Suggestions for further reading and additional information sources are also included. Published with IIED.

Articles with reference to the state of Rajasthan, India.