Rural and rural energy development in India

Over 70% of the population in India lives in the rural areas of the country. The needs of this vast population, subsistence or otherwise (livelihood related), have been addressed by several programmes and initiatives guided by central or state policies. The policies or ensuing programmes have, however, been sectoral—planned and managed by specific ministries or departments. Energy too has been dealt with as a specific sectoral need of the people rather than an integral component of the overall rural development process. As a result, meeting the energy needs of the rural masses, whether for irrigating their fields or fueling their cook stoves, still remains a challenge for the country. On the other hand, initiatives in say, agriculture or health remain incomplete or wasteful without the appropriate energy inputs being ensured. The paper examines these inter-sectoral linkages that need to be identified and studied from the perspective of planning for the needs of the people in a comprehensive and coherent manner. The paper begins with a critique of the approach to rural development in India. In line with this, a review of the development of the energy sector in the rural areas is undertaken and the issues therein are discussed. The intersectoral and sub-sectoral linkages that can be forged to deal with some of these issues in the development of rural areas, specifically in the energy sector, are elaborated with specific examples. The paper also brings forth the institutional arrangements required to establish and address these linkages.