Department of Rural Development

Rural Development has high priority in India’s development policies and programmes for its importance in the country’s economy and society, as well as its linkages with the non-rural and overall development processes of the country and its people, particularly in the context of globalization. Conventional ideas and methods are fast becoming outmoded in the face of unprecedented changes taking place in the world in the new millennium and innovative apporaches and strategies are needed for effectively dealing with the problems of rural development and transformation. There is substantial unfulfilled need for capacity building in this field for teachers, researchers, policy professionals and other personnel trained in modern concepts, methodologies, and instruments. Institutions also are few in the country, especially in the eastern region, offering state of the art training and research facilities in rural development and management.


To meet the vast demand of the Rural Development professionals for the proper implementation of the rural development programmes as well as towards the development of our country, a two year Master Degree course in ‘‘Rural Development and Management’’ was introduced by the Unviersity of Kalyani, starting from the academic session 2003 and subsequently a ‘‘Department of Rural Development and Management’’ was setup.

The Course is being taught, advised and conducted by a multidisciplinary core faculty from the University of Kalyani, as well as by visiting faculties from other leading Institutions and Universities. Insitutions providing academic and field level cooperation include University of Calcutta, Jadavpur University, Visva Bharati, Vidyasagar University, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Indian Statistical Institute, Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur), State Insitute of Panchayat and Rural Development, Netaji Subhas Institute of Co-operative Management, NABARD, and many other Government and non-Government organisations.