MEASURES TO DEVELOP RNFS

ROLE OF RURAL TOURISM

1. It displays rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural destination that is profitable for local community is rural tourism.
2. The ambit of rural tourism covers Agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism and eco-tourism.
3. Rural Tourism Scheme for Infrastructure Development is to promote village tourism and benefit from its socio-economic benefits to rural areas. Key geographic regions would be identified for development and promotion of Rural Tourism.
4. The scheme includes Improvement of the surroundings of the village like landscaping, development of parks, fencing, compound wall etc. and also development and maintenance of roads within the Panchayat limits along with Illumination in the village.
5. Also improvement in solid waste management and and providing for wayside amenities, procurement of equipments related to tourism
6. Marketing, so far, is the biggest challenge that village tourism faces. For this, role of state authorities is significant in promotion of rural tourism as exhibited by Kerala State Tourism.
7. The greatest attraction of rural tourism is that it acts as a stress buster for the fatigue, monotony and pollution of urban life. One is closer to nature and appreciates the simplistic lives of villages.
   
   

   CASE STUDY-Gujarat Model of rural tourism stands apart in its success for bringing stable income to villagers- The Hodka Village Resort in Rann of Kutch signifies the role of village tourism committee headed by district magistrate

   
   

   ROLE OF NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

   1. Voluntary social service existed in India since ancient times. Today, they have taken the form of NGOs.
   2. They interact with the local people by enrolling them as members and build a trustworthy relation by understanding with them.
   3. They help in solving their social economic issues.
   4. They also bring new ideas to them and show better opportunities, for example, to adopt nonfarm livelihood options.
   5. They raise campaigns to make the villagers aware of the reasons behind their unemployment or underemployment and give requisite solutions.
   6. NGOs and Private sector through CSR can provide skill sets to rural poor. Private sector can organize community development programs as a CSR measure.
   7. They can provide soft skills with digital tools making rural population proficient in both; skills and use of technology.'
   8. Today there are about 5.6 crore women attached to 49.7 lakh SHGs in the country.

   ROLE OF HANDLOOM AND HANDICRAFT

   1. Agriculture in India is primarily monsoon dependent and that highlights the importance of Handloom and Handicraft.
   2. This sector has a historical connect with the patriotism associated with Indian freedom Struggle.
   3. Today, they form part of unorganized cottage industry. It keeps the cycle of employment going without the villagers having to suffer seasonal unemployment in rain deficit years.
   4. A report of ministry of textile reads that Handlooms provided employment to 43 lakh people directly or indirectly out of which 77% were women.
   5. The fashion industry has developed taste for indigenous material and handloom products increasing demand and price of handloom in India.
   6. Preventing migration of artisans, weavers and small marginal farmers from rural to urban areas is their other contribution in the rural economy.
   7. National Handloom Development Program is the umbrella scheme having 2 components- overall sector development and weavers welfare.
   8. Another aspect of this scheme is weavers Mudra Scheme which gives concessional credit at 6% for three years along with 10000 rupees assistance.
   9. Pehchan cards was launched in 2016 to provide artisans smooth access to their benefits
   10. Indian handloom brand initiative is to put Indian handloom on global market as products with zero defects and zero effect on environment.
   11. Bankar Mitra is a helpline for weaver’s queries.
   12. Deendayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul is a trade cum art centre at Varanasi providing standard marketing facilities to weavers.
   13. Handloom mark is launched to assure genuineness of product.
   14. E-dhaga aap is for symbolizes use of technology in a traditional domain.
   15. Mahatama Gandhi Bunker BimaYojna is an insurance scheme for weavers along with health insurance scheme.

   ROLE OF FOOD PROCESSING

   1. Food processing is the link between farmers and consumers. As a food surplus economy, we have a strong base to build a food processing sector.
   2. Food processingmeans the ways that are used to change raw ingredients into food so that they can be eaten by humans or animals.
   3. Food processingoften takes clean, harvested or slaughtered and butchered components and uses these to produce attractive and marketable food
   4. It preserves the food for longer duration by increasing its shelf life. It occupies less storage space and can be exported for forex.
   5. India has 6^th largets food and grocessary market in the world with retail accounting for 70 percent of that sale.
   6. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market.
   7. India's organic food market is expected to increase by three times by 2020.
   8. Scheme For Agro-Marine Processing And Development Of Agro-Processing Clusters SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme which subsumes schemes like Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, etc. and also new schemes like Infrastructure for Agroprocessing Clusters, Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, Creation / Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities.
   9. In food processing and retail sector, govt. has allowed 100% FDI in trading including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured and / or produced in India.
   10. This will benefit farmers and will create back – end infrastructure and significant employment opportunities.
   11. Food and agro–based processing units and cold chain infrastructure have been brought under Priority Sector Lending (PSL)
   • To provide additional credit for food processing activities and boosting infrastructure food processing,
   • reducing wastage,
   • create employment and
   • helping to achieve the target of doubling farmer income by 2020 and
   • Also address problem of food security in the country.
   1. The scope of food processing is immense in north eastern states.
   • Meghalaya where 80% population is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors.
   • Both tourism and food processing can be harnessed to stabilize livelihoods of people.
   • Encouraging small scale industries and export oriented manufacturing units.
   • Meghalaya is a matrilineal state and the most successful establishments are women led but it is battling unemployment and the non farm sector promises a long term stable livelihood.