DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, EXTENSION EDUCATION & RURAL SOCIOLOGY, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Presented by: Diksha Sethi (A-2016-30-028)

Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) in

Agricultural Development

OUTLINE OF SEMINAR Introduction

History

Objectives of seminar

Methodology

Results and discussions

NGOs in India

CORD Organisation

Conclusion

Suggestions

NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) A non-governmental organization

(NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any form of government.

The term NGO originated from UN .

A/c to UN NGO is normally used to refer organizations that are not a part of the government and are not conventional for profit business.

SELF HELP GROUP Self-Help Group (SHG) is a small

voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socio-economic background. They come together for the purpose of solving their common problems through self-help and mutual help. The SHG promotes small savings among its members. The savings are kept with a bank. This common fund is in the name of the SHG.

SHG is a group formed by the community, which has specific number of members like 15 or 20. Usually, the number of members in one SHG does not exceed twenty.

WHO HELPS IN THE FORMATION OF SHGs Non Governmental

Organisations (NGOs) Social Workers, health workers, village level workers, etc Informal Associations of local people Development oriented government departments. Banks, Bank personnel and other individuals (in their personal capacities), Farmers' Clubs under the Vikas Volunteer Vahini ( VVV) Programme of NABARD, Other development institutions.

Government and nongovernment agencies involved in the

promotion of the self-help concept should play an active role in facilitating and designing group activities for group development and sustenance, taking into consideration the factors in the process of group development.

Self-help groups engaged in development activities have the potential to empower their members through the provision of knowledge, skills, motivation, and competencies that underpin sustainable agriculture.

Besides contributing toward economic development, these groups are important for social networking. While social activities are more prominent among groups with members who are wealthier, larger groups with more wealthy members mainly sought access to advanced technical information. Group involvement helps to establish appropriate marketing relationships and to minimize input costs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NGO’s

Voluntary Legal status

Non Profit Oriented

Flexible Quicker in

decision making

High motivation

Catalystic

People centred

CHARACTERISTICS OF NGOS

Voluntary: NGOs are formed voluntarily and are built upon commitment of few person.

Legal Status: NGOs in India are legally registered under the Society Registration Act 1860, Indian Trust Act 1882, the Co-Operative Societies Act, 1904, the Joint Stock Companies Act, 1956 in order to meet the judicial requirements. To avail the foreign contribution, they need to register under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976. But most of the NGOs in India are registered under Society Registration Act.

Non Profit Oriented: NGOs are not run on profit motives. The surplus and gain from economic projects.

Independent: NGOs are independent in planning and implementation of their programmes.

Flexible: NGOs are flexible in interventions. They are not bound by red tapism and bureaucratic obstacles.

Quicker in decision making: NGOs take quick

decisions to the need of the community. As decisions are taken quickly, their service are delivered timely to the people.

High Motivation: The member and staff are endowed with high motivated and inspiration to work for the cause of people.

Freedom to work: NGO worker enjoy freedom in their field work.

Catalystic: NGOs facilitate the communities towards social action but they do not dilute, distort themselves in the process of intervention.

People Centered: People are at the heart of the NGOs. They plan things with people and implement the same through the people.

WHY DO WE NEED NGOs

Some successful NGOs in Rural Development, through their hard work, dedication, commitment combined with professional competency and integrity have made their mark in the field of Rural Development during last three decades.

Space for wider democratic participation, share diverse ideas, multiple ideas to explore collaborations.

CONTD….

The Government also acknowledged the contribution of NGOs and supported them both by policy changes and financial assistance.

For successful partnership more favorable policies were made by the government, reverse also started with the Government policies discouraging the involvement of NGOs.

This GO-NGO partnership in recent years has yielded very good results.

NGO OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES NGOs tend to adopt different objectives and types of programs on

which they focus: Agriculture and Rural Development Numerous activities can be undertaken under agriculture sector.

The jobs/projects like distributing planting materials, cattle, poultry, minor irrigation, free medical care for cattle’s, safe drinking water for animals etc.

Cooperative/Associational Development NGOs emphasize cooperative or associational development by

providing various types of organizational support and education to farmer associations.

Socio-Economic Development NGOs stress broader issue of poverty reduction and

improvement in the quality of rural life, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable. In addition these NGOs attempt to eradicate injustice, promote greater equity, peace, and reconciliation.

Women and Youth NGOs that conform to this profile are actively engaged in a

range of agricultural and rural development activities, but do so with a specific focus on women and youth.

HISTORY OF NGOs NGOs have a history dating back to at least 1839. It has

been estimated that by 1914, there were 1083 NGOs.

“NGO" only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1945.

Rapid development of the non-governmental sector occurred in western countries as a result of the processes of restructuring of the welfare state. Further globalization of that process occurred after the fall of the communist system and was an important part of the Washington consensus.

CONTD… Globalization during the 20th century gave rise to

the importance of NGOs. Many problems could not be solved within a nation.

NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian

issues, developmental aid and sustainable development.

The Earth Summit Rio in 1992 was the first to

show the power of international NGOs, when about 2,400 representatives of NGOs came to play a central role in deliberations.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR

To delineate the genesis of NGOs in India.

To highlight the role being played by NGOs in agricultural development

METHODOLOGY The secondary data was used for

accomplishing the objectives of the study which has been collected from various published sources , reports such as:

www.ngosindia.com www.chinmayamission.com http://www.fao.org Report on NGOs and rural

development.

Results & Discussion

To delineate the genesis of NGOs in India.

TYPES OF NGOS NGOs classified by the World bank (1989) into two broad

categories- 1) Operational: The main purpose of operational NGO is to design

and implement the development-related projects. The scope of the Operational NGOs can be national, international or even community-based.

2) Advocacy: The main purpose of an Advocacy NGO is to promote a specific cause. It makes efforts to raise awareness and knowledge by doing various activities like lobbying, press work and activist events.

NGOs can be classified in the following categories: Relief and Welfare agencies: This type of organisation generally

respond during natural calamities like flood, drought, earthquake and provide facilities for education, health, drinking water and essential services.

Technical Knowledge / Innovation Organisation: They operate their own project to pioneer new or improved approach to the problem.

Public Service Contractor: They implement component of officer programme because it is felt that their size and flexibility help they perform the task more effectively than government department.

Popular development agencies: Non Profit organisations in developed countries and concentrate on Self Help.

Advocacy Group and Network: They exist primarily for education and Lobbying Transparency for corruption of highest level of the government.

NGOS IN INDIA

NGOs emerged in India soon after Independence when Mahatma Gandhi dissolved Indian National Congress Party and named as Lok Sevak Sangh.

However this plea was rejected nevertheless did not halt the formation of non-governmental organizations in India.

Many Gandhiji’s followers established voluntary agencies to work closely with the governmental programs on social and economical issues.

These agencies organized handicrafts and village

industries, rural development programs, credit cooperatives, educational institutions, etc.

The second stage of growth of NGOs in India was around 1960, the governmental programs seemed to be inadequate to deal with the deprived sections of India.

Formed organizations that worked on behalf of the poor, the landless, the tribal's, the bonded laborers, and many other social groups that were being discriminated against by the policies of the state and social structure.

Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-1985), the government

identified new areas in which NGOs as new actors could participate in development. These areas included:

Optimal utilization and development of renewable source of energy, including forestry through the formation of renewable energy association at the block level.

Family welfare, health and nutrition, education and relevant community programs in the field.

Health for all programs. Water management and soil conservation Social welfare programs for weaker sections Implementation of minimum needs program Disaster preparedness and management (i.e. for

floods, cyclones, etc) Promotion of ecology and tribal development, and Environmental protection and education

CONTD….

Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-1990) the Indian government envisioned a more active role for voluntary organizations to aid in making communities as self-reliant as possible.

NGOs because of their situation and interaction with local people can be very effective in bringing change since they are able to address issues that governments are often not able to comprehend.

CONTD…

In the Eighth Five Year Plan (1992-1997) the importance of NGOs was further enhanced "A nation-wide network of NGOs was created. In order to facilitate the working of this network, three schemes relating to the creation, replication, multiplication and consultancy development have been worked out by the Planning Commission.

In the ninth five-year plan (1997-2002), more scope has

been provided to NGOs by the government for rural development through the agricultural development policies as well as their implementation mechanisms.

As with every five-year plan, the role of NGOs in the rural

development of India are growing, so NGOs are now attracting professionals from different fields.

CONTD… NGOs act as planners and implementers of developmental plans.

They help in mobilizing the local resources to be used for development. NGOs help in building a self-reliant and sustainable society.

These agencies play the role of mediator between people and

government. NGOs are actually the facilitator of development, education and professionalization.

Today, about 1.5 million NGOs work in India (i.e., nonprofit, voluntary citizens groups organized on a local, national, or international level). This includes temples, churches, mosques, gurudwaras, sports associations, hospitals, educational institutions, and ganeshotsav mandals. Most NGOs in India are small and dependent on volunteers.

SOME OF AGRICULTURE NGOs IN INDIA Nanndi Foundation ASA(Action For Social Development) PRADAN(Professional Assistance for Development

Action) Aga Khan Foundation (India) IFFCO Foundation GVT(Gramin Vikas Trust)

To highlight the role being played by NGOs in agricultural development

NGOs IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

There are seven billion people on this beautiful planet of ours, and one of the things we all have in common is that we need a daily meal, it’s a basic need. Some people have sufficient food, whereas others don’t have enough or even lack entirely. Luckily, there are many compassionate organizations helping those in need.

Improving Agriculture Food is a basic need for us all. Sadly, access to it is not always

guaranteed. These humanitarian organizations are doing great work to help

curb the big issue of food shortage. Through efforts directed towards improving agriculture and training people in efficient agricultural practices, they enable them to provide for themselves in a sustainable way.

NGOs and voluntary organisations have a history of participation in

agriculture and rural development in India:

Most NGOs have been established with the main aim of serving the rural community. They serve in the field through their own efficiency and commitment.

NGOs concern with the rural poor means that they often maintain a field presence in remote locations, where it is difficult to keep government staff in post.

They are able to understand local problems and the methods required to solve them. NGOs may be able to persuade farmers to adopt new technologies because they maintain close ties with them.

NGOs can modify general plans and models to suit local needs.

NGOs generally are strong in program management and hence

able to organize and monitor the programmes more efficiently and more effectively.

NGOs have also developed innovative dissemination methods, relying on farmer-to-farmer contact, whether on a group or individual basis.

NGOs rapport with farmers has allowed them to draw on local knowledge systems in the design of technology options and to strengthen such systems by ensuring that the technologies developed are reintegrated into them.

One of NGOs main concerns has been to identify the needs of the rural poor in sustainable agricultural development.

They have therefore pioneered a wide range of participatory methods for diagnosis and, in some contexts, have developed and introduced systems approaches for testing new technology. In some cases, these approaches have extended beyond farming systems into processing and marketing.

In some cases, NGOs have developed new technologies such as

soya production in Bangladesh or management practices such as the sloping agricultural land technology in the Philippines , but more often they have sought to adapt existing technologies, such as PRADAN's efforts in India to scale down technologies developed by government for mushroom and raw silk production and so make them accessible to small-scale farmers.

Undoubtedly, one of the main strengths of NGOs has been their work in group formation. This has been in response to perceived needs at several levels:

(1)To meet the technical requirements of certain types of innovation. Thus, Action for World Solidarity in India worked with grass-roots organizations to achieve simultaneous action in an integrated pest management programme. In the Gambia and Ethiopia, NGOs helped farmers to organize local informal seed production in ways to avoid undesirable cross-pollination.

(2)To manage "lumpy" assets. In Bangladesh, NGOs

have helped to organize landless labourers to acquire and operate water-pumping technology.

(3)To manage common property resources. Many examples exist of formal and informal associations, often supported by NGOs, which manage irrigation water. In other cases, NGOs have supported group efforts in soil and water conservation, whether on private land or on a micro-watershed basis involving both private and common land. They have also helped in managing common grazing and forest land in a sustainable fashion in relation both to technology and the creation of a capacity to make demands on government.

NGOs AS FIELD TESTER

Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) India, Institute for Social and Economic Research Education and Information (Indonesia). NGO ability to built close interactive relationship with their clients to draw on their local knowledge and to work with them in testing of new technologies and methods for managing on and off farm resource is evident in the case studies prestated here. Government Organisations develop technology and NGO providing field testing, local adaption, feed back.

NGOs AS JOINT PARTNERS PROSHIKA Livestock Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rural

Advancement Committee (BRAC) Poultry Ram Krishna Mission India, Action for World solidarity (AWS).

NGOs are employed to facilitate the organisation of local group capable of using available technology. Which either NGOs or GO deliver more efficiently than individuals could. The relationship between NGO and GO has worked moderately well. One of the few experiments in NGO-GO collaboration for water shed projects in India is between (MYRADA) Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency and Dry Land Development Board of the Government of Karnataka.

ADVOCACY ROLE OF NGO

Development Initiative for Social and Human Action (DISHA) India.

PROSHIKA Forestry Bangladesh, MCC Crop Adoption Bangladesh. The advocacy role of NGO has become a crying need in the context of market economy. Advocacy means influencing policy in favour of the poor and powerless. It can be understood as a deliberate organised and systematic effort to influence policy affecting the poor; marginalised and underprivilaged.

HIMACHAL PRADESH NGOs

There are total 372 list of NGO working in Himachal Pradesh. Some of them working for Agricultural development are: Association for Rural and Technical Education Centre.(Mandi) Association of Rural Activities and Voluntary Action for Literary

Information (ARAVALI). (Nahan) Centre for Sustainable Development. (Sundarnagar,Mandi) Social Action for Rural Development of Hilly Areas. (Poanta,

Sirmour) Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD).

(Kangra)

ARAVALI NGO This Association Of Rural Activities And Voluntary Action

For Literary Information (ARAVALI) NGO charity is working on Key Issues of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Agriculture, Art & Culture, Disaster Management, Drinking Water, Environment & Forests, Food Processing, Health & Family Welfare, HIV/AIDS, Information & Communication Technology, Labour & Employment, Micro Finance (SHGs), Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Panchayati Raj, Right to Information & Advocacy, Rural Development & Poverty Alleviation, Science & Technology, Tourism, Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation, Vocational Training, Water Resources, Women's Development & Empowerment.

CORD ORGANISATION

CORD is a bond of love and understanding encouraging a process of sharing which enriches both the giver and the receiver. In this process of giving and serving, the giver grows spiritually and the receiver is blessed with the power of transformation. – Swami Tejomayananda (World wide Head of Chinmaya Mission)

CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development) is the service wing of Chinmaya Mission and operates as a Trust and NGO. It has been active in the field of holistic rural development for over two decades. It facilitates integrated, participatory and sustainable rural development in villages of Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh through guidance, funding and monitoring.

HISTORY With a vision to provide a platform for individuals to perform

selfless service, Swami Chinmayananda started a rural healthcare and development programme in Sidhbari.

“For many millennia, the women of the Himalayas have served the Rishis and munis (sages). I, too, have taken all my teachings in the Himalayas – this is an opportunity to do our bit for them,” said Swami Chinmayananda when apprised of a USAID (United States Agency for International Development Ford Foundation) proposal for maternal and child care services in Sidhbari.

The seed was sown – Chinmaya Rural Primary Health Care and Training Centre was formed on April 10, 1985.

While implementing outreach health services in villages, it was pragmatic that the link between primary health care and the reality of village life needed a deeper intervention.

In 2003, a separate Trust for developmental growth was formed – Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD).

ONGOING INITIATIVES Skill Development Training to Self Help Groups Training on food preservation, preparation of vermicompost,

tailoring classes, repairing of sewing machines, preparation of leaf plates and cups; manufacture of sanitary napkins, agarbatti making, book binding; manufacturing of wire-baskets, paper packets and phenyl; typing classes, cultivation of paddy straw & mushrooms, cell phone repairing, embroidery training, jewellery making and screen printing.

Farmers Club Activities Digging wells, promoting latest techniques to cultivate rice,

developing vermicompost units, awareness about organic farming, promotion of crop insurance and Kisan Credit Cards. Popularisation of tuber crops, maize cultivation, mango and cashew plantations.

Literacy Basic computer training for rural youth, digital literacy

programme in Tamil, tuition centres in villages, value based education and so on.

Natural Resource Management Initiate construction of check dams, plantation of different fruit

saplings, promoting forestry species and herbal plants. Sanitation Promotion of low cost sanitary toilets, soakage pits, segregation

of waste and waste management and clean water facilities. Healthcare Services Health awareness camps in village schools, anti-anaemia camps

for girls, immunisation for children, regular outreach services to disabled individuals, services through out-patient clinics, antenatal checkups, family planning interventions and nutrition.

CORD In Kangra District Himachal Pradesh has 3 functioning units of CORD in Chamba,

Kangra and Mandi. It focuses on integrated farming. Approximately 14000 farmers have been benefited by this

organization. It has been working to build the capacity and knowledge of

rural farmers in ecologically-sound agriculture. It has increased yields and improved soil fertility, with a minimal use of chemicals.

They support small and marginal farmers with sustainable agriculture and conservation and also sees women as visible farmers.

They also offer resources to help the farmers create self-sufficient and efficient agricultural systems eg. by providing inputs like breeder seeds at low cost.

AIM/OBJECTIVES/MISSION: To harness human resources and

enable the poor to transform their lives through programmes driven by themselves.

To facilitate participatory and integrated sustainable development for the poor.

To harness human resource and enable poor and marginalized people; especially women and the disabled too, to transform their lives, their economic status and the interrelated issues through participatory, comprehensive, integrated and sustainable development process and systems in the community.

Website: http://www.cord.org.in

OUTREACH For over twenty years, CORD, a secular non-profit and the

service wing of Chinmaya Mission, has been helping rural communities create programmes and adopt practices for holistic welfare; facilitating participatory, integrated and sustainable development for underprivileged communities in over 950 villages and remote areas across India.

CORD has a reach spanning over one-half million villagers in four states: Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, at present.

CORD is a creation of Pujya Guruji (Swami Tejomayananda), to create an urge of creativity in the rural population, for creating comprehensive wealth and managing various aspects of their life to live independently, indigenously and respectfully with a religious spirit and scientific mind.

HURDLES ON THE WAY TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT

A major problem that NGOs are facing in India is their dependency upon government funds or external donations. With this dependency, NGOs are less flexible in carrying out their task as most of the tasks depend upon funds.

The traditional thinking of rural people, their poor understanding, and low level of education for comprehending new technology and efforts, lack of awareness are people related hurdles that NGOs are facing. Villages also lack infrastructure facilities like water, electricity, educational institutes, communication facilities that leads to their slow development.

Few NGOs have been operating without proper direction, organizational development, good management practices and specific mission.

Apart from these, there are certain problems like

economics such as high cost technology, underprivileged rural industries, social and cultural differences, conflicts between different groups, administrative problems like political interference, lack of motivation and interest act as hurdles on the way to rural development in India.

In spite of all the hurdles, NGOs will keep on working for rural development in India. NGOs selectively utilized the local talent, train the individuals and use this for rural development. But the complete success of the rural development actually depends upon the willingness and active participation of rural people in the development processes and efforts.

CONCLUSIONS NGOs are the ones who really intend to care the uncared

sections and the people at the bottom of the social stratum. Ours is an developing country which requires these type of

committed, devoted and dedicated organizations for the development of the country.

NGOs are focusing on sustaining the current momentum by stabilizing food grain production to ensure food security. For sustaining higher levels of production, it is necessary to target new areas of food grain production, while promoting conservation agriculture in the high production areas, to maintain current levels of productivity.

The government, the leaders, the donors, the politicians and the people should support these organizations and help them to solve their problems at the grass-root level. Than only their services are undoubtedly commendable in the uplift of the rural poor.

CONTD…

Public agricultural research and extension services often do not have the capacity to conduct adaptive research and to reach out to all farmers. The private sector is often not willing to invest in extension for smallholder farmers. NGOs can organise such services in cooperation with research institutes, public extension organisations and the private sector.

General knowledge on credit, markets and availability of insurance and safety nets is an important factor that influences agricultural development. NGOs in their role as development brokers can establish linkages between the rural population and public and private institutions that provide such services to support agricultural development.

NGOs can support farmers’ organisations by providing knowledge

and training in organisational development such as awareness raising, accountancy, legal advice, internal regulation, etc.

They can also support the linkages between individual farmer organisations, the creation of federations and their functioning.

Finally, NGOs can advocate for small farmers’ interests in agricultural R&D, communicate their problems and create awareness on how agriculture, particularly smallholder agriculture, can promote rural development.

They can establish institutional linkages and affiliate with international networks to improve their access to different media and better information. Thus, NGOs can form a (constructive) counterforce to the state and hold the national governments accountable for their strategies and activities.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS: The following suggestions and policy implications have

been made for the further improvement in the working of NGOs.

1. A short term training programme for strengthening the managerial capabilities of NGOs may go a long way in improving their performance and effectiveness significantly.

2. The overdependence of NGOs on funding agencies and the syndrome of dependency should be reduced by involving the government directly in funding activities.

3. Donor agencies should also take active initiation in selecting the funding projects and even selecting of NGOs too. These agencies should also go for surveying the viable projects for NGOs and the needs of the people.

4. Proper monitoring the activities of the NGOs and the

enterprises run under the umbrella is the need of the hour. Therefore, the NGOs should also be made accountable for the funds on the one hand and the beneficiaries on the other.