Despite the significant progress in industry and services, which grabs all the headlines as far as India's economic progress is concerned, the Indian economy's mainstay has always been, and still is to a large extent, agriculture. Agriculture and related sectors contribute between two-fifth to one-third of India's gross domestic product (GDP), and employs more than 60 per cent of its population. Indian agriculture has made great progress since Independence, becoming close to a food self-sufficient nation in just about 40 years. There are various factors that have been responsible for this growth. They include: Greater research in biotechnology; Improvements in seed varieties and development of high-yielding seeds; Better irrigation and water management; Sensible cropping practices and judicious use of fertilizers.

However, despite such huge growths in the agricultural sector, it often turns out that the rural communities that are behind this success are the most deprived. Many rural areas in India still lack basic amenities like electricity and roads. Economically, agriculturists, especially marginal farmers, are at the mercy of unscrupulous middlemen, who never hesitate to exploit them. The condition of India's marginal farmers is a very pitiable one indeed. Many rural communities have had to give up their traditional occupations of livestock rearing and forestry as access to natural resources dwindled. A number of formerly hunting or animal handling communities have had their livelihoods snatched from them due to the government's wildlife protection regulations. These people have no other option but to engage in marginal agriculture on their meager plots, or to migrate to the cities in search of manual labour.

One key factor that could improve the condition for India's rural communities is, simply put, letting them manage their own affairs. Only local, village-level governance that can engage rural communities through participation and contribution can help alleviate much of the misery that the communities have to face.

Indian agriculture has literally risen by leaps and bounds since Independence. A high level of production of crops and foodgrains has ensured India's food security and economic prosperity, on paper at least. Rice and wheat are the two main crops in India. Both have seen phenomenal success, largely due to the "Green Revolution" in the late 1960s and 1970s. Between 1950 and 1990, the production of wheat in the country has grown by more than 840 per cent, and that of rice grew by 350 per cent. Production of coarse grains like sorghum and millet has also doubled in the same period. However, due to the success and profitability of rice and wheat, a large number of staple crops such as pulses have been neglected by farmers, and their production has not grown as significantly. India is also the largest producer of sugar in the world, and a significant producer of cotton and jute

Production of oilseeds for extraction of vegetable oils, such as peanut, rapeseed and cottonseed, grew from 5.2 million tonnes in 1950 to 24.7 million tones in 1999. Credit for this goes to the setting up of the Technology Mission on Oilseeds in 1986, after which the production of oilseeds leapfrogged.

Perhaps the most contentious issue as far as food production is concerned, with various arguments for and against, is genetically modified (GM) crops. Those who support it claim that the higher yields and better quality crops that GM seeds produce will solve food scarcity and improve nourishment in poorer nations. Those who oppose it claim that GM crops will increase corporate control over agriculture and will lead to pollution of native biodiversity.

Irrigation has always been a high-priority concern for India, and about 50 per cent of its agricultural budget has been devoted to improving irrigation facilities and networks in the country. The area under irrigation in the country rose from 22.6 million hectares in 1950 to 59 million hectares in 1990, a 161 per cent growth, making it a country with the second-largest irrigated area in the world. The government has mainly been concentrating on large-scale surface projects such as canals and dams while it has been indirectly supporting smaller projects such as tanks and wells.

This growth in irrigation has its downsides as well. While dams can cause large-scale displacement of communities and can destroy the ecology, canals, if not properly managed, can lead to salinity and water-logging. Continuous use of wells and tube-wells also lead to groundwater depletion. Irrigation is also, to a large extent, dependant on the vagaries of nature and a couple of years of draught can wreak havoc with the system.

To solve this problem, numerous government and voluntary agencies have initiated community rainwater harvesting programmes. Instead of depending on government-made dams and water supply programmes, numerous communities are reviving traditional water-harvesting structures through local initiative and participation.

Despite huge progress in agriculture, many villages in India do not even have access to electricity. To solve this problem, the government of India is about to kickstart a massive rural electrification drive with a budget of Rs 1100 crore that seeks to electrify all of India by 2012. After the Electricity Act 2003, which streamlines the process of electrification, the government has now set up a Rural Electricity Supply Technology Mission under the Ministry of Power to look into the feasibilities of the project.

Apart from agriculture, few other avenues of income exist in rural India. Which is why drought and crop failures invariably lead to people from villages migrating to the cities in search of work. Most of them end up living on the streets, with little access to food and healthcare. One way of generating employment opportunities in rural areas is the livestock and food processing industry. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries was set up in 1988 to tap the growing surplus in food production and thereby provide employment opportunities in rural areas.

Seva Mandir

Seva Mandir is a voluntary organisation that assists rural communities in their economic development and self-determination. It believes that development activities are best carried out not by the state alone but by cooperating with and by engaging local communities in a democratic manner. It began in the 1970s as a literacy programme, but soon extended to development programmes and local governance to facilitate economic prosperity and social dignity. Operating in Udaipur and surrounding districts, Seva Mandir assists in the setting up of village-level committees that can then manage their own developmental activities such as in the fields of health, education, women's care, and employment.

Indian Council for Agricultural Research: An autonomous organisation that conducts research and innovations in agriculture and related fields

Fertiliser Association of India: A non-profit, non-trading organisation of fertilizer manufacturers and importers

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD): India's primary bank for rural development, that promotes equitable and sustainable agricultural and rural development through credit assistance

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA): An autonomous body attached to the Ministry of Commerce that promotes export of agricultural products to provide employment opportunities to farmers

Seva Mandir: A voluntary organization engaged in rural development, literacy and health programmes in Udaipur and surrounding districts in Rajasthan