About the Programme:
The symbolic relationship between businesses and society has triggered off new economic and social opportunities in which even corporate houses are now required to initiate special programmes aimed at socio-economic development. In the current scenario, there is now a pressing need to bridge the corporate sector and rural society. This is one of the market segments, which the programme intends, to cater to, apart from the social development sector comprising of co-operatives, NGOs, government development agencies, and national and international donors engaged in promoting rural development.
This course aims to sensitize students about the complexity of rural society, factors influencing rural realities, interface between various sectors, and interaction between the state, market, and society in production of development. The teaching methodology uses a blend of cutting-edge knowledge of modern management sciences and skills, critical thinking, and practices needed for rational, equitable, and effective planning for utilization and management of human and other valuable scarce resources, from micro (grass-roots) to macro levels for rural development.
Programme Structure:
All courses are a combination of classroom sessions and mandatory 2/3 of the programme period as a field engagement/ placement/ internship component.
The classroom sessions will facilitate learning through participation in the forms of lectures, discussions, case studies, presentations, assignments, etc., to help students to understand the conceptual and theoretical clarity of the subject area. The field engagement will provide a possibility to see the linkages between the classroom inputs by highlighting the practical dimensions of the course. The insights that emerge from theories and hands-on practical experiences is aimed at making students conceptually strong and successful in practice of the course and getting absorbed in employment setups.
The programme will be delivered in a modular structure that aims to address specific objectives. Each module would have a three-fold construct, with the following weights of credit hours:
- Academic Groundwork – 50%
- Industry perspective through casework, internships, and guest speakers – 25%
- Field action work – 25%
Broad Thematic Areas
- Understanding Indian Society (State, Democracy and Policy)
- Concept and Theories of Development
- Principles and Practices of Rural Management
- Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
- India’s Rural Development Experience: A Cross country analysis
- Institutions and Processes of Rural Development
- Marketing Management and Rural Markets
- Social Aspects of Poverty and Theories of Justice
- Agri-Business and Management, Micro-finance
Who should do this programme:
Young graduates and professionals from the developmental sector/ government/ civil society/ Industry experts who are keen to understand the complexity of rural society, factors influencing rural realities, interface between various sectors, and interaction between the state, market, and society in the production of development.
It has been designed for highly motivated individuals who want to take lead in developing solutions for improving the quality of human life; develop creative solutions to address issues with respect to Rural Development, Good and people centred-Governance, strengthening of rural institutions and processes.
Why do this programme?
India needs rural managers as the rural development initiatives are the top priorities of the government. Most of the rural areas are going through the process of transformation and are getting several development schemes from state and central governments. Besides, many more projects are being undertaken by the corporate and private sectors in the rural and inaccessible areas under CSR, PPP, and SEZ mode of operations.
The newly enacted policies and legislations for business and profit-making organizations demand a specific percentage of investment in the social sector development and rural areas are getting a share of such development and industrial projects. In fact, there is a need for an adequate number of development managers who can manage rural development projects while working with business houses and corporate bodies.
Job Opportunities:
Diverse career choices are open to students completing the PGDM in Rural Management as there is dire need of trained rural managers in India today. The NGOs, Government, Corporate, Public, Private and bilateral organizations are looking forward to well – train rural and development managers. The proposed programme will attempt to fill the need of human resources of development agencies and market agents working for and in rural areas.
The ongoing programmes like NREGS, NRHM, Watershed Mission, Rural Livelihood Mission, Skill Development Missions, etc, have great demand for rural sector managers who can play an important role in efficiently delivering key results in time. It is expected that enormous number of rural oriented employment and jobs will also be forthcoming through SEZ, CSR, PPP, cooperatives, financial sectors, industries, and so on. The students are expected to be employed in the above- mentioned public sectors, private, joint initiatives.
Students who graduate with this post graduate diploma find their professional career in academic institutions pursuing inter-disciplinary research and teaching in rural studies; in civil and allied administrative services of the government; in development-facilitating organisations; in the corporate sector; in research consultancy firms; and in development journalism.