Page 52 - MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS EBOOK IC88

1. The demographic differences between the urban sector and the rural sector will be seen from
the following data, which are based on the census.
2. The figures in the table above chew that
• there has been a migration from the rural to the urban areas during the decade
• nearly 70% of the people are still in the rural areas
• the sex ratio (women to men) has improved in both the urban and rural areas
• literacy has improved in the rural areas better than in the urban areas
• literacy rate has improved better among women than among men

3. The rural population is the lowest in the states of Kerala (26%), Goa (19%) Nagaland (15%) and
Sikkim (5%)

(c) Changes in the Rural Sector

1. The face of rural India has been changing. Six out of every seven farms were of a size that
allowed only subsistence farming and limited incomes.
2. This indicated a significant shift from cultivation to labour. 56% of the rural population were
landless.
3. Cultivators had resorted to multiple cropping and to cash crops like horticulture.

(d) Employment

1. The pattern of employment among the rural population was as under.

Manual casual labour 51.14%
Agriculture - cultivators 30.10%
Domestic workers - part time or full time 2.50%
Non agricultural own business 1.60%
Income tax payers 4.58%

2. This croup is called `main' workers. The rest, called marginal workers, totaled about 12 crores
and were given job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGA) for at least 100 days.

3. A study showed that, as on 16th March 2016, there were 10 crore active labourers registered
under MGNREGA. Of them 6 crores had unique identification numbers (Aadhar cards) seeded in
their job cards, which ensured that the payments were received by them without any leakage.
The Government has proposed to spend Z 38,500 crores on MGNREGA in 2016-17.

4. Self-Help Groups (SHG), consisting of women, have made a big difference in the rural areas.
Since they were formed in 2011, they have mobilised credit from banks to the extent of about
70,000 crores to fund activities like starting a shop, milch cattie, etc.. There are 26 lakh SHGs in
the country comprising of 8 crore members. SHGs are allowed to be agents for micro insurance.

5. In 74.5% of the households in the rural areas, the highest salary was less than Z 5000 per month.

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