IGNOU announces PhD, MA courses in Rural Development

New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has announced Ph.D, MA, PG Diploma and Certificate in Rural Development, in view of the increasing need for providing professionals to serve as specialists in the field.

''Even Elective is designed to provide an understanding about the basic aspects related to the discipline of rural development as a part of Bachelor's degree programme,'' an IGNOU spokesperson said today.

He said the quality of rural development indicates the level of overall development of a predominantly agrarian society.

''Rural development in India in the past few years has been facing several challenges including the declining agriculture growth, underdeveloped infrastructure, fragmentation of landholdings formidable market competition and increasing indebtedness,'' he added.

He said these have resulted in agrarian crisis marked by the farmers' suicides and social tension in several parts of the country.

''This also results in migration of the people from rural areas into cities on the one hand and disenchantment of the people with agriculture as an occupation on the other,'' he added.

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