Unlock the Potential of Rural Communities with Career as a Rural Development Manager

Do you feel that a lot can be done and improved in the Rural Sector? Do you want to do something for the development of rural areas? Are you keen on making the Rural areas more advanced in technology and more efficient in other sectors? Do you think you can use your knowledge and expertise towards a greater cause? If yes, then you can become a Rural Development Professional. Read more to find out how.

Rural Development Professionals / Managers study, plan, organize, direct and control ways to improve the quality of life and economic welfare of the people living in rural areas. They make changes and improvements in agriculture, healthcare, education, social situations, economy, employment, management of natural resources, banking and finance, technology, and industries majorly relating to rural areas.

Why Become a Rural Development Manager?

Rural Development Professionals / Managers are involved in studying, planning, organizing, directing and controlling ways to improve the quality of life and economic welfare of the people living in rural areas. They are concerned with the improvement and development of the lives of rural people as well as the infrastructure. Rural Development Professionals make changes and improvements in agriculture, healthcare, education, social situations, economy, employment, management of natural resources, banking and finance, technology, and industries majorly relating to the rural areas.

As a Rural Development Professional / Manager, you will be involved in various activities depending on your specialized area of work. For example, you will look after the upgradation and renovation of the rural infrastructure, you will be involved in managing projects in providing better roads and connectivity to major cities, you also contribute majorly in supplying electricity and internet coverage to underdeveloped areas, you will also ensure the availability of clean water for drinking, you will be contributing towards improving healthcare services like hospitals with trained staff and nurses.

Popular Specialization in Rural Development Manager Profession

Agricultural Extension Professionals are involved in boosting agricultural productivity and in educating people to provide new and advanced industry information relating to farming, agriculture, farm management, marketing and production of various agriculture-related activities

What Does a Rural Development Manager do?

As a Rural Development Professional / Manager, you will be involved in the following roles and responsibilities:

• You would be involved in developing and implementing organizational policies and procedures in various fields like Healthcare, education, water resource conservation, afforestation, child development etc.
• You would be involved in maintaining financial records of production or employment records for farms or ranches.
• You would be involved in coordinating energy assessment, engineering, or construction activities to ensure that wind project needs and objectives are met. 
• You would also be involved in creating wind energy project plans including project scope, goals, tasks, resources, schedules, costs, contingencies, or other project-related information.
• You would plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate the work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, and compensation for various projects and development activities.
• You would be involved in strategic and day-to-day operational planning in the development of rural infrastructure.
• As a Rural Development Professional / Manager you would estimate costs and prepare budgets for various development initiatives and projects.
• You would ensure the implementation of various projects and development plans.

How to Become a Rural Development Manager – Eligibility Criteria

After completing Class 11-12 with any subject as per the scheme of studies, you can go for a Bachelor’s in any subject, followed by a Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management/Cooperative Management or a Master’s in Social Work.

After completing Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry and Biology along with any other subject as per the scheme of studies, you can pursue B.Sc. in Agriculture or similar courses like BVSc. & AH/ Fisheries. In order to study further, you can do a master’s degree in the same field.

After completing Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry and Biology along with any other subject as per the scheme of studies, you can go for a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical/Energy/Power) followed by a Master’s in Rural Technology/Rural Energy or similar courses.

After completing Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics along with any other subject as per the scheme of studies you can pursue B.Tech in Dairy Technology or a Diploma in Dairying.

Job Opportunities

People who are professionally involved in Rural Development and Administration may find work in several type of organizations ranging from large industrial organizations which have their factories in rural areas (and therefore they want to develop the overall socio-economic situation surrounding their factories) to small NGOs which are involved in rural development. Following are some of the areas:

• NGOs or Not-for-profit organizations which are involved in one or more areas of rural development – typically, at the beginning, you will get a job as an Associate / Assistant Project Officer / similar position.
• Cooperative organizations such as Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (which is involved in the processing and selling of milk and milk products under the brand name Amul), Agricultural Cooperative firms, etc. In these organizations, there could be several jobs and one can join as an Officer Trainee, Management Trainee, Executive, Project Assistant, and several other positions.
• Corporate industrial organizations which are involved in rural development – here you can get a job as a Project Assistant / Associate in their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) at the beginning of your career.
• Corporate organizations which are involved in agribusiness – here you can get a job as an Executive / Assistant / Associate / Management Trainee / Executive Trainee, etc. at the beginning of your career.
• Agricultural farms, Dairy farms, poultry farms and fisheries farms – farms that are involved in organized farming, and processing of agriculture products, dairy products, poultry products and fish – here you may get a job as an Extension Officer/Executive / Project Assistant/ Rural ICT officer, etc.
• State or Central Government departments and various government agencies are involved in social welfare and rural welfare.
• Public services under State Government – as BDOs, BLROs, etc.
• Various private sector firms which are involved in implementing Government projects in rural areas – where you can get various jobs depending upon your qualifications.

Salary of a Rural Development Manager

As you may get a job in this field in different roles depending upon your qualifications, salaries vary widely.

At the beginning of your career, you may expect to earn about Rs. 8,000 – Rs. 50,000 a month or even more. You will get higher salaries if you have an MBA/PGDM from a reputed institution. In Government jobs, if you are in Grade-A services, you will be getting about Rs. 50,000-60,000 a month at the beginning. If you are in Grade B services, you will be getting about Rs. 40,000-45,000 a month in the beginning.

After having 4-5 years of experience, you may earn about Rs. 10,000 – 60,000 or even more per month.

In mid-level jobs in this field, you may earn about Rs. 15,000 – Rs. 1,60,000 or even more a month depending upon where you are working. Salaries are higher in Government jobs and in corporate organizations.

In senior-level jobs in this field, you may earn about Rs. 25,000 – 2,50,000 or more per month.

Career Progression in Rural Development Manager Profession

As there are many diverse opportunities in this career, growth pathways are also quite different. Some examples are given below:

If you join as a Management Trainee after your MBA/PG Diploma in Rural Management, you will progress as Management Trainee – Assistant Manager – Manager – Senior Manager – AGM / AVP – VP/GM – Chief Operating Officer – Chief Executive Officer.

If you join as an Associate / Assistant, then you may progress as Associate / Assistant – Project or Program Executive – Project Manager / Program Manager – Project Head – General Manager etc.

If you want to enter the government sector, you would be required to take the State Civil Services examination. For example, in West Bengal, you need to appear for and successfully clear West Bengal Civil Service examination in order to join as Joint Block Development Officer, West Bengal Junior Social Welfare Service, Assistant Canal Revenue Officer (Irrigation), and West Bengal Subordinate Land Revenue Service, Grade – I.

What does Industry Trends Say – Future Prospects

Prospects in this career are moderated. India is the fastest-growing economy and comes sixth under the largest economy in the world. It reached US$ 2.7 trillion economy in 2019 from US$ 1.45 trillion in 2014 and the estimated target for the next five years is to become an economy of US$ 5 trillion economy.

Although the Growth rate in Gross Value Added (GVA) by the agriculture sector declined from 6.3 percent in 2017-18 to 2.9 percent in 2018-19, the government has planned to invest Rs.1, 84, 220 crores, Rs.79, 996 crores, and Rs.37, 478 crores for Food, fertilizer and Petroleum subsidies.

In order to improve the rural areas and enhance the incomes of farmers, the government is planning to form 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III, the government has announced to invest Rs.10,000,000 crore in infrastructure over the next five years. Moreover, the government has proposed granting of loans up to Rs.1 crore (US$ 0.15 million) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)and Rs.350 crore (US$ 52.50 million) has been allocated for FY 2019-20.

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