Dualism means the co-existence of two exteremely different features like developed and underdeveloped, traditional and modern, poor and rich, and similar contradicting situations in a region.

Rural households are largely dependent on social grants and remittances from family members working in urban areas and cities.

Number of persons living per sq. km or per sq. mile

Rural Industries embrace all industries which are run by rural people in rural areas. The industries are based primarily on the utilization of locally available raw materials skills and small amount of capital.

It refers to providing electrical power to rural areas and agriculture.

Rapid adaptation of nuclear families; no proper water supply nor proper disposal of sewage.

Cottage industry are carried out by artisans in their own homes, these industries are traditional, with no or little power.

(i) Open unemployment is found among agricultural labourers, rural artisans and literate persons.
(ii) Here the unemployed people are identified as they remain without work.

Rural poverty refers to the existence of poverty in rural areas.

Rural Economy refers to villages.

(i) To regulate the lender and the borrower of microfinance and bring stability to the microfinance system.
(ii) To extend finance and credit support to microfinance institutions and agencies that lend money to small businesses, retailers, self help groups and individuals.
(iii) To register all MFIs and introduce a system of performance rating and accreditation for the first time.
(iv) Offer a credit guarantee scheme for providing guarantees to loans offered to micro businesses.
(v) Introduce appropriate technologies to assist in lending, borrowing and monitoring of distributed capital.

(i) SHG is an economically homogenous group formed through a process of self-selection based on the affinity of its members.
(ii) Most SHGs are women's groups with membership ranging between 10 and 20.
(iii) SHGs have well defined rules and by-laws, hold regular meetings and maintain records and savings and credit discipline.
(iv) SHGs are self-managed institutions characterised by participatory and collective decision making.

Subsidiary Occupation: To reduce seasonal unemployment, rural people should take subsidiary occupation. Loans should be granted and proper arrangements should be made for marketing their products.
Rural works programme: Construction and maintenance of roads, digging of drains, canals should be planned during off season to provide gainful employment to the unemployed.
Irrigation facilities: Since rainfall is uncertain irrigation facilities should be expanded to enable the farmers to follow multiple cropping which would create additional jobs.
Rural industrialization: To create employment new industries should be set up in rural areas by the government but private sector would not do this.
Technical Education: Employment oriented courses should be introduced in schools and colleges to help the literate youth to start their own units.

(i) The distribution of land is highly skewed in rural areas. Majority of rural people work as hired labour to support their families.
(ii) Lack of non-farm employment: The excess supply of labour in rural areas reduce the wages and increases the incidence of poverty
(iii) Lack of public sector investment: The root cause of rural poverty in our  country is lack of public sector investment on human resource development.
(iv) Inflation: Steady increase in prices affects the purchasing power of the rural poor leading to rural poverty.
(v) Low Productivity: Low Productivity of rural labour and farm activities is a cause and effect of poverty.
(vi) Unequal benefit of growth: The gaîns of economic development are enjoyed by the urban rich people leading to concentration of wealth. Due to defective economic structure and policies, the gains of growth are not reaching the poor.
(vii) Low rate of economic growth: The rate of growth of India is always below the target and it has benefited the rich. The poor are always denied of the benefits of growth.
(viii) More emphasis on large industries: Huge investment in large industries catering to the needs of middle and upper classes in urban areas. Such industries are capital intensive and so do not create more jobs. The poor are not in a position to get employment or to come out of social evils. Social evils like customs, beliefs increase unproductive expenditure.

(i) Rural development is very important for the overall growth and development of Indian economy.
(ii) A major share of population lives in rural areas. Their development and contributions support the nation building activities.
(iii) The rural economy supports the urban sector by supplying drinking water, milk, food and raw materials.
(iv) Improvements in education, health and sanitation in villages can help avoid urban problems like begging, rack picking and roadside slumming.
(v) Development of agriculture and allied activities are necessary for providing gainful employment in rural areas and improving overall food production.
(vi) The evils of brain-drain and rural-urban migration can be reduced if rural areas are developed.
(vii) In order to better utilise the unused and under-utilised resources, there is a need to develop the rural economy.
(viii) Rural development would reduce the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of infrastructure. It was called PURA by former President Abdul Kalam.
(ix) In order to improve the nation's status in the global arena in terms of economic indicators like Human Development Index, Women Empowerment Index, Gender Disparity Index, Physical Quality of Life Index and Gross National Happiness Index rural development should be given due attention.

Introduction:
Rural economy refers to villages and rural community refers to people living in villages.
Features of rural economy:
Village is an institution:
(i) Village is a primary institution and it satisfies almost all the needs of the rural community.
(ii) The rural people have a feeling of belongingness and a sense of unity towards each other.
Dependence on agriculture:
The rural economy depends on nature and agricultural activities.
Life of rural people:
(i) Life style in village is very simple. Education, housing, health and sanitation, transport and communication, banking, roads and markets are limited and unavailable.
(ii) Rural people rely on faith, superstitions and traditional cultural practices.
(iii) The methods of production, social organization, political mobilization, rural sector is extremely weak and backward.
(iv) The incidence of alcohol drinking has gone up.
Population density:
Population density is very low. Houses are scattered in the entire village.
Employment:
There is unemployment, seasonal unemployment and underemployment.
Poverty:
(i) Basic needs of the people like food, clothing and shelter are not met
(ii) About 22 crores of people in rural areas are poor and live below poverty line.
Indebtedness:
(i) People in rural areas are highly indebted owing to poverty, under employment, lack of farm and non-farm employment opportunities, low wage employment, seasonality in production, poor marketing network.
(ii) Since formal loan facilities are not available to the villagers, they depend on local money lenders who squeeze the villagers.
Rural income
Large proportion of labourers are underemployed and the scope for increasing their income is limited.
Dependency:
Rural households are largely dependent on social grants and remittances from family members working in urban areas.
Dualism:
The co-existence of features of organised and unorganised, traditional and modern, regulated and unregulated, poor and rich, skilled and unskilled is very common in rural areas.
Inequality:
There is inequality in distribution of income, wealth and assets. Land, livestock are owned by a few people. Landlords dominate the rural activities.
Migration:
Rural people migrate from villages to urban areas for gainful employment. Lack of basic amenities in rural areas also push the people to urban areas.