CIVILSHUB IAS
65th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2019

Which one of the following programmes was initiated during the Sixth Five Year Plan?

aIntegrated Rural Development✓ Correct
bRural Literacy Development
cRural Railways
dAdvanced Communication Links for Rural People
eNone of the above/More than one of the above

Explanation

The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was started in March 1976 in 20 selected districts of the country. Later, after reviewing the Small Farmers Development Agency, Command Area Development Programme, Hill Area Development Programme, and the Drought Prone Areas Programme, a new programme—IRDP—was started in 1978–79 in 2,300 blocks of the country. However, this programme was implemented in all blocks of the country on 2 October 1980. The Sixth Plan period was 1980–1985, and the Integrated Rural Development Programme was launched across India on 2 October 1980. Thus, the Integrated Rural Development Programme was started in the Sixth Five-Year Plan. The main objective of this programme was rural development and poverty alleviation. The main target of this programme was to provide loans for self-employment to poor rural families so that the beneficiary families could rise above the poverty line. From April 1999, it was merged into the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). ## Page 9

economic-social-development