Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: Background, Objectives, Features & More | UPSC Notes

The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, abbreviated as UBA, is one of the flagship programs under the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. It aims to integrate the higher education academic institutions with the people of local communities so that the challenges existing in the villages are handled appropriately. UBA aims at accelerating India's sustainable development through knowledge exchange as well as collaborative problem-solving between the academic institutions and rural communities.

It is a very relevant topic to the UPSC syllabus and predominantly comes under General Studies Paper II, which incorporates governance, constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations. The understanding of UBA enriches the breadth of vision of an aspirant while studying government policies and their repercussions over rural developments, making it a fundamental part of civil services preparation.

About Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is a program that intends to leverage knowledge and resources of higher education institutions towards solving real-life problems in rural India. It has an ambitious vision to upgrade the quality of life of rural habitants and tackle related issues concerning water, energy, education, health care, and sustainable agriculture, thereby encompassing comprehensive growth.

Background

Launched on November 11, 2014, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan was founded on the belief that the progress of India depends on the progress of its villages. History and the vast and massive rural-urban divide stated an urgent requirement for a focused program with the potential to bring about meaningful change in rural sectors by leveraging intellectual and infrastructural capability from academic institutions.

Read the article on Integral Rural Development Programme (IRDP)!

About Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

The second phase, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0, was launched in April 2018 by carrying forward the foundational framework of UBA 1.0 with a more expansive and structured approach. UBA 2.0 is aiming to bring reputed higher education institutions across the country to adopt clusters of villages and promote sustainable development in such areas through comprehensive planning and execution.

Objectives of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Yojana

The objectives of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Yojana include concentrating on certain rural development challenges, optimum usage of resources from higher education institutions, and sustainable growth and community participation.

• Identifying Development Challenges: Ground-level interaction and research to understand and address specific development challenges in rural areas.
• Resource Optimization: Facilitating optimum use of existing infrastructures, technologies, and expertise of higher education institutions for rural development.
• Sustainable Growth: a scenario of sustainable growth and utilization of local resources for upliftment.
• Community Participation: Encouragement of active participation from the local level communities and a sense of ownership from their sides.
• Capacity Building: Building capacities and skills within the rural population to enhance their socio-economic profiles.

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Key Features of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Yojana 2.0

The three crucial features of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Yojana are the cluster approach, direct faculty and student involvement, and proper usage of multi-stakeholder resources for viable rural development.

• Cluster Approach: The focus is on taking up clusters of five villages around an institution so that holistic interventions are ensured.
• Knowledge Transfer: Direct faculty and students' involvement in the developmental process so that innovative and sustainable solutions are provided.
• Community Involvement: State the importance of active participation of the local community in the developmental processes.
• Allocation of Subject Matter Experts from Top Institutions for Specific Issues Water Management, Health Sector, Agriculture
• Resource Convergence: It is the aggregating of various resources through government schemes and assimilating resources from various stakeholders in order to not get faced with duplicity and multiplication.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Funding

The fund flow for Unnat Bharat Abhiyan comes directly from the Government of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Funded by these institutions are the development activities started under the program. According to the UBA guidelines, these amounts are spent on surveys to set the baseline, plan the interventions, and then implement in the adopted villages. The IIT Delhi and the other institutes under it, at the National Coordinating Institute, oversee the fund utilization and allocation to ensure transparency and accountability.

Read the article on Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India!

Significance of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

The significance of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is the ability to enhance capacities, promote holistic development, drive innovation, and foster stronger urban-rural connectivity.

• Capacity Building: The UBA 2.0 increases the capacity of educational institutions and the rural population, boosting self-sufficiency and skill development among its people.
• Holistic Development: The ability to address aspects of rural life including education, health, and infrastructure encourages all-inclusive development.
• Sustainable Practices: Advances long-run environmental conservation through sustainable agriculture and resource-use practices.
• Increased Connectivity: Brings close community attachment as well as increased connectivity between urban and rural areas through continuous engagement.
• Innovation and Research: Sustains innovation in solving local problems and bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical applications.

Read the article on Agricultural Reforms and Rural Development!

Issues Associated with Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

Issues with Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 include implementation is a somewhat backbreaking task, lesser awareness amongst the rural populations, finances are scarce, not sustainable, and institutes have varying degrees of commitment.

• Implementation Challenges: Implementing the projects at the grass root level are faced with challenges due to bureaucratic red tape and a lack of coordination amongst the stakeholders.
• Limited Awareness: The ways of the rural population in knowing what the initiative and goals are of UBA may hamper participation.
• Funding constraints: Lack of timely availability of funds and limited financial resources can delay developmental activities.
• Sustainability concerns: Post-funding phase sustainability is as grave a concern as the initiation of the project, especially when the funding period is over.
• Institutional commitment: The level of commitment and investment on behalf of the participating institutions will take its toll in the outcome generated.

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Conclusion

The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is the epitomizing example of a purposeful approach towards rural development as it uses the synergy between the caliber of students in any academic institution and the problem-solving acumen of the real world. Vast potential exists in this initiative for transforming the rural landscape of the country through sustainable and inclusive growth. In its pragmatic form, it represents a model of growth, capable of integrating the strength of higher education institutions with the needs of India's villages, thus beginning a symbiotic relationship which can bring in a balance and equity to national development.

We hope your doubts regarding the topic have been addressed after going through the above article. Testbook offers good quality preparation material for different competitive examinations. Succeed in your UPSC IAS exam preparations by downloading the Testbook App here!