| Agency Name: | Ministry of Rural Development |
| Seal: | Government of India logo.svg |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of India |
| Headquarters: | Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi |
| Budget: | (2023-24 est.)[1] |
| Minister1 Name: | Shivraj Singh Chouhan[2] |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Cabinet Minister |
| Deputyminister1 Name: | Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani |
| Deputyminister1 Pfo: | Minister of State |
| Deputyminister2 Name: | Kamlesh Paswan |
| Deputyminister2 Pfo: | Minister of State |
| Chief1 Name: | Shailesh Kumar Singh |
| Chief1 Position: | Secretary of Department of Rural Development |
| Type: | Ministry |
The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on special rural grants for health and education, piped filtered drinking water programs, public and affordable housing programs, public work programs and grants for rural roads and infrastructure. It also provides special grants to rural local bodies.[3]
The current minister is Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been in office since 10 June 2024, while the ministers of state are Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Kamlesh Paswan.
On 31 March 1952, the Community Projects Administration was established under the Planning Commission to manage programs for community development. The community development program, which began on 2 October 1952 marked a significant step in rural development history. Over time, this program went through several changes and was overseen by different government bodies.
In October 1974, the Department of Rural Development was created as part of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Then, on 18 August 1979, it became its own Ministry called the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. This ministry was later renamed the Ministry of Rural Development on 23 January 1982. In January 1985, it was once again made a department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which was later renamed the Ministry of Agriculture in September 1985.
On 5 July 1991, the department was upgraded back to a Ministry called the Ministry of Rural Development. A new department, the Department of Wasteland Development was established under this Ministry on 2 July 1992. In March 1995, the Ministry was renamed as Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, which included three departments namely the Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Wasteland Development.
Again, in 1999 the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment was once again renamed as Ministry of Rural Development.
The ministry has two departments: the Department of Rural Development and the Department of Land Resources. Each is headed by a senior civil servant designated as the Secretary of the Department. Anita Choudhry is the secretary of Land Resources and Jugal Kishore Mahapatra, a senior bureaucrat from Odisha, is the secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development.
The department run three national-level schemes: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for rural roads development, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) rural employment and for rural housing, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana It handles the administration of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), and has three autonomous organisations under it:[4]
The Minister of Rural Development is the Chairman of these three organisations and the Secretary of the Ministry is the Vice-Chairman. The Minister is currently Mr Giriraj Singh, and the Secretary is Subrahmanyam Vijay Kumar.[5]
The Department of Land Resources runs three national-level programs:[6]
| Portrait | Minister | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | ||||||||
| Minister of Rural Reconstruction | ||||||||||
| 1 | Bhanu Pratap Singh (MoS, I/C) | 30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan | Charan Singh | ||||
| 2 | Rao Birender Singh | 20 January 1980 | 23 January 1982 | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | ||||
| Minister of Rural Development | ||||||||||
| (2) | Rao Birender Singh | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | ||||
| 3 | Harinath Mishra (MoS, I/C) | 29 January 1983 | 2 August 1984 | |||||||
| 4 | Mohsina Kidwai (MoS, I/C until 31 October 1984) | 2 August 1984 | 31 October 1984 | |||||||
| 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | Rajiv I | Rajiv Gandhi | |||||||
| 5 | Buta Singh | 31 December 1984 | 25 September 1985 | Rajiv II | ||||||
| Minister of Rural Development | ||||||||||
| P. V. Narasimha Rao (Prime Minister) | 21 June 1991 | 11 June 1995 | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | |||||
| Minister of Rural Areas and Employment | ||||||||||
| 6 | Jagannath Mishra | 11 June 1995 | 16 May 1996 | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | ||||
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Prime Minister) | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |||||
| 7 | Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | Telugu Desam Party | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda | ||||
| 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral | |||||||
| 8 | Babagouda Patil (MoS, I/C) | 20 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | ||||
| Minister of Rural Development | ||||||||||
| 9 | Sundar Lal Patwa | 13 October 1999 | 30 September 2000 | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | ||||
| 10 | M. Venkaiah Naidu | 30 September 2000 | 1 July 2002 | |||||||
| 11 | Shanta Kumar | 1 July 2002 | 6 April 2003 | |||||||
| 12 | Ananth Kumar | 6 April 2003 | 24 May 2003 | |||||||
| 13 | Kashiram Rana | 24 May 2003 | 22 May 2004 | |||||||
| 14 | Raghuvansh Prasad Singh | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | ||||
| 15 | C. P. Joshi | 28 May 2009 | 19 January 2011 | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | |||||
| 16 | Vilasrao Deshmukh | 19 January 2011 | 12 July 2011 | |||||||
| 17 | Jairam Ramesh (MoS, I/C) | 12 July 2011 | 26 May 2014 | |||||||
| 18 | Gopinath Munde | 27 May 2014 | 3 June 2014 | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi | ||||
| 19 | Nitin Gadkari | 4 June 2014 | 9 November 2014 | |||||||
| 20 | Birender Singh | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | |||||||
| 21 | Narendra Singh Tomar | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | |||||||
| 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | Modi II | ||||||||
| 22 | Giriraj Singh | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | |||||||
| 23 | Shivraj Singh Chouhan | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | Modi III | ||||||
| Portrait | Minister | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | ||||||||
| Minister of State for Rural Reconstruction | ||||||||||
| 1 | R. V. Swaminathan | 24 November 1980 | 23 January 1982 | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | ||||
| 2 | Baleshwar Ram | 16 January 1982 | 23 January 1982 | |||||||
| Minister of State for Rural Development | ||||||||||
| (1) | R. V. Swaminathan | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi | ||||
| (2) | Baleshwar Ram | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | |||||||
| Minister of State for Rural Development | ||||||||||
| 3 | Gaddam Venkatswamy | 21 June 1991 | 2 July 1992 | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | ||||
| 4 | Uttambhai Patel | 21 June 1991 | 2 July 1992 | |||||||
| 5 | Gaddam Venkatswamy (Rural Development) | 2 July 1992 | 18 January 1993 | |||||||
| 6 | Uttambhai Patel (Rural Development) | 2 July 1992 | 11 June 1995 | |||||||
| 7 | Rao Ram Singh (Wasteland Development) | 2 July 1992 | 11 June 1995 | |||||||
| 8 | Rameshwar Thakur (Rural Development) | 18 January 1993 | 22 December 1994 | |||||||
| Minister of State for Rural Areas and Employment | ||||||||||
| (6) | Uttambhai Patel (Rural Development) | 11 June 1995 | 16 May 1996 | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao | ||||
| (7) | Rao Ram Singh (Wasteland Development) | 11 June 1995 | 30 March 1996 | |||||||
| 9 | Vilas Muttemwar (Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | |||||||
| 10 | Chandradeo Prasad Verma | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda | ||||
| 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral | |||||||
| Minister of State for Rural Development | ||||||||||
| 11 | A. Raja | 13 October 1999 | 30 September 2000 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | ||||
| 12 | Subhash Maharia | 13 October 1999 | 29 January 2003 | Bharatiya Janata Party | ||||||
| 13 | Rita Verma | 30 September 2000 | 1 September 2001 | |||||||
| 14 | Annasaheb M. K. Patil | 1 September 2001 | 22 May 2004 | |||||||
| 15 | Krishnam Raju | 29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | |||||||
| 16 | Suryakanta Patil | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | Nationalist Congress Party | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | ||||
| 17 | Ale Narendra | 23 May 2004 | 24 August 2006 | Telangana Rashtra Samithi | ||||||
| 18 | Chandra Sekhar Sahu | 24 October 2006 | 22 May 2009 | Indian National Congress | ||||||
| 19 | Pradeep Jain Aditya | 28 May 2009 | 26 May 2014 | Manmohan II | ||||||
| 20 | Sisir Adhikari | 28 May 2009 | 22 September 2012 | Trinamool Congress | ||||||
| 21 | Agatha Sangma | 28 May 2009 | 27 October 2012 | Nationalist Congress Party | ||||||
| 22 | Lalchand Kataria | 31 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | |||||
| 23 | Upendra Kushwaha | 27 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 | Rashtriya Lok Samta Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi | ||||
| 24 | Sudarshan Bhagat | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | Bharatiya Janata Party | ||||||
| 25 | Ram Kripal Yadav | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | |||||||
| 26 | Niranjan Jyoti | 31 May 2019 | 9 June 2024 | Modi II | ||||||
| 27 | Faggan Singh Kulaste | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | |||||||
| 28 | Kamlesh Paswan | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | Modi III | ||||||
| Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani | Telugu Desam Party | |||||||||