Socio-psychological Characteristics of Samaj Shilpi Dampatis vis-à-vis the Performance of Village Self Reliance Campaign

Deendayal Research Institute (DRI), an NGO working in Bundhelkhand region in central India, initiated a Village Self Reliance Campaign (VSRC) in 2002 with a mission to make 500 villages self-reliant with an integrated approach to rural development. The key component of the VSRC was the Samaj Shilpi Dampatis (SSDs). They are newly wed graduate couples who lived and worked with villagers for a period of five years. SSDs acted as nodal point for all interventions by DRI units. The study conducted in Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh was aimed to study the philosophy, origin and functioning of the scheme along with its socio-economic impact on respondents. Hundred farmers were randomly selected from five villages. Five SSDs and twenty staff members of various DRI units were also selected for primary data collection. The study revealed that majority of SSDs possessed a very high level of achievement motivation, organizational commitment, dedication, faith in people, empowerment, and development orientation. The scheme performed excellently on all five components of agriculture, entrepreneurship development, education, health and dispute free villages. The SSD scheme was cost-effective, efficient and worked for the integrated development of villagers, especially the poor and the marginalized. This indigenous concept of rural development needs to be considered for upscaling in other parts of the country and other developing countries. The model held a great hope for government departments, NGOs, and voluntary organizations, who wish to work at grassroots level.