Vijeta Pundi

Rural India is vulnerable to most of the 21st century developmental challenges like the vast and continuing environmental as well as ecological damage, large-scale migration and mobility, international competition, rising income-inequalities, increased instances of natural disasters and technological disruption. In order to navigate these complexities, a long-term guiding framework that emphasises on rural sustainability is essential. India has implemented various Rural Development Programmes (RDP), each with specific objectives, resulting in a fragmented policy framework and disjointed implementation. These initiatives seem to have been conceived from an urban perspective, ignoring the unique needs of diverse rural and peri-urban regions. Even though 44.72% of the world’s population resides in rural areas, mainstream development policies often underestimate their potential. Rural areas can play an important role in sustainable development by harnessing indigenous resources, promoting local industries and tourism, and contributing to renewable energy production. This paper explores the effectiveness of integrated rural development initiatives in India, evaluating their impact on livelihoods, basic infrastructure, and community empowerment. Drawing from programme documentation and stakeholder perspectives, the paper seeks to identify key bottlenecks and policygaps. The findings underscore the need for context-specific interventions, stronger community-participation, and convergence across schemes for holistic development.

This editorial examines the expanding influence of artificial intelligence on contemporary social, professional, cultural, and environmental life. It considers both the opportunities and risks associated with the rapid development and normalization of AI, with particular attention to human connection, critical thinking, artistic expression, employment, algorithmic bias, discrimination, and environmental sustainability. The discussion highlights concerns surrounding dependence on personalized AI systems, the reproduction of biases through data driven algorithms, the growing resource demands of data centres, and the changing nature of employment in an increasingly technology driven economy. Alongside these contemporary concerns, the issue of the Indian Journal of Social Enquiry presents a diverse collection of scholarly contributions addressing education, history, democracy, gender, environmental movements, public finance, literature, ecology, and community based conservation. The featured studies examine theatre based education, the historical contribution of Zorawar Singh, democratic legitimacy among youth in Nepal and Sri Lanka, ecofeminist interpretations of Indian environmental movements, the fiscal impact of GST in Gujarat, poetry and ecological conflict in Northeast India, and community conserved areas. Collectively, the issue encourages critical social enquiry by connecting contemporary challenges with historical experiences and emerging perspectives on progress, development, citizenship, culture, and sustainability.