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Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy

ISSN : 1750-6166

Article publication date: 22 February 2022

Issue publication date: 12 July 2022

Smart villages (SVs) have lately attracted considerable attention, but what does the term mean? This literature review aims to explore its ambiguous nature and to identify main theoretical and practical aspects to be further explored in the conceptualisation and implementation of these initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis draws upon a review of 79 references from the grey and academic literature on SVs, identified through a systematic search of academic databases and snowball sampling.

This review highlights how the definition and characterisation of SVs is currently shaped by disciplinary backgrounds and geographical contexts. SVs are often viewed as the rural version of smart cities or an innovative model for rural development, but there has been little engagement in the literature with other debates around rurality and sustainable development. It is only through engaging with these other debates that a better understanding of the term will emerge.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to conduct a systematic review on SVs. In addition to identifying the main trends in the conceptualisations and design of these initiatives, this paper contributes to the academic debate on smart rural development and provides useful recommendations to both policy makers and practitioners.

• Smart villages
• Rural development
• Smart specialisation strategy
• Digitization
• Smart cities

Acknowledgements

A previous version of this paper was presented at International Telecommunications Society Biennial Conference in July 2021.

Gerli, P. , Navio Marco, J. and Whalley, J. (2022), "What makes a smart village smart? A review of the literature", Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy , Vol. 16 No. 3, pp. 292-304. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-07-2021-0126

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Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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Insights into Editorial: For Modi’s smart-city vision to become a reality, India needs smart villages first

Insights into Editorial

For Modi’s smart-city vision to become a reality, India needs smart villages first

It is now widely agreed that development of rural India holds the key to the nation’s sustainable economic growth. In this regard, experts have advocated transformation and development of “smart villages” across the country to improve standard of living in the rural areas and boost the rural economy.

Why concentrate on villages?

Almost 70 of the Indian population lives in villages. In recent times, more cases of farmers’ suicides due to crop failure have been reported. Even after 70 years of independence, we lack a ‘support and guidance system’; nor do we have professional counselling for farmers. Many of them have no secondary source of income — this is a major lacuna.

• The lack of job opportunities in villages coupled with less remunerative farming (except in the case of large land holdings) compels village youth to migrate to cities. There, many of them do not enjoy a reasonable quality of life because they manage to get only subsistence jobs.
• The migration is also unidirectional as they continue to live in cities in the hope of landing better jobs. In the long term, this leads to desertion from villages, dilution of village culture, reduced land under cultivation and, consequently, farm output.
• In the cities, uncontrolled migration adds to pollution, traffic problems, crime, and over-burdening of civic amenities and infrastructure. Therefore it is natural that for ‘inclusive’ development, the Government must focus on them.

Present scenario:

According to the most recent socioeconomic and caste census data, a third of India’s rural households are landless and dependent on manual labour for an income.

• About 13% of rural households are still only one-room tenements built with mud walls and fragile roofs.
• There is not even basic health insurance in case of serious illnesses. Rural health centres are not easily reachable, and even if they are, they don’t have either the facilities or the medicines to treat anything other than diarrhoea and bacterial infections.
• Malnutrition is widespread and one of India’s most enduring enigmas.
• Roads in the interiors are also not in good condition. They are difficult even to walk, not to speak of travelling by carts, and have been in that condition for years.

What needs to be done?

• The top priority should be the creation of opportunities for youths in villages, thereby discouraging migration to cities. We must create an eco-system that makes youth interested in working from their villages. BPOs/KPOs can operate from villages and young people can be encouraged to take up IT jobs there. Many jobs require computer skills instead of degrees. The digitisation of post offices, rural banks, and IT-enabled services provide excellent opportunities.
• Farming should be made a remunerative occupation, with guidance and mentoring to small farmers on how to get the best yield and market at remunerative prices. It’s important to train them to develop a secondary source of income.
• The benefits of schemes such as crop insurance, soil health card, and neem pesticides must reach the grassroots. Proper implementation is key. A helpdesk set up in every village and manned by trained individuals to handle farmers’ queries and provide solutions would be most useful.
• Projects supported by Digital India and Skill India should be integrated through a unified agency to reach villages. For instance, Skill India can empower youths to start their own small businesses after training as masons, mechanics, electricians, and drivers or to run repair shops, poultry and dairy farms, kirana stores, tea-shops, dhabas and so on.
• India’s crafts thrive in villages, especially as cooperative ventures. Pottery, metal craft, weaving, jewellery making, wood craft, shell craft, cane craft, embroidery, ivory craft, glass craft and paper craft could be sources of income. The arts and crafts ecosystem of villages is impossible to recreate in cities. A great deal of export potential is hidden here. Senior/elderly artisans can be employed as ‘trainers’.
• Villages traditionally preserve large number of water bodies like ponds, wells, bawadis, canals etc. Training villagers in water harvesting methods, rejuvenating ponds/wells to improve water storage and sharing these good practices systematically with others, would help mitigate hardships.

Things to consider while making villages smart:

Basic facilities should include health and sanitation, housing, power, skill development centres and micro-industries.

A four-step method has also been proposed to create a smart village:

• First, a central place must be chosen as a hub and person must be assigned to work with villagers. This person could be a wealthy local elder who is well respected and influential in his village or town. Having a local leader will generate more trust and support among the villagers. The hub should preferably be a pucca (proper) building that is centrally located in the village. The building should have a few guest rooms, a common room and dining area, and should be in a safe location.
• Second, is the availability of basic infrastructure. Although many city dwellers want to experience rural lifestyle, they are accustomed to basic comforts like clean drinking water, fans, internet, TV, fridge, clean toilets, easy access to roads and public transport. People will prefer places that already have the basic infrastructure in place or that can be upgraded with minimum effort. A genuine village experience coupled with the availability of basic infrastructure could attract people to the village.
• Third, is to encourage people to move to locations outside the city. With urban centres getting over crowded and expensive, many people will be willing to consider relocating. Working from rural locations will help startups widen their focus, and take up new challenging business domains and niche problems. This will also allow the firm to test the market before formally launching. Besides, as founders of startups usually prefer working round the clock to stabilise their projects, they are the ideal long-term tenants for the village hub building.
• Finally, it is important to find the right kind of investors. Conventional investors may not be interested in people- or rural-centric projects. The ideal investor would be an ‘angel investor’ with a critical connection to the locality community. Tapping into CSR funding from a large corporate with a local presence is also an option. Additionally any government projects or funds for the area could augment the initial growth phase of the smart village.       

The task is enormous and requires tremendous planning as well as a huge amount of resources. State Governments, corporate sector and charitable institutions have to contribute generously. The NITI Aayog can draw a master plan to make every village smart in the next five years. Invite support from private institutions or NGOs; however, execution must remain with a governmental ‘nodal agency’.

Conclusion :

While it is true that India is urbanising at a faster rate than many other countries, it will not be fully urbanised overnight. The simple truth is we must continue to look after our villages well in order to let our cities survive. Smart villages can translate into improved farm productivity, water conservation and economic independence to village youth. It makes great social, economic and political sense.

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• My Village Essay

Essay on My Village

A majority of the Indian population are farmers who are settled in villages. They toil to make both ends meet and produce crops for the entire nation. India has about 500000 villages, which are scattered throughout the country. 

A village is a settlement that has fewer than 5000 living units. A village is called the rural part of the country. It is called rural because it does not have modern facilities like cities. The main occupation of the villagers is farming. They are the primary source of the nation's agricultural production.

Description of Villages

Villages have either tiny hamlets of thatched huts or large settlements of tiled roofs, stones, and brick homes. An impression has been created by artists and filmmakers that an Indian village is a simple cluster of mud-plastered walls, shaded by trees, overlooking the large expanses of green fields with a few people moving slowly and of course, bullock carts. They portray a village woman with a pot on her head and walking gracefully, her skirt swaying gently. The reality is that a village is the hub of nonstop activity, with their stronger work ethics.

Agriculture is tough and requires hard work. The villagers work very hard and are always trying to find innovative methods of growing wheat, rice, and lentils. 

Importance of Village

The village is important because it is the primary sector of agricultural production for our country. The village is the backbone of India’s economy. It also plays a major role in maintaining the ecological balance of the environment. Villages are mostly covered with trees and plants. They are covered with green grasslands. One can see acres of green fields as far as the eyes could see. They provide shelter to many animals. 

Life in Village

The village life is full of contentment and happiness, as people are not in a hurry like in city life.

Village people live a very simple life. Villages are mostly situated far from the hustle and bustle of urban civilization. The beauty of nature can be experienced in a village as it is surrounded by trees, flowers, mountains, streams, and farmlands. There is no pollution in the village and one can feel the freshness in the breeze. The demands of the villagers are not too high but they are still deprived of basic facilities. Clean drinking water, electricity, health center, schools, proper sanitation are a few facilities that are lacking in the villages. Their poverty is always visible in the atmosphere. The Panchayati Raj system still prevails in the village and they monitor all activities. The villagers are usually very superstitious. 

My village is a small village with a population of only two hundred people. My village’s name is Bolpur. It is 150kms away from the main city of Kolkata. I visit my village once a year during my Dussehra vacation. I go there with my parents during this time to our ancestral house where Durga Puja takes place every year. 

As the car turns to take the muddy road, I can feel the freshness in the air. The road that leads to the village has big trees on either side and they are so full of life as if they are dancing with joy to welcome us to their village. I have never seen such a breathtaking scene. There is a temple at the entrance of the village where often prayers, rituals, and other worshipping activities are taking place.. There is a big pond near the temple and is surrounded by mango trees, champak trees, and a big peepal tree. The smell of the flowers and mango buds attracts everyone’s attention. My ancestral home is behind the peepal tree. 

There is a primary school in my village where the village kids study with a lot of enthusiasm. I love watching them, while the classes are going on, but right now for the Durga Utsav, the school is closed. There is a small dispensary with a doctor and a nurse. They can take care of basic illnesses like fever and stomach pain. For complicated ailments and medicines, the people have to go to the neighboring town. There is a small grocery shop where the basic necessities for sustenance are available. Besides the grocery shop, there is a tea stall with some snacks available. The tea stall is the prime meeting point for all the villagers during the evening time, even in other hours of the day the stall is never empty. It is always full of people sipping tea and chatting, breaking the world’s news to each other. There is a post office in my village. 

My favorite spot is a small rivulet. I love going there and spending time because beyond the rivulet lay are acres of grasslands and hills. For an artist, it will be a perfect picture to paint. All, young and old swim and bathe in the rivulet. The main occupation of the villagers is farming. Whenever I come to my village, I feel immense pleasure because of its peaceful and serene environment. I get to enjoy some fresh and organic vegetables and fruits here. The people in my village are very helpful and they live in harmony with no grudges. They live like one big family who always takes care of each other. We can hardly find this act of compassion back in the city. 

My village is a small abode for happy people.  Here they live in harmony and peace. The village people are very hardworking and thus they must have a good source of upliftment. Like the village’s schools and clinics should be maintained and increased in number. The farmers should be facilitated by helping them to leverage their sales, make them notified about the modern techniques used in farming, and give them compensation and knowledge of the true market price of their crops. Thus, I would request governmental authorities to come forward and uplift the medical, educational, and farming facilities in the village.

FAQs on My Village Essay

1. Why are the villages important?

Villages are important because they form the backbone of our country’s economy. They are the primary source of the agricultural sector of the country. They also maintain the ecological balance of the environment.

2. Describe the beauty of the village.

The village life is full of contentment and happiness, as people are not in a hurry like a city life. The most beautiful quality of life that one can experience is the calmness and unhurriedness of life. Village people live a very simple life. Villages are mostly situated far from the hustle and bustle of urban civilization. The beauty of nature can be experienced in a village as it is surrounded by trees, flowers, mountains, streams, and farmlands. There is no pollution in the village and one can feel the freshness in the breeze.

3. How can the government help in the upliftment of the villages?

The government must come forward to develop the basic facilities in the villages like making provisions for sanitation, building medical facilities and schools, and providing electricity and provisions for clean drinking water.

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Essay on City Life Vs Village Life for Students and Children

500+ words essay on city life vs village life.

Village life reflects the rural lifestyle and city life shows the urban lifestyle. Life in both rural and urban areas has its own plus points and problems. One is quite different from each other. Traditionally, India is a predominantly rural country as Mahatma Gandhi had said, “The real India lives in villages”. Though India is mainly a land of villages, there are many cities as well in the country.  Life in these big cities is quite different from life in a village. Let us consider, in brief, life in a big city and point out some of its important advantages and disadvantages.

Comparison: City life Vs Village life

The facility of education.

In big cities, there are good arrangements for education. The big college even universities are available.  There are also a very large number of school both government and private in the big city.  These arrangements do not exist in small towns and villages.

Medical Facility

Cities also provide sufficient medical facilities.  Almost in every city, there are good hospitals in which the poor get free medicines and treatment. Many qualified doctors are also there to serve the sick and the suffering. Indeed lack of such medical arrangement is the main drawback of villages.

Amusement and Recreation

Cities also provide many opportunities for amusement and recreation. In every city, there are a number of cinema houses and multiplexes, where we can enjoy with family. Also, a number of restaurants and hotels are available for better food of variety. There are also many parks and gardens where we can enjoy the best natural beauty. Villages are always lacking such facilities.

The Opportunity of Employment

The most important advantages of cities are the availability of huge opportunity for employment . They are centers of trade and commerce as well as offices of many multinational companies . Persons with different qualifications can easily find jobs to suit them.  In villages, employment is available mostly in farming. Due to farming, only seasonal jobs are available to a large population in villages.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Mixed Culture

Cities are having a variety of people from various cultures. But real India and its customs are highly visible in villages.

Natural Environment

It is fact villages are always natural due to be their self-creation by nature. On the other hand, most cities are manmade. Hence the natural environment of villages is their main attraction. In villages only we may have the charms of birds and flowers or the beauty of the day-dawn.

Pollution and Adulteration

City life is extremely unhealthy due to air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution . The people are not getting fresh air to breathe or the clear sky to enjoy the sunshine. Also, food in the cities is dirty, unhealthy and adulterated. The villages are very much away from such drawbacks.

Population and Other Issues

In city life is very costly. People have to live with a lot of pomp and show. A simple life as in the villages is almost impossible in the city. Besides, the cities are over-crowded and it is very hard for people to get suitable accommodation. People in the city do not have much sympathy with others even with neighbors. The sympathy and close interdependence which is marked in the village’s life is entirely lacking in the city.

Thus, life in villages and in cities presents two contrasting pictures. There are positive as well as negative aspects of both. Therefore it is up to the individual to make the most of it irrespective of the rural or urban setting that one lives in. I, myself, like to live in a village in the close vicinity of a modern city so that I can enjoy the pleasures both of the city and the village.

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