India is primarily a rural country with a large number of villages still suffering from the pangs of poverty, illiteracy, diseases and unemployment. Despite framing and implementation of a number of rural development programmes such as Community Development Programme, IRDP, Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana and many other such development programmes, sponsored by Central and State Governments from time to time, problems of deprivation and destitution, illiteracy, unemployment and disease could not improve. In fact, the causes of failure of these programmes are many, which need immediate rectification. It will be a useful book for all those interested in the study of functioning of grass-root institutions vis-à-vis rural development programmes.