# Ministry of Rural Development (India)

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.
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.

## History

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.

## Departments

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.

### Department 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:
* Council of Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)
* National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD)
* National Rural Road Development Agency (NRRDA)
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.

### Department of Land Resources

The Department of Land Resources runs three national-level programs:
* Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (Watershed Development Component)
* Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme
* Neeranchal National Watershed Project
* Other Programmes
** GIZ led pilot Land Use Planning and Management Project
** Ease of Doing Business - Initiatives

## Cabinet Ministers

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| Minister of Rural Reconstruction |||||||||||
| 1 | | | Bhanu Pratap Singh (born 1935) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh (MoS, I/C) | 30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 168 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan | | Charan Singh |
| 2 | | | Rao Birender Singh (1921–2000) MP for Mahendragarh | 20 January 1980 | 23 January 1982 | 2 years, 3 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Rural Development |||||||||||
| (2) | | | Rao Birender Singh (1921–2000) MP for Mahendragarh | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | 1 year, 6 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 3 | | | Harinath Mishra MP for Darbhanga (MoS, I/C) | 29 January 1983 | 2 August 1984 | 1 year, 186 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 4 | | | Mohsina Kidwai (born 1932) MP for Meerut (MoS, I/C until 31 October 1984) | 2 August 1984 | 31 October 1984 | 90 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 4 | | | Mohsina Kidwai (born 1932) MP for Meerut (MoS, I/C until 31 October 1984) | 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 57 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv I | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 5 | | | Buta Singh (1934–2021) MP for Jalore | 31 December 1984 | 25 September 1985 | 268 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Ministry disestablished during this interval |||||||||||
| Minister of Rural Development |||||||||||
| – | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) | 21 June 1991 | 11 June 1995 | 3 years, 355 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Minister of Rural Areas and Employment |||||||||||
| 6 | | | Jagannath Mishra (1937–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar | 11 June 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 340 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| – | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 7 | | | Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu (1957–2012) MP for Srikakulam | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 1 year, 291 days | Telugu Desam Party | Deve Gowda | | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 7 | | | Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu (1957–2012) MP for Srikakulam | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 1 year, 291 days | Telugu Desam Party | Gujral | | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| 8 | | | Babagouda Patil (1945–2021) MP for Belgavi (MoS, I/C) | 20 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 207 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Rural Development |||||||||||
| 9 | | | Sundar Lal Patwa (1924–2016) MP for Narmadapuram | 13 October 1999 | 30 September 2000 | 353 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 10 | | | M. Venkaiah Naidu (born 1948) Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka | 30 September 2000 | 1 July 2002 | 1 year, 274 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 11 | | | Shanta Kumar (born 1934) MP for Kangra | 1 July 2002 | 6 April 2003 | 279 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 12 | | | Ananth Kumar (1959–2018) MP for Bangalore South | 6 April 2003 | 24 May 2003 | 48 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 13 | | | Kashiram Rana (1938–2012) MP for Surat | 24 May 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 364 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 14 | | | Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (1946–2020) MP for Vaishali | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 15 | | | C. P. Joshi (born 1950) MP for Bhilwara | 28 May 2009 | 19 January 2011 | 1 year, 236 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 16 | | | Vilasrao Deshmukh (1945–2012) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 19 January 2011 | 12 July 2011 | 174 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 17 | | | Jairam Ramesh (born 1954) Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh (MoS, I/C) | 12 July 2011 | 26 May 2014 | 2 years, 318 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 18 | | | Gopinath Munde (1949–2014) MP for Beed | 27 May 2014 | 3 June 2014 (died in office) | 7 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 19 | | | Nitin Gadkari (born 1957) MP for Nagpur | 4 June 2014 | 9 November 2014 | 158 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 20 | | | Birender Singh (born 1946) Rajya Sabha MP for Haryana | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | 1 year, 239 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 21 | | | Narendra Singh Tomar (born 1957) MP for Gwalior (until 2019) MP for Morena (from 2019) | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 5 years, 2 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 21 | | | Narendra Singh Tomar (born 1957) MP for Gwalior (until 2019) MP for Morena (from 2019) | 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 5 years, 2 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 22 | | | Giriraj Singh (born 1957) MP for Begusarai | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 23 | | | Shivraj Singh Chouhan (born 1959) MP for Vidisha | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 261 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |
* ↑ The ministry's competences were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture on 25 September 1985

## Ministers of State

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| Minister of State for Rural Reconstruction |||||||||||
| 1 | | | R. V. Swaminathan MP for Sivaganga | 24 November 1980 | 23 January 1982 | 2 years, 3 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Baleshwar Ram (1928–2015) MP for Rosera | 16 January 1982 | 23 January 1982 | 7 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Rural Development |||||||||||
| (1) | | | R. V. Swaminathan MP for Sivaganga | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | 1 year, 6 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| (2) | | | Baleshwar Ram (1928–2015) MP for Rosera | 23 January 1982 | 29 January 1983 | 1 year, 6 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Rural Development |||||||||||
| 3 | | | Gaddam Venkatswamy (1929–2014) MP for Peddapalli | 21 June 1991 | 2 July 1992 | 1 year, 42 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 4 | | | Uttambhai Patel (1927–2018) MP for Valsad | 21 June 1991 | 2 July 1992 | 1 year, 42 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 5 | | | Gaddam Venkatswamy (1929–2014) MP for Peddapalli (Rural Development) | 2 July 1992 | 18 January 1993 | 200 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 6 | | | Uttambhai Patel (1927–2018) MP for Valsad (Rural Development) | 2 July 1992 | 11 June 1995 | 2 years, 344 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 7 | | | Colonel Rao Ram Singh (Retd.) (1925–2012) MP for Mahendragarh (Wasteland Development) | 2 July 1992 | 11 June 1995 | 2 years, 344 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 8 | | | Rameshwar Thakur (1925–2015) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar (Rural Development) | 18 January 1993 | 22 December 1994 | 1 year, 338 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Minister of State for Rural Areas and Employment |||||||||||
| (6) | | | Uttambhai Patel (1927–2018) MP for Valsad (Rural Development) | 11 June 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 340 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| (7) | | | Colonel Rao Ram Singh (Retd.) (1925–2012) MP for Mahendragarh (Wasteland Development) | 11 June 1995 | 30 March 1996 | 293 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 9 | | | Vilas Muttemwar (born 1949) MP for Nagpur (Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 10 | | | Chandradeo Prasad Verma (1921–2005) MP for Arrah | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 1 year, 291 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 10 | | | Chandradeo Prasad Verma (1921–2005) MP for Arrah | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 1 year, 291 days | Janata Dal | Gujral | | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| Minister of State for Rural Development |||||||||||
| 11 | | | A. Raja (born 1963) MP for Perambalur | 13 October 1999 | 30 September 2000 | 353 days | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 12 | | | Subhash Maharia (born 1957) MP for Sikar | 13 October 1999 | 29 January 2003 | 3 years, 108 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 13 | | | Rita Verma (born 1953) MP for Dhanbad | 30 September 2000 | 1 September 2001 | 336 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 14 | | | Annasaheb M. K. Patil (born 1939) MP for Erandol | 1 September 2001 | 22 May 2004 | 2 years, 264 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 15 | | | Krishnam Raju (1940–2022) MP for Narasapuram | 29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 114 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 16 | | | Suryakanta Patil (born 1948) MP for Hingoli | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Nationalist Congress Party | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 17 | | | Ale Narendra (1946–2014) MP for Medak | 23 May 2004 | 24 August 2006 | 2 years, 93 days | Telangana Rashtra Samithi | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 18 | | | Chandra Sekhar Sahu (born 1950) MP for Berhampur | 24 October 2006 | 22 May 2009 | 2 years, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 19 | | | Pradeep Jain Aditya (born 1962) MP for Jhansi | 28 May 2009 | 26 May 2014 | 4 years, 363 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 20 | | | Sisir Adhikari (born 1941) MP for Kanthi | 28 May 2009 | 22 September 2012 | 3 years, 117 days | Trinamool Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 21 | | | Agatha Sangma (born 1980) MP for Tura | 28 May 2009 | 27 October 2012 | 3 years, 152 days | Nationalist Congress Party | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 22 | | | Lalchand Kataria (born 1968) MP for Jaipur Rural | 31 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 146 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 23 | | | Upendra Kushwaha (born 1960) MP for Karakat | 27 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 | 167 days | Rashtriya Lok Samta Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 24 | | | Sudarshan Bhagat (born 1969) MP for Lohardaga | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | 1 year, 239 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 25 | | | Ram Kripal Yadav (born 1957) MP for Pataliputra | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 2 years, 329 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 26 | | | Niranjan Jyoti (born 1967) MP for Fatehpur | 31 May 2019 | 9 June 2024 | 5 years, 9 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 27 | | | Faggan Singh Kulaste (born 1959) MP for Mandla | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 28 | | | Kamlesh Paswan (born 1976) MP for Bansgaon | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 261 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |
| 28 | | | Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (born 1976) MP for Guntur | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 261 days | Telugu Desam Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |