The primary focus of this book is to identify the various dimensions of the role that education should play, as an instrument of socio-economic transformation and reconstruction of the rural communities, commensurate with their predominant share in India's population and their contribution - socio-economic, political and cultural - to the development of the country. The book highlights the vital role that education plays in the development process. The questions that the author discusses in this context are: what should be the type of education, which will meet the engaging challenges? How can it be introduced and operated in the present situation? What has been our experience in the past? What orientation is required for the future? These and host of similar problems are sought to be discussed in the Study. The study has been divided into three parts: 1. The Dynamics of Rural Development; 2. The Educational Imperatives, Processes, Programmes and Structures; and 3. The Implementation Challenges.The first part - is devoted to the study of forces operating in rural areas; the extent to which and the manner in which they could be manipulated to obtain the 'Preferred Future' - the future, to which the entire process of planning should be directed.The second part - Educational Imperatives forms the main theme of the study. The main thrust of the study is to identify the manner in which the processes, programmes and structures of the educational system should be modified to meet the diverse needs of rural development. This part, divided into three main chapters: school education, higher education and non-formal education, analyses the present status of educational development at various levels, the deficiencies that have afflicted the system and how they can be modified/restructured to make them important contributory factors to the development process relating to rural areas. The third part - the Implementation Challenges discusses the role of education as an instrument of socio-economic change; the needed modifications in the existing policies - both academic and administrative - and the challenges for our management capabilities. The management challenges have been analysed down to the village level. It is hoped that the study will be of interest to all those concerned with education - teachers, administrators and planners by giving them a synoptic view of educational development in the post-independence period. It will also be able to highlight the significance of education as a process of socio-economic development, and cultural regeneration, particularly of the rural areas, which have so far not been given the priority that they rightly deserve. Any further delay in achieving this goal will be counter-productive. About the AuthorProfessor Dev Prakash Nayar (1918 - 2005) was educated at the Central Model School and Government College, Lahore. He took his Master's degree in English from the Punjab University in 1938. In 1944, he joined Gandhiji and got interested in his experiments about the revolutionary concept of basic education (Nayee Talim). He taught at the Sevagram Basic School and the Post-Graduate Training College (1944-46). In 1947, he joined Gandhi ji in Noakhali and subsequently in Bihar and had the privilege of closely observing non-violence in action. At the time of the assassination of Gandhi ji, he was in-charge of his work in Bihar, while Gandhi ji had to move to Delhi.In, 1949, he joined the Ministry of Education and subsequently moved on to the Planning Commission in 1950, where he took charge of the Education Division. He retired in 1976 as Adviser In-charge of Education and Social Welfare. For the next three years, he was Consultant to the National Staff College of Educational Planners and Administrators (Now a Deemed to be University). During 1979-80, he was visiting Professor for Educational Planning and Administration at the Punjab University, Chandigarh. From 1980 to 1986, he was Senior Fellow with the Indian Councils of Social Science Research and Historical Research and conducted two studies on various aspects of Indian Education.Professor Nayar has written extensively on problems of Indian Education. He has published, besides about 100 papers/articles in Indian and foreign journals, three research studies: Ideas on Social Education; Our Plans and Projects and the Educational System of Japan. His monumental research work, which is field based, is 'Towards a National System of Education, (1989)'. For this study financial assistance was provided by the Indian Council of Historical Research. Professor Nayar also participated in national and international seminars/workshops/expert groups and conferences relating to education.