Rural India 1970 - 2005: An Arduous Transition to What?

On the basis of a panel study in rural Tamil Nadu, some analytical and comparative studies across India, and the ARIS-REDS survey, I discuss the changing scenario of rural change, the growth of non-farm activities and income, and State interventions until the first decade of the twenty-first century. The overall conclusion is that there are strong evidences of a slow but stable growth of income with non-farm income now being as important as farm income, and a slow reduction in relative poverty.