Publications

  Former MLA Thakur Phool Singh once famously remarked, “Indian villages are salt mines, and whosoever comes to work here will be dissolved.” For anyone who has stepped out of the city to work in rural development, this statement holds a heavy, often harsh, truth. Yet, where there is deep-rooted negativity, there is also immense potential for hope and transformation if one is willing to build social capital. The Dream of Rural Reconstruction After retiring from the Government of India in 2015, I had two primary desires. The first was to write a book on rural development—a goal fulfilled with the publication of Rural Local Governance and Development. The second was to work on the ground in an action mode. This led to the creation of the Karpa Foundation Trust and Karpa Farm in a cluster of Gram Panchayats in Saharanpur. Using my own life savings, my wife and I embarked on a journey to facilitate the socio-economic development of these villages through organic farming, training, and ...