Emerging Model Villages in India: A Study of Punsari Village from the State of Gujarat (India)

Although India does not live in its villages anymore, the rural population is still sizeable and, more importantly, it reels under the pressure of extreme poverty, pitiable basic amenities and dearth of livelihood opportunities. There is an urgent need to transform the rural landscape of India while retaining the soul of the rural life. The case of village Punsari from the Sabharkantha District of the state of Gujarat is unique as it stands out as a smart and model village. The paper argues that grassroots leadership, community participation, decentralisation of powers to local bodies in rural areas, and financial support in the form of various government schemes can bring far-reaching changes in the rural landscape of India. The paper also strongly advocates a view that there still exists a considerable gap in what we call a model village and what an ideal village should be.