Goyal, S.K., Rai, Jai P. and Kumar, Sushil (2016). Indian Agriculture and Farmers 92 ROLE OF GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Prabha 1 , R. K. Goyal 2 , Bindu Naik 3 Jai P. Rai 4 and Shree Ram Singh 4 Introduction: The cultivable land is decreasing continue due to infrastructure development in the form of buildings, roads, canals, parks etc. This all is happening only for growing populations of the country. The land is shrinking and depleting water resources, the challenge of the new millennium is to increase biological yields to feed the ever-growing population without destroying the ecological foundation (Goyal et al., 2014). It is thus important not to package this challenge as a demand or imposition of society on farmers, for which farmers would bear the cost, but as a necessity and methodology to also sustain their welfare and incomes. India has the potential to meet these challenges. This potential can be realized through policy and infrastructure support from the government and by strengthening proactive synergies among the various sectors that play influential roles in the field of agriculture and rural development (MoRD, 2012). The National Policy on Agriculture seeks to actualize the vast untapped growth potential of Indian agriculture, strengthen rural infrastructure to support faster agricultural development, promote value addition, accelerate the growth of agro-business, create employment in rural areas, secure a fair standard of living for the farmers and agricultural workers and their families, discourage migration to urban areas and face the challenges arising out of economic liberalization and globalization (Braun et al., 2005). According to 2011 census, the country’s rural population is almost 83.25 crore (68.8% of total population). There has been wide consensus that the rural development should be inclusive and sustainable in order to alleviate the poverty (IDFCRDN, 2014). The tentative Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for the Ministry of Rural Development for the XII Five Year Plan (2012- 17) is Rs. 44,3261 crore (against the Rs. 29,1682 crores of XI Plan period) which includes the major programs (Prabha et al., 2015). Although agriculture now accounts for only 14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is still the main source of livelihood for the majority of the rural population. As such rapid growth of agriculture is critical for inclusiveness. Important structural changes are taking place within the sector and there are definite signs of improved performance (Sarkar, 2014). Agricultural growth has accelerated compared to the X Plan and diversification is proceeding (GOI, 2012). According to MoA GOI (2014) as per the land use statistics 2011- 12, the total geographical area of the country is 328.7 mha, of which 140.8 mha is reported as net sown area and 195.2 million hectares is the gross cropped area with a cropping intensity of 138.7%. The net irrigated area is 65.3 million hectares. Agriculture and Allied Sector contributed approximately 13.9% of India’s GDP (at constant 2004-05 prices) during 2013- 14. (CSO-MoSPI, 2014). There has been a continuous decline in the share of Agriculture and Allied Sector in the GDP from 14.6 % in 2010-11 to 13.9 % in 2013-14 at 2004- 05 prices. 1 Research Scholar, Sri Venkateshwara University Gajraula, Amroha (U.P.) 2 RBS College Bichpuri, Agra (U.P.) 3 Research Scholar, Department of Farm Engineering, I.Ag.Sc., BHU, Varanasi ( U.P.) 4 BHU-KVK, I.Ag.Sc., Banaras Hindu University (RGSC), Barkachha, Mirzapur- 231 001 (U.P.)