As per the latest data from 2022, around 908.8 million people in India reside in rural areas. Similarly, there are 6,850 villages in Jammu and Kashmir, home to about 9.1 million people. These facts and statistics align with Mahatma Gandhi’s statement that the soul of India lies in its villages.
However, it must be acknowledged that Indian villages, despite being the soul of India and the backbone of its economy, face significant challenges such as lack of infrastructure, limited access to education and healthcare, connectivity issues, and economic weaknesses. Taking steps towards the implementation of ‘smart villages’ can help overcome these hurdles and more.
Therefore, this commentary aims to explore the idea of smart villages, with particular reference to the case of Jammu and Kashmir. It will first examine the components of a smart village, the need for creating smart villages, and lastly, discuss the strategies for their implementation.
What is a ‘Smart Village’?
A smart village is a community that creates value for its people and ecosystem using simple and cost-effective technologies, capturing some of that value for itself. It follows a management approach based on natural principles, employing sustainable technical interventions to achieve self-reliance in food, water, energy, education, employment, and other essential needs. Smart villages rely on a participatory approach to develop and implement strategies that enhance their economic, social, and environmental conditions.
Some of the components of a smart village include:
Smart Energy:
The term ‘smart’ in this context refers to the creation and management of mini, micro, and nano grids within the energy ecosystem of a village or a group of villages. This concept is particularly relevant for rural areas with unreliable or no grid connectivity. These micro and nano grids promote energy self-reliance within rural communities and provide the opportunity to return surplus energy to the grid. Chhotkei village in the Angul district of Odisha has emerged as the first village in India to implement a smart microgrid.
Smart Connectivity:
Smart connectivity encompasses two key aspects of the concept of a smart village. First, it involves providing reliable and high-quality broadband and voice communications. Second, it includes integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions across various domains, such as education, accessing services, and realizing legal rights. Mori Village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, also known as a super-smart village, exemplifies smart connectivity. It is fully digital, with all households enjoying Wi-Fi, internet connectivity that enables cashless transactions, and 15 Mbps internet speed through a fibre grid. Additionally, every household has access to a television with 250 cable channels.
Smart Agriculture:
Smart Agriculture, also known as smart farming, involves adopting advanced technologies and data-driven operations to enhance sustainability in agricultural production. This approach, also referred to as Precision Agriculture (PA), is driven by the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Advanced Analytics (BDAA), and the decreasing cost of sensors in the semiconductor industry. It is a technology-enabled method for managing farming that observes, measures, and analyzes the needs of individual fields and crops. By enabling farmers to apply tailored care and manage water more effectively, Smart Agriculture boosts production, improves economic efficiency, and reduces waste and environmental impact. Noorpur Bet in Punjab is an example of a climate-smart village that utilizes Precision Agriculture.
Smart Education:
Smart Education refers to the establishment of ICT-equipped schools that facilitate internet access and, consequently, access to a vast knowledge base, thereby eliminating the information isolation often experienced by rural communities. In villages, Smart Education also encompasses distance learning, adaptive learning, and the use of ICT for both adaptive and cognitive learning. An example of this is the Nandangram smart village in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, where gainful employment, education, and health are addressed through the creation of Health, Education, and Employment (HEE) centres.
Smart Health:
ICT-enabled m-health initiatives can facilitate mobile health diagnostic solutions that require minimal local medical skills while providing access to specialist healthcare services from urban centres when necessary. In a smart village, improved nutrition levels result from enhanced agricultural productivity due to associated development initiatives and reduced waste. Additionally, epidemiological data can be collected, offering opportunities for more effective interventions and early warning systems to address health-related challenges.
Smart Environment:
Smart villages can act as environmental stewards by using technologies to monitor key environmental indicators, such as forest health, water quality, soil conditions, and changes to the landscape. The concept of a Smart Environment in a smart village also includes effective waste management. An example of this is a project in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
Smart Infrastructure:
Smart Infrastructure in a smart village not only enhances accessibility for villagers but also promotes overall development within the community. This infrastructure includes roads, institutional buildings, weather station equipment, hospital facilities, telephone towers, and more. Most of these elements can be established through the efforts of dedicated village residents and guiding institutions, with the convergence of funds, functions, and personnel. Smart Infrastructure also encompasses basic amenities such as sanitation, safe drinking water, internal roads, tree plantation, and water conservation. An example of this is Dhanora in Tehsil Bari, District Dholpur, Rajasthan.
Developments and Initiatives for the Implementation of Smart Villages in India:
Currently, there are no specific initiatives or proposals under consideration by the Ministry of Rural Development for the formulation of Smart Village policies. However, under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), various modern amenities are being developed in rural areas through the convergence of funds and resources from Centrally Sponsored, Central Sector, and State schemes, supported by the dedicated Critical Gap Fund (CGF). Notable modern amenities established under the 21 components of SPMRM in Rurban Clusters across the country include smart classrooms, Wi-Fi hotspots, Citizen Service Centers, solid and liquid waste treatment plants, solar water pumps, water ATMs, e-rickshaws, and digital libraries.
Some other schemes, while not specifically focused on Smart Villages, indirectly support the concept. These include PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana), PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin), and SAUBHAGYA (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana), among others.
Additionally, a conference titled “Smart Village Panchayat: Empowering Rural Communities; Leaving No One Behind” was held in Lucknow in 2022. The event aimed to realize the Prime Minister of India’s vision of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ by designing and building Smart Villages that are self-sufficient in providing services and employment at the grassroots level.
Dhanora Village in the Dholpur district of Rajasthan was India’s first Smart Village. Adopted by the Eco Needs Foundation, the village was transformed into a Smart Village through various sustainable development efforts, including improvements in sanitation, housing, road reconstruction, access to solar power, clean drinking water, tree plantation, and water conservation. Once difficult to access due to poor roads, Dhanora has now become a model village with all basic amenities, including internet connectivity and uninterrupted electricity. Similarly, 16 villages across five districts in Ahmedabad have been designated as smart villages by the State Government under the ‘Smart Village Incentive Scheme.’
Next, we will explore whether such smart villages could become a reality for Jammu and Kashmir.
Implementation of Smart Villages: Special Reference to Jammu and Kashmir
A key question that arises is why Smart Villages are needed in Jammu and Kashmir. The answer is twofold. Firstly, villages often receive less attention during significant economic reforms, such as industrialization. For instance, while there have been repeated efforts to develop Srinagar as a ‘smart city,’ similar initiatives have not been extended to the villages in J&K. Secondly, given J&K’s strong cultural ties, the Smart Village concept offers a sustainable growth model for villages, promoting inclusiveness without compromising their cultural roots.
Furthermore, it is reasonable to assert that prioritizing the creation of smart villages should be considered equally important, if not more so, than the development of smart cities. Failing to do so may exacerbate migration, resulting in unsustainable growth and deteriorating living standards.
Currently, villages in Jammu and Kashmir are situated in remote areas with limited accessibility due to poor infrastructure. Furthermore, extreme weather conditions and the lack of sustainable heating systems mean that villagers often burn coal for warmth in the winter, which contributes to environmental pollution. For instance, Wandaji village in the Kupwara district of Kashmir still lacks electricity even today. Similarly, the villages of Kundiyan and Pathroo in the Keran Valley sector of Kupwara district only recently received electricity for the first time in 75 years. Given these conditions, it is clear why Smart Villages could be a crucial and necessary development for J&K.
To establish smart villages in Kashmir, it is important to recognize that the region’s hilly terrain is naturally suited for generating substantial amounts of solar energy. This potential can be harnessed through solar grids to create a foundation for smart energy solutions. Currently, over 300 villages lack access to high-speed internet. However, the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Department has allocated 37 kanals of land to BSNL to facilitate the deployment of a 4G mobile network. This initiative will not only ensure smart connectivity but also enhance the global presence of these villages.
The government of J&K has approved a ₹30.40 crore ‘Sensor-Based Smart Agriculture Project’ to integrate technology into agriculture using IoT for automation, improved resource efficiency, and increased profitability. Implementing this smart agriculture in the villages would be highly beneficial, as agriculture is a primary source of livelihood for many rural households. According to 2024 statistics, the literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir is only 67.16%, with a significant portion of illiteracy concentrated in the villages. Providing internet facilities for education in these villages could significantly enhance educational outcomes and transform the prospects for these communities.
Strategies for Implementation and Conclusion
So far, we have explored why ‘Smart Villages’ programs should be implemented in the villages of Jammu and Kashmir and the potential benefits of doing so. However, a crucial question remains: How can we turn this concept into reality? In other words, how can we implement these programs? Additionally, a key concern is determining the sources of funding for such projects.
The primary source of funding is government schemes and policy-making, which include funds from the central government, state government, municipal corporations, and panchayats, as well as MLA and MP funds. Additionally, funding and initiatives can come from private and public sector corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, overseas development agencies, personal social responsibility (PSR) contributions, and moral social responsibility (MSR) funds. For example, several villages—such as Sanwala in Haryana, Ajit in Rajasthan, Vadnanagar in Gujarat, and others—have been adopted by Indian Americans for transformation into smart villages.
In 2020, the government introduced the ‘Back to Village 3’ (B2V-3) scheme in Kashmir. However, the follow-up results were disappointing due to the lack of a clear roadmap. A village becomes a ‘Smart Village’ when its development meets all the requirements in five basic categories: Retrofitting, Redevelopment, Green Fields, e-Pan (electronic planning), and Livelihood. With focused attention and well-sequenced plans, meeting these requirements can become more than just a distant dream.
References
Mainstreaming Smart Village in Rural Development: A Framework for Analysis and Policy (http://nirdpr.org.in/nird_docs/tps/DG_Smart-Village-9-2-18.pdf)
Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development, Lok Sabha (unstarred questions) (https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/1711/AU724.pdf?source=pqals)
Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises Conference on ‘Smart Village Panchayat: Empowering Rural Communities; Leaving No One Behind’ in Lucknow (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1859267)
India’s 1st Smart Village, Dhanora (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/lets-get-to-know-dhanora-indias-first-smart-village/articleshow/92388212.cms)
16 gram panchayats of 5 districts have been announced as smart villages (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/16-gram-panchayats-of-5-districts-have-been-announced-as-smart-villages/articleshow/107855439.cms)
The concept of Smart Villages and its impact on Rurbanisation (https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/concept-of-smart-village-and-its-impact-on-rurbanization/114621340)
For Kupwara’s Wandaji village, electricity is still a distant dream (https://www.greaterkashmir.com/kashmir/for-kupwaras-wandaji-village-electricity-still-a-distant-dream/)
Kashmir’s picturesque border villages get new lease of life (https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/jammu-and-kashmir/kashmirs-picturesque-border-villages-get-new-lease-of-life-12021511.html)
J&K’s over 300 remote villages to get high speed internet service (https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/jks-over-300-remote-villages-to-get-high-speed-internet-service/)
Villages of India adopted by Indian Americans to convert into Smart Villages (https://www.smartvillage.biz/)
Leave a Reply
You must belogged in to post a comment.