New Delhi: The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) under the Ministry of Rural Development and the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata (IIM Kolkata) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a four-year longitudinal study to assess the long-term impact of rural roads constructed under PMGSY-IV and PM-JANMAN.
The MoU was signed by NRIDA Director General Aditi Singh, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and IIM Kolkata Director Prof. Alok Kumar Rai in the presence of Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal and officials from the Ministry and IIM Kolkata.
The study will examine how rural road connectivity affects mobility, access to services and socio-economic conditions over time.
Study to Cover 10 States/UTs and 250 Roads
The impact assessment will cover 10 States/UTs, 50 districts, 150 blocks and 250 roads. The areas included are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.
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Around 5,000 households will be surveyed as part of the assessment. The research will use a longitudinal approach, comparing conditions before and after road construction through baseline and endline surveys.
Four-Year Assessment to Track Rural Connectivity Outcomes
The study will examine changes in mobility, accessibility and access to essential services following improvements in rural road connectivity.
Among the areas to be assessed are livelihoods, employment, income diversification, agriculture, non-farm activities, access to markets and household welfare. The researchers will also examine access to education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, safety, public services and financial services.
The assessment will specifically track changes in travel time, transportation costs, employment and livelihood opportunities and migration patterns, including differences across regions and vulnerable groups.
Baseline and Endline Surveys to Compare Changes
The study will be carried out in three broad phases. The baseline survey, conducted before construction, is scheduled to take about 14 months. This will be followed by a transition period of approximately 12 months and an endline survey after construction, expected to take around 22 months.
The comparison between the two stages is intended to provide evidence on changes associated with improved rural road connectivity and the sustainability of those changes.
The study may also identify implementation gaps and emerging challenges that could inform future programme planning and policy interventions.
Findings to Support Future Rural Infrastructure Planning
According to the Ministry, the collaboration between NRIDA, the Ministry of Rural Development and IIM Kolkata is intended to strengthen evidence-based assessment of rural connectivity programmes.
The study’s findings are expected to provide inputs for programme review, outcome monitoring, policy formulation and future planning for rural infrastructure development.
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