You will get an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the less fortunate and under privileged in rural India, through your work on development projects.

You will get an opportunity to discover the nuances of the rural economy and rural consumers – the 'bottom of the pyramid' – and understand ways to generate wealth and sustainable livelihoods. Knowledge of the rural psyche could help you to design innovative products and services for this market. Your experience will be invaluable to any corporate which seeks to grow in rural India.

SBI through its partner NGOs will arrange for the Fellows to receive advanced training regarding rural development projects in order to equip them to make a difference. Every Fellow will be assigned a mentor who will guide him/her through the project work and help him/her get the best out of the experience.

Working on rural projects will be challenging. However, with classroom training and guidance from your mentor you will get a chance to hone your leadership, problem solving, project management, team building and communication skills while working with rural communities.

The Fellows will get an opportunity to really understand what is hindering India's growth at the grass root level, and more importantly, what it takes to overcome these challenges.

SBI will provide a monthly allowance of Rs. 12000 during the course of the programme, adequate to meet living expenses. In addition, to & fro travel costs of the Fellows from his/her place of residence to the project site will be paid by the Bank. Medical cover will also be provided.

On successful completion of the programme, a certificate will be awarded to the Fellow by the Bank and the partner NGO .If you wish to explore job opportunities, you can submit your curriculum vitae to our recruitment associates, who will provide assistance in designing your CV and help you to gain visibility among recruiters who value the unique skill sets acquired during the programme.

With about 70% of India's population, i.e. approximately 700 million people, 'Rural India' can well be termed as the 'Real India'. To make India's growth story a truly inclusive one, it becomes imperative that the development challenges facing rural India are overcome.

India's challenge of rural development has many dimensions. Here are some facts that we need to think about:

Over 90% of the rural population is dependent on agro-based activities. With agriculture being in crisis, 16,196 farmers' suicides were documented in India in 2008 only.
The per capita income in rural areas is only Rs.25 per day.
India has more than 6,00,000 villages. Nearly 50% of these villages do not have all weather roads making physical connectivity to these villages highly expensive.
25% of these villages do not have year-round drinking water and 75% of the water consumed by villagers is of poor quality, which does not meet the prescribed WHO standard.
While the average literacy rate in rural areas is around 50-65%, it is as low as 20-25% among women in backward areas. Women also suffer from poor reproductive health with deliveries performed with the assistance of untrained mid wives in the absence of qualified doctors.

A major cause of poverty among India's rural population is lack of access to adequate productive assets and financial resources. More than 75% of rural families own less than 2 hectares of land, which are sub-divided and scattered in several locations. The productivity of these smallholdings is low because of inability of poor land holders to carry out tillage operations on time, invest in necessary agricultural inputs and adopt advanced technologies which can boost crop production. Further, most of the small farmers are deprived of irrigation facilities, compelling them to depend on rainfall, which makes it difficult to optimise crop yields.

Another dimension to India's rural development challenge is that traditional Indian society is male dominated and women have not received equal opportunities for their development. Lack of education for girls and social taboos have also hindered their development and quality of life.

In the absence of significant development of industries and services, the rural population has to depend on agriculture or migrate to urban areas in search of livelihood.

For India's rural poor, coping with the worst and hoping for better days has become their way of life. To address these problems, it is necessary to initiate and strengthen development programmes that empower India's rural poor to overcome the challenges they face.

SBI Youth for India is a movement for India's best young minds who are passionate about fuelling positive change in India. It involves joining hands with rural communities, empathizing with their struggles and connecting with their aspirations. These youth will work with experienced NGOs on challenging grass root development projects to bring about a change that will ensure India's growth path is equitable and sustainable.

Sources:
1.Economic Survey conducted by the Planning Commission, Government of India, 2009.
2.Government of Maharashtra website, 2010, www.maharashtra.gov.in

Alert: SBI Youth for India Fellowship Programme (2011-12) Last Date for submission of applications is over.