 by defi-nition, CTs are those towns which have attained the census laid

three criteria of minimum population size (5,000), minimum population

density (400 persons per square km) and minimum percentage (75%) of
male main non-farm workers to total male main workers but are still
governed by the rural panchayats.

But In 2001, there were 18,760 villages with the population size of 5,000 or
more and quite high population density but the proportion of male main non-
farm workers in majority of these villages was much lower than the minimum
requirement of 75 per cent. occupational diversification owing to the structural
transfor-mation has different implications for different households/workers. It is
a ‘strategy of further accumulation’, ‘strategy of consolidation’ and ‘strategy of
survival’ for the rich, middle class and poor, respectively (Rigg 1998).

Furthermore, it is important to note that while an increasing proportion of rural

workers is venturing into non-farm activities, it hardly means that they are
quitting agriculture. In the backward regions where the scope for decent and
regular employment in non- farm sector is limited, pluriactivity is the main form
of workforce transformation

So the foregoing discussions indicate that rural transformation has several

dimensions with varied outcomes and likewise ‘urban’ contains heterogeneous
forms. But in the current study our intention is not to study the rural
transformation comprehensively but to focus only on those dimensions of rural
transformation which in one way or the other help to graduate a settlement
from village to CT and, as previously mentioned, in this journey the
transformation of workforce from agriculture to non-agriculture plays the most
important role. In the following part of the current section, we will review the
structural transformation of rural= economy from a macro perspective.

rural transformation it should be mentioned

that recently it has been argued that ‘urbanization has become planetary’
Rural transformation refers to the metamorphosis of the economic, social and
spatial structure of the villages and also the way of life of the villagers through
multiple processes which include changes in the structure of the production
system, livelihood diversification, rural–urban linkages, infrastructure
development,educational attainment and changes in the aspiration and way of
life and many more. There are two types of factors namely exogenous and
endogenous which influence the process of transformation.

India show that in the wake of transformation of the rural economy, almost
everywhere the importance of agriculture is declining; however, that does not
necessarily mean that the rural economy is taking an industrial turn.

In fact, there are multiple types of non-farm activities other than industrial

activities where people are engaging themselves. These activities range from

petty trading (which are the sign of ‘distress-push’ diversification and in which

mostly poor people are involved) to large-scale trading (which are the
manifesta-tion of ‘demand-pull’ diversification and in which mostly rich and
middle classare involved). Thus, occupational diversification owing to the
structural transfor- mation has different implications for different
households/workers. It is a ‘strategy of further accumulation’, ‘strategy of
consolidation’ and ‘strategy of survival’ for the rich, middle class and poor,
respectively (Rigg 1998). Furthermore, it is important to note that while an
increasing proportion of rural workers is venturing into non-farm activities, it
hardly means that they are quitting agriculture.

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