Pattern of Occupational Diversification among Rural Agricultural Households: A Field View

This paper attempt seeks to examine the nature and expansion of non-farming activities in rural areas, as well as to investigate patterns of occupational diversification among various socio-economic strata household in rural Bundelkhand. It also investigates how various social groups and local populations move to non-farming occupations in rural Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh remains an agrarian state, with around 70% of the people living in rural areas. This field study was undertaken in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, India. Bundelkhand, located in one of India's rain-scarce regions, has grappled with prolonged drought conditions over an extended period. Madhya Pradesh, ranking as the fifth most populous state in India, rural population of 72.6 million residing in rural areas and 27.63 percent living in urban areas. For this study, two villages were selected to conduct the empirical study and a mix method approach been taken for the research study and the household survey and semi-structured interview have carried out in selected villages of total 415 total households. Study suggests that rural transformation reveals diverse impacts on different social communities, shaping household experiences according to their disparate socio-cultural and economic statuses. The interplay between land and caste is a significant determinant of social occupational mobility, influencing the livelihood dynamics within the rural agrarian setting of Bundelkhand.