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Cost reduction in all these will be possible if S and T is applied. E. Transport, Energy and Engineering Services This is probably a very fertile field for S and T application in rural areas. Development of services in the countryside is one of the major problems and a golden opportunity for S and T application. It plays a pivotal role in all rural development but has been largely neglected as being the concern of other agencies. Here, management techniques, cost reduction (through demystification) and wide technical training will be most important. While industrial infrastructure is always taken care of in development, rural infrastructure is ignored. Beyond starting a state bus services, taking electric poles or cables and now borewells, government planning ignores all infrastructural needs. The quality of these services is very poor and undependable and almost every negative factor goes against the development of rural areas. It is a vicious circle that needs to be broken. F. Education Education is not at the forefront of development in our country, but is a follower to fulfill the needs of labour, created by development. Education should lead development; that is the test of good education. Development of teaching/ learning material, tools, kits, techniques, all need application of S and T. There is an opportunity to link education directly to development, which will make education relevant and fruitful and which could increase the tempo of development substantially, and save resources. G. Information Storage, Retrieval and Dissemination This is a key area for all development and could be developed with a little effort. But it is badly neglected by every agency, govt. or voluntary. Dependable, organised information is a major need for all S and T work as well as development. Crores of rupees and several years of time on big dams have been lost because of faulty data and wrong assumptions. Few agencies have their development work Rural Development Through Education System 211
