The Indian Society of Agricultural Economics and the centre for management in Agriculture at the Indian Institute of Management. Ahmadabad (IIMA), organized a four-day seminar in International Development Research Centre “to evaluate the rural development experience generally in Asian countries and in India in particular”. About 40 eminent social scientists , planners and development administrators from seven Asian countries, including India, participated in the seminar and discussed in depth the issues and themes which were identified earlier. This volume presents the papers and proceedings of the seminar.