Vol. 1, Issue 13, Part L (2015)

Abstract
India is a country of villages & showcasing the rich rural life art, culture & heritage in villages in responsible manner would be mutually beneficial since tourism & conservation complemented each other. Tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of rural tourism is definitely useful for a country like India, where almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 million villages. After independence, for the development of rural society, particularly to develop the socio-economic life of the rural poor, many schemes and programs were launched from time to time .rural tourism schemes in India envisage encouraging & promoting the villages that have inherent strength in art, craft, handloom & textiles. The main purpose is too beneficial the local community economically & socially, diversifying the local development opportunities as well as enable interaction between tourists & local population for a mutually enriching experience. The promotion of rural tourism is also aimed to reduce the migration from rural to urban areas. The main focus of Research paper is to present different schemes of Department of Rural Development, State Governments and other concerned Departments of the Government of India.