The changes which have taken place in India's rural society after independence (i.e. August 1947):
(i) After independence, the community development programme was started in 1952, It meant an all round development of village communities. The involvement and participation of the community was the main aim.
(ii) Later on in 1959 Panchayati Raj (Local Self Govt.) was started. Both the programmes are running successfully even today.
(iii) Integrated Rural Development Programme replaced the Community Development Programme in 1979.
(iv) The rural and urban societies have a continuous interaction among them. The villager visits the urban areas and comes into contact with the urban people. Some urban culture enters into the villages. Gradually some sense of heterogeneity becomes imminent in the rural areas by urban influence.
(v) It is said that Indian cities have retained some of the rural characteristics. Primary food and raw material are supplied by the villages to the towns, hence both have a relationship of an interdependence.
(vi) Thus it is termed as rural urban continuum (continuous interaction). Construction of roads and transportation have brought about a lot of social and economic changes e.g. Caste System is weakening. Now, there is more mobility and it is becoming a cash market from barter systems etc.