The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) under the Ministry of Rural Development and the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct a comprehensive four-year study measuring the lasting effects of rural roads built under two major government schemes. The study will track how improved road connectivity changes lives in villages across ten states, examining impacts on employment, education, healthcare and economic activity.
This collaboration aims to generate evidence about whether rural road projects deliver sustained benefits to communities and to identify areas where implementation can be improved.
Key facts
- Study covers 10 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttarakhand
- Geographic scope: 50 districts, 150 blocks and 250 roads
- Approximately 5,000 households will be surveyed
- Baseline survey (before construction): 14 months
- Transition period: 12 months
- End-line survey (after construction): 22 months
- MoU signed by Ms Aditi Singh, Director General of NRIDA, and Prof Alok Kumar Rai, Director of IIM Kolkata
What the study will measure
The assessment will examine multiple dimensions of how rural roads affect communities. Researchers will look at changes in how easily people can travel, both for daily activities and longer distances. They will measure shifts in employment patterns, household income and whether families move into non-farm activities like small businesses and trade.
The study will also assess whether improved roads help farmers access markets better and whether agricultural income increases. It will track changes in people’s ability to reach schools and hospitals, and whether children stay in school longer when roads improve. The research will specifically examine whether women benefit through better access to employment, education and safety.
Investigators will record how much time and money people save on travel and transportation once roads are built. They will also look at whether villages see migration patterns change and whether people leave for cities less frequently when local economic opportunities improve.
How the study works
The research follows a longitudinal design, meaning the same households will be surveyed before roads are built and again after they are completed. This allows researchers to track actual changes over time rather than making comparisons between different places.
The baseline survey will document conditions in villages before construction begins, taking 14 months to complete. After roads are built, there will be a 12-month transition period. The end-line survey will then collect data from the same households 22 months after construction, measuring what has changed.
By comparing baseline and end-line data, researchers can understand what changes are directly related to improved road connectivity and which outcomes persist over the longer term.
Connection to existing schemes
PMGSY-IV (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Phase 4) and PM-JANMAN (Prime Minister Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Manthan) are government programmes that fund the construction of rural roads. PM-JANMAN specifically focuses on infrastructure for tribal and forest communities. This study will evaluate whether these investments deliver the economic and social benefits that the schemes intend.
What this means for you
If you live in a village covered by this study, survey teams will contact you to collect information about your household’s access to services, income sources and daily travel patterns before and after road construction. Your responses will help the government understand whether rural road projects work as intended.
For government planners and policymakers, this study will provide evidence about which road projects deliver the strongest benefits and where improvements are needed. The findings can inform future decisions about where to build roads, how to design them and how to support communities alongside road construction.
For researchers and students of rural development, this study represents one of India’s largest longitudinal assessments of infrastructure impact, generating data that can shape understanding of rural development policy.
What happens next
The baseline survey will begin soon and continue for 14 months. Road construction will then take place during the 12-month transition period. The end-line survey will commence 22 months after construction concludes, with the full study lasting four years from its start.