Which one of the following was established as the first programme of community development?

The correct answer is National Extension Service.

Key Points

Community development programme

• CDP or Community development programme started in 1952 by the Indian Government to bring community development. From the history of community development programmes in India, its main focus was on the communities of rural areas.
• The three phases:-
  • National Extension Phase
  • Intensive Community Development Project Phase
  • Post-Intensive Development Phase
• The National Extension Service program was formulated in April 1953 and it was inaugurated on October 2, 1953.
• It was formed after the Indian government realized that the Community Development Programme, which was formed in 1952, cannot be implemented all over India due to a shortage of funds.
• In the first phase, the National Extension phase, the selected areas are subjected to the method used for providing the services based on the pattern of ordinary rural development and that too with less government expenditure.
• In the second phase, which is the intensive phase, the selected blocks are subjected to more composite, and the development schemes are more intensive and have a much larger expenditure on the government. 
• The third phase, which is a post-intensive phase, presumes that the basis of the process initiated for self-perpetuation was created during the previous phases along with the reduction in the required expenses of the special government.