Question

Who was the founder of Gram Yojana NGO?

• A. Mahatma Gandhi
• B. Rabindranath Tagore
• C. Baba Ramchandra
• D. Vinoba Bhave

Hint:

Vinoba Bhave is celebrated for the Bhoodan-Gramdan movements, which sought to reform rural agrarian society voluntarily without state coercion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Contextualizing Rural Development Initiatives in India:
Rural self-reliance and community-based social work are important subjects in the NCC Social Service syllabus. Several historical leaders created grassroots organizations and programs to improve village life.

Step 2: Evaluating the Contributions of Listed Leaders:

• Mahatma Gandhi: Championed the concepts of Gram Swaraj (village self-rule) and established the All India Spinners Association, but did not found an NGO named “Gram Yojana.”
• Rabindranath Tagore: Initiated the Sriniketan Rural Reconstruction program in $1922$, focusing on education, health, and agriculture in villages, which is historically referred to as a rural scheme rather than a dedicated NGO.
• Baba Ramchandra: Led the peasant movement in Awadh (Oudh) during the $1920$s to protest landlord oppression.
• Acharya Vinoba Bhave: The spiritual successor of Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave launched the historic Bhoodan Movement (Land Gift) in $1951$ and subsequently the Gramdan (Village Gift) movement. His grassroots social work led to the establishment of various Gram Yojana and Sarvodaya NGOs aimed at cooperative village land pooling and community welfare.

Step 3: Selecting the Correct Candidate:
Based on the official curriculum of social development organizations, Vinoba Bhave is recognized as the key historical founder of these voluntary village reconstruction and land-sharing initiatives, which formed the basis for modern Gram Yojana development NGOs. Thus, option (D) is correct.