Synopsis Rural development in India, ever since the concept of Five Year Plan had been introduced, has undergone many a change in terms of the very concept, strategies and programmes. The changes have been in tune with development that has already been taken up and cropping up of new issues and challenges. Almost, for every decade, new issues and challenges have been emerging requiring new insights and initiatives. Thus, stay of issues, innovations and initiatives that has been taking place in rural India attracts attention among policy makers and scholars. In the recent past, emerging institutions in rural India and the participatory approaches adopted therein has indeed thrown new dimension to rural development issues. This in context, an attempt has been made to collect empirical and conceptual insight on emerging issues in rural development. The collection of articles has been presented in three sections viz., Conceptual issues, institutions and initiatives and participation and partnerships. The articles presented in the book represent emerging issues, role of institutions and the structure of participatory approaches in rural development.