ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a profile of the Grama Vikas project area, including the district, block and the group of villages which constitute it, and a survey of the position of women in these areas. It describes Grama Vikas and its operations including its philosophy, program components, operational strategies, target group selection, administrative structure, funding and collaboration with other institutions. Kolar district, in the southeastern part of Karnataka, is one of the nine districts that were part of the former princely state of Mysore. The position of women in the block and district is not much different from that in the state as a whole. The differentiation of non-agricultural occupations by caste has been virtually eliminated in the project area resulting in a change in the nature of the occupations. Registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act in September 1979, Grama Vikas was established by Dr. N. K. A. Iyer.
