<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.2 20190208//EN"
  "https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.2/JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
         xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
         article-type="research-article"
         dtd-version="1.2">

  <!-- ============================================================ FRONT -->
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJLTEMAS</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering, Management &amp; Applied Science (IJLTEMAS)</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJLTEMAS</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2278-2540</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>IJLTEMAS</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <!-- IDs -->
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">338</article-id>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150800144</article-id>
      
      <!-- Categories -->
            <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Indian Rural Economy</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      
      <!-- Title -->
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Rural Economy in India with special reference to Andhra Pradesh: Need for Reforms</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <!-- Authors -->
      <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Tata Rao Dummu</surname>
            <given-names>Dr.</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Assistant Professor &amp; Former Course Coordinator, Department of Rural Development, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>B. Muralidhara Rao</surname>
            <given-names>Dr.</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Assistant Professor &amp; Course Coordinator, Department of Rural Development, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
              </contrib-group>

      <!-- Volume / Issue / Pages -->
            <volume>15</volume>
                  <issue>8</issue>
                        <fpage>1993</fpage>
            <lpage>1997</lpage>
            
      <!-- Dates -->
      <history>
                <date date-type="received">
          <day>26</day>
          <month>08</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>31</day>
          <month>08</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>26</day>
        <month>09</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      
      <!-- DOI Self-URI -->
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150800144"/>
      
      <!-- Keywords -->
            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
                <kwd>COVID-19</kwd>
                <kwd>Migrant Labourers</kwd>
                <kwd>Reverse Migration</kwd>
                <kwd>Rural Economy</kwd>
                <kwd>Informal Economy</kwd>
                <kwd>Poverty</kwd>
                <kwd>Agriculture</kwd>
                <kwd>Economic Crisis</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
    </article-meta>
  </front>

  <!-- ============================================================ BODY (Abstract) -->
  <body>
        <sec>
      <title>Abstract</title>
      <p>They will go to die there, where there is life. COVID-19 lockdown flooded streets with migrant labourers which were marching to their villages to find warmth and empathy. Many reached their homes but several failed and died on streets and railway tracks. The current study offers insights on the plight of migrant labourers and impact of COVID-19 on rural economy in India. The major finding of the study suggests 400 million workers in India in the informal economy are at the risk of falling deeper into poverty during the crisis. The low reporting of COVID-19 cases due to low testing will result in community spread. The reverse migration will create excess pressure on the agriculture and rural economy which will result in a significant number of people to fall into abject poverty. COVID-19 will have both short and long-run effect on the rural economy in India. The government economic package contains majorly long-term measures whereas short-term measures such as cash incentive and wage subsidy should be given to save migrant labourer and marginal farmers. Above all, mass corruption in the system is the biggest challenge in the effective implementation of plans. 
Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and per capita income show that while AP has continued to grow, there are clear pockets of stagnation. Regional studies indicate that districts in regions like Telangana (before bifurcation), Coastal Andhra, and Rayalaseema had widely divergent growth rates. Some districts exceeded the state average in growth. This empirical analysis of inclusive economic growth and regional disparities in Andhra Pradesh highlights the complex and uneven nature of development within the state. While Andhra Pradesh has recorded notable economic progress over the past decade particularly in terms of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth, infrastructure expansion, and sectoral diversification these gains have not been uniformly distributed across regions or social groups. The findings clearly indicate that growth alone has not guaranteed inclusiveness, and significant inter-regional disparities persist.</p>
    </sec>
      </body>

  <!-- ============================================================ BACK (References) -->
    <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>References</title>
            <ref id="ref1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>Dandekar, A. and R. Ghai. 2020. “Migration and Reverse Migration in the Age of COVID19”. Economics and Politics Weekly 55(19). https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/19/commentary/migration-and-reverse-migration-age-covid19.html</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>Jha, A.K. 2020. “Will Central Largesse Help Construction Workers? COVID-19 Relief Package”. Economics and Politics Weekly 55(17). https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/17/commentary/covid-19-relief-package.html</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>Singh, B. P. 2019. “Does Governance Matter? Evidence from BRICS”. Global Business Review. DOI: 0972150919861222.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>Evans, D., and M. Over. 2020. “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Low- and MiddleIncome Countries”. Center For Global Development. Retrieved at: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/economic-impact-covid-19-low-and-middle-income-countries</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>Boone, L. 2020. “Tackling the fallout from COVID-19: Economics in the Time of COVID19”. Retrieved at: www.cepr.org</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref6">
        <label>6</label>
        <mixed-citation>Singh, M.K. and Y. Neog 2020. “Contagion Effect of COVID-19 Outbreak: Another Recipe for Disaster on Indian Economy”. Public Affairs (Forthcoming).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref7">
        <label>7</label>
        <mixed-citation>ILO. 2018. “Woman and men in the informal economy: A statistical Picture”. International Labour Office, Geneva. https://doi.org/10.1179/bac.2003.28.1.018</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref8">
        <label>8</label>
        <mixed-citation>Sharma, Y. S. 2020. “National database of workers in informal sector in the works”. The Economic Times. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/national-databaseofworkers-in-informal-sector-in-the-works/articleshow/73394732.cms?from=mdr</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref9">
        <label>9</label>
        <mixed-citation>Mohanty, P. 2019. “Labour reforms: No one knows the size of India’s informal workforce, not even the govt”. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/jobs/labour-law-reforms-no-one-knows-actualsizeindia-informal-workforce-not-even-govt/story/364361.html</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref10">
        <label>10</label>
        <mixed-citation>ILO. 2018. “Woman and men in the informal economy: A statistical Picture”. International Labour Office, Geneva. https://doi.org/10.1179/bac.2003.28.1.018</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref11">
        <label>11</label>
        <mixed-citation>International Organisation of Migration (2011). “International Migration Law: Glossary on Migration”, second edition. IOM, Geneva.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref12">
        <label>12</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reddy, A. Amarender &amp; M.C.S. Bantilan (2013), Regional disparities in Andhra Pradesh, India (Local Economy, 28(1):123–135).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref13">
        <label>13</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reddy, A. A. (2011), Regional Disparities in Employment and Income in Rural Andhra Pradesh (Bangladesh Development Studies).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref14">
        <label>14</label>
        <mixed-citation>Amarnath, K. V. (2010) — Regional disparities among the three regions (Rayalaseema backwardness) examines socio-economic impediments to growth in Rayalaseema versus other regions.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref15">
        <label>15</label>
        <mixed-citation>Narain, Prem; Rai, S. C.; Sarup, Shanti (1994), Regional dimensions of socio-economic development in Andhra Pradesh (Journal of the Indian Society of Agricultural Statistics).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref16">
        <label>16</label>
        <mixed-citation>Dev, S. M. (2007). Inclusive Growth in Andhra Pradesh: Challenges in Agriculture, Poverty, Social Sector and Regional Disparities. Centre for Economic and Social Studies.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref17">
        <label>17</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reddy, A. A., &amp; Bantilan, M. C. S. (2013). Regional disparities in Andhra Pradesh, India. Local Economy, 28(1), 123–135.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref18">
        <label>18</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reddy, A. A. (2011). Regional disparities in employment and income in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. Bangladesh Development Studies, 34(3).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref19">
        <label>19</label>
        <mixed-citation>Areef, M., Radha, Y., Rao, V. S., et al. (2023). Consumption expenditure pattern and inequality among agricultural households in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Research ANGRAU, 49(2).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref20">
        <label>20</label>
        <mixed-citation>McCulloch, N., &amp; Baulch, B. (1999). Assessing the poverty bias of growth methodology: Application to Andhra Pradesh. IDS Working Paper 98.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
          </ref-list>
  </back>
  
</article>
