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The book is a comprehensive account of voluntary Action in Agriculture and Rural Reconstruction for over three decades. The author of this book Dr. Jayant Patil, who is presently the Member, Planning Commission, received inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi to devote himself to the cause of upliftment of Scheduled Tribes in Maharashtra. These tribals remained underdeveloped for generations due to ignorance, poverty and exploitation. Hunger, malnutrition and underemployment were their main problems. The tribals were motivated to adopt high yielding varieties of rice and other food crops which led them to attain self-reliance in food production. The tribals established Nutrition Gardens which included production and consumption of protective foods. This self help programme assisted in overcoming the problem of malnutrition, to a great extent. The tribals were motivated to construct small irrigation wells which enabled them to adopt multiple cropping system in place of single rice crop, which provided year round gainful employment on their land. The tribals took up cultivation of horticultural crops, establishing fruit orchards, which brought an economic stability in their life. The impact of horticultural development among tribals, was instrumental in establishing a separate Department of Horticulture by the Government of Maharashtra, in 1981. The State now has emerged as one of the leading horticultural States in the country. About the Author Dr. Jayant Patil was born in Bordi, Maharashtra in March 1927. Hearned M. Sc. (Agriculture) Degree from University of Poona Under Fulbright Programme he went to United States and obtained M.S. Degree from Kansas State University. The Konkan Agriculture University conferred Doctor of Science on him. After his higher education in India and U.S.A. he chose to spend most of his working life of over 40 years in remote areas of Thane District working with the tribals who constitute weakest section of society in India.. Hunger, malnutrition and under employment were the main problems of these tribals. Dr. Patil developed appropriate technologies for sustainable development. He has developed social approaches for transfer of these technologies. The utilization of these technologies have brought about food security and employment generation among the tribals. Dr. Patil had visited several countries to study agriculture and rural development. He tried to introduce various agricultural technologies suitable under Indian conditions. Dr. Patil received Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1979 for application of Science and Technology for Rural Development. The Government of India appointed him to the prestigious post of Member, Planning Commission in charge of Agriculture Rural Development, Irrigation, Panchayati Raj and Cooperation in August 1991.