The members of Executive Council are: Prof.M.G.K.Menon, Scientist; Dr.Y.K.Alagh, Ex-Member Planning Commission; Dr. B.A. Prakash; Shri S.S. Acharya and Dr.I.V.Trivedi, VC. MLS University, Udaipur and Padmashree Shri Anil Joshi, HESCO Dehradun; These are also member of the General Council.

The other members of the General Council include : Shri Rajaiah Sircilla (MP Lok Sabha); Prof. M.S. Swaminathan (MP Rajya Sabha); Shri A.R. Khan, Presiden PMSC Society, Rajasthan; Dr.P.Sekhar, Mumbai.; Shri Rameshwar Dudi, Zila Pramukh, Bikaner (Rajasthan); . Shri Vijay Shankar Vyas, Rajasthan; Shri Anna Hazare, Ahmednagar; (Maharashtra); Shri Ajit Grewal, Delhi; Shri V.N.Rajasekharan Pillai Vice Chancellor, IGNOU, New Delhi and Dr. C.Swaminathan, Vice Chancellor, Bharatiar University, Coimbatore. These are eminent persons who have made noteworthy contribution in the field of rural development. In addition, the Secretary Rural Development from the States of Assam, Kerala , West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar who are also In charge of Rural Development / Reconstruction or Development Commissioner have been nominated as the member of the General Council.

National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Through its training and research activities, NIRD endeavours to upgrade the knowledge skills and to bring in required attitudes among its clientele group. NIRD sensitizes the elected representatives and rural development functionaries about the impact of various Rural Development initiatives of the Union Government and the State Governments and also about the emerging challenges in the field of Rural Development.