Evolution of Self Help Groups: An Empirical Investigation in India

The SHG movement as provider of social capital has taken centre stage in the last twenty years of India’s rural development. The grassroots rural institutions have played key role in the capacity building of SHGs. The SHG as organisational mechanism has the potentials to contribute to the poverty eradication initiatives as initiated by Government and Non Government Organisations in rural India. The savings and credit mechanism has also reached grassroot level through SHG movement. The growth stories of Indian economy have given the Indian government the challenges and responsibilities to pull its 400 million of rural population out of poverty. The institutional initiatives include running micro finance, interacting with the government to help poor people access different poverty eradication programs and in implementing small livelihood based programs for the poor and disadvantaged community. The present book captures the evolution of SHGs as triggered by public sector organisation, peoples’ organisations and NGOs in the rural ambience of West Bengal, India through Case Study approaches.