Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Impact of Microfinance on Poverty Alleviation:A Case Study of Cachar District of Assam


Affiliations
1 Department of Commerce, Ramanuj Gupta Degree College, Silchar, India
2 Department of Commerce, Assam University, Silchar, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


A sizeable population in India, particularly those belonging to low-income groups, still remains excluded from the services provided by the formal financial system. Literature in recent time overwhelmingly suggest that providing the poor and vulnerable groups with access to finance is a prerequisite for poverty reduction. Through graduated credit, the attempt must be to lift the poor from the vicious cycle of poverty and engage them in income-generating activities so that they can live a better life and have access to the basic necessities. The present paper attempts to study the impact of the microfinance programme on the poverty level of the beneficiary households in the Cachar district of Assam. Importantly, the paper tries to find out the impact of microfinance on households’ income and consumption levels over a period of time. Based on a field study, it finds that there is a positive impact of the microfinance programme on the beneficiary households.

Keywords

Microfinance Programme, Beneficiary Households.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Abed, F H (2000): Microfinance NGOs in Bangladesh – Growth, Impact and Challenges, Paper Presented at the Asian Regional Conference jointly organised by INASIA and CDF Rajendrapur, Bangladesh.
  • Asian Development Bank (2007): Effect of Microfinance Operations on Poor Rural Households and the Status of Women, Special Evaluation Study Reference No. SST: REG 2007-19, ADB, Manila.
  • Alemu, K T (2008): Microfinance as a Strategy for Poverty Reduction: A Comparative Analysis of ACSI and Wisdom Microfinance Institution in Ethiopia, Doctoral dissertation, Local and Regional Development (LRD). Accessed from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/7017.
  • Armendariz, B and Morduch, J (2005): The Economics of Microfinance, Second Edition, The MIT Press, Cambridge, London.
  • Chakraborty, T (2012): “Self-Help Groups, Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: Case Study of Purulia District, West Bengal”, The microFINANCE REVIEW, Vol IV, No. 1, January-June.
  • Coleman, B E (2002): Microfinance in Northeast Thailand: Who Benefits and How Much?, ERD Working Paper Series No. 9, Asian Development Bank, Manila.
  • Das, D (2011): Microfinance in North East India: An Impact Assessment, VDM Verlag Dr Muller, Germany.
  • Goldberg, N (2005): Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Stock of What We Know, Grameen Foundation USA Publication Series, Grameen Foundation USA, Wasington D.C. Accessed from http://www.microfinancegateway.org
  • Guha, S (2010): Microfinance for Micro Enterprises: An Impact Evaluation of Self Help Groups, Occasional Paper – 55, NABARD, Mumbai.
  • Gulli, H (1998): Microfinance and Poverty: Questioning the Conventional Wisdom. Accessed from https://www.microfinancegateway.org/library/microfinance-and-poverty-questioning-conventional-wisdom.
  • Hossain, M (1988): Credit for Alleviation of Rural Poverty: The Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Research Report No. 65. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C.
  • Kabeer, N and Noponen, H (2005): Social and Economic Impacts of PRADAN’s Self Help Group Microfinance and Livelihoods Promotion Program: Analysis from Jharkhand, India, Working Paper No. 11, Imp-Act, The Institute of Development Studies, Brighton.
  • Khandker, S (2003): Micro-finance and Poverty: Evidence Using Panel Data from Bangladesh, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, No. WPS 2945.
  • Khandker, S R (2005): “Microfinance and Poverty: Evidence Using Panel Data from Bangladesh”, The World Bank Economic Review, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 263-286.
  • Lyngdoh, B F and Pati, A P (2011): “Microfinance and Socio-economic Change: An Assessment of Meghalaya”, The microFINANCE REVIEW, Vol III, No. 1, January-June.
  • Mishra, A (2009): “The Poverty Impact of Microfinance in India: Issues and Challenges”, The microFINANCE REVIEW, Vol. I, No. 1, July - December.
  • Morduch, J (2000): “The Microfinance Schism”, World Development, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp.617-629.
  • Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency (2002): Impact of Self-Help Groups (Group Processes) On the Social/Empowerment Status of Women Members in Southern India, Paper presented at the Seminar on SHG-Bank Linkage Programme at New Delhi on 25-26 November.
  • Natarajan, J (2010): Micro Credit to Micro Finance: Opportunities and Challenges for Self-Help Groups, Dominant Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi.
  • National Council of Applied Economic Research (2008): Impact and Sustainability of SHG Bank Linkage Programme, NCAER, New Delhi.
  • Otero, M (1999):“Bringing Development Back into Microfinance”, Journal of Microfinance, Vol. 1, No. 1.
  • Pitt, M M and S R Khandker (1998): “The Impact of Group-Based Credit Programs on Poor Households in Bangladesh: Does the Gender of Participants Matter?”, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 106, No. 5, October.
  • Puhazhendhi, V and Satyasai, K J S (2000): Micro Finance for Rural People: An Impact Evaluation, NABARD, Mumbai.
  • Reserve Bank of India (2008): Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2007-08, RBI, Mumbai.
  • Robinson, M S (2001): The Microfinance Revolution: Sustainable Finance for the Poor, Vol. 1. The World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • Somanath, V S (2009): Microfinance: Redefining the Future, Excel Books, New Delhi.

Abstract Views: 356

PDF Views: 0




  • Impact of Microfinance on Poverty Alleviation:A Case Study of Cachar District of Assam

Abstract Views: 356  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Kalyan Das
Department of Commerce, Ramanuj Gupta Degree College, Silchar, India
Nikhil Bhusan Dey
Department of Commerce, Assam University, Silchar, India

Abstract


A sizeable population in India, particularly those belonging to low-income groups, still remains excluded from the services provided by the formal financial system. Literature in recent time overwhelmingly suggest that providing the poor and vulnerable groups with access to finance is a prerequisite for poverty reduction. Through graduated credit, the attempt must be to lift the poor from the vicious cycle of poverty and engage them in income-generating activities so that they can live a better life and have access to the basic necessities. The present paper attempts to study the impact of the microfinance programme on the poverty level of the beneficiary households in the Cachar district of Assam. Importantly, the paper tries to find out the impact of microfinance on households’ income and consumption levels over a period of time. Based on a field study, it finds that there is a positive impact of the microfinance programme on the beneficiary households.

Keywords


Microfinance Programme, Beneficiary Households.

References