A Study on the Initiatives Taken by Banker’s for Promoting Financial Literacy in Bangalore, India

The goal of achieving sustainable development of any country begins with the financial well being of its citizens. When the population is well connected & well informed about the financial services that a country can offer, they are in a stable position to manage & maximize their income. A survey conducted by NCFE (National Centre for Financial Education) in 2014-15 shows that only 11% of the population in India is financially included within the framework of the economy. Banks are the facilitators & initiators of financial services in an economy. They are uniquely positioned to impart financial education to the general public. After the initiation of ‘Project Financial Literacy ‘in 2012 & introduction of ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ in 2014, India’s Financial Literacy landscape is changing. Our study aims to bring out the details of initiatives taken by bankers to promote Financial Literacy in Bangalore City, India. The study uses primary data to analyze the initiatives taken by bankers to promote financial literacy in Bangalore, India. Secondary data from RBI websites, journals was used in studying the Financial Literacy programme implemented by RBI & till what extent do banks follow the guidelines under the purview of RBI. The empirical analysis of the study resulted that the banks have focused on running various seminars in schools & colleges to encourage students and youth to open bank a/c, teach digital banking and awareness regarding various banking services. Our study showed that emphasis on banking services such as transactions, withdrawals, deposits etc dominated 22% of the themes taught in the programme. Savings (22%) was the next most popular theme covered during the financial literacy programs undertaken by banks in India.