The Ministry of Rural Development recently launched 152 Centre for Financial Literacy & Service Delivery (SAKSHAM Centres) across 77 districts of 13 states. This was part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), aiming to educate Self-Help Groups (SHGs) about financial literacy and provide a range of financial services.
SAKSHAM Centres: Providing Financial Literacy
Centre for Financial Literacy & Service Delivery (CFL&SD) centres serve as single window systems for addressing fundamental financial requirements of Self-Help Group (SHG) households in rural areas. Their prime objective is to nurture financial literacy and facilitate the delivery of financial services like savings, credit, insurance, and pensions among SHG members and the rural poor. Managed primarily at the Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) level by the SHG network, they get support from trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs).
SAKSHAM Application: A Resourceful Digital Platform
A mobile and web-based application named “SAKSHAM” is introduced to increase the efficiency of these centres. It helps the community resource person of the Centre to assess the penetration of various financial services for each SHG and village. The app also identifies major gaps and accordingly provides training and delivers the needed financial services.
About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme that took off in June 2011. Its ultimate aim is eradicating rural poverty by promoting multiple livelihoods and improved access to financial services across rural households nationwide. The mission stimulates livelihoods through universal social mobilisation, involving one female member from every rural poor household into Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Implementation & Functioning of DAY-NRLM
The process includes their training and capacity building, facilitating their micro-livelihoods plans, and enabling them to implement these plans through accessing financial resources from their institutions and banks. The DAY-NRLM scheme is implemented in a Mission mode with designated implementation support units at various levels—national, state, district, and block.
Inauguration of Sub-Schemes under DAY-NRLM
Multiple sub-schemes have been initiated under DAY-NRLM. The Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) aims to increase women farmers’ income, reduce input costs and risks by promoting agro-ecological practices.
Another part of its non-farm livelihoods strategy includes the Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) and Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY). SVEP supports entrepreneurs in rural areas to establish local enterprises, while AGEY was launched in August 2017 to provide safe and affordable rural transport services.
To build placement-linked skills of the rural youth and place them in relatively higher wage employment sectors of the economy, the Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) was started. The Rural Self Employment Institutes (RSETIs) initiative is also supported for skilling rural youth to take up gainful self-employment.
Outcomes of the NRLM
Today, ten years since the NRLM was launched, India boasts the largest network of women’s SHGs globally. As of May 2021, there are 6.9 million SHGs with 75 million members across 7,83,389 villages. The mission has significantly improved the last mile delivery of credit services through the agency of SHGs. The NRLM has empowered rural families to negotiate for greater access to essential services like education and health care. Moreover, it has had a positive impact on food security, school enrolment, access to land for women to grow food, and addressing gender issues with women’s groups taking on issues like dowry, child marriage, and discrimination against girls.