Rural Banks and Rural Lives in India: Effectiveness and Evaluation

A great deal of interest among the researchers has been found in recent times on the role of Regional Rural banks in development of rural lives, specially in the backward areas of India. In spite of various measures injected in the banking sector and introducing development programmes for the weaker sections, a major portion of them remain outside the formal banking network. Commercial banks and Co-operative banks have not succeeded much in developing a suitable credit pattern, particularly in the remote areas. There exists a vast gap in the area of rural credit. In order to fill up this gap, the RRBs were particularly set up to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the rural people. The book examines the role of RRBs in improving the Quality of Life of the rural people through providing bank credit. This volume presents the role of RRBs in achieving the goal of financial inclusion in the relatively backward region. Further, there is an in-depth empirical analysis of micro level data on the role of RRBs in women empowerment through promotion of entrepreneurial activities by providing them credit, specially in the rural backward areas.