| In the era of growth and development, all nations try to | | | | the cooperative, which in their experience was |
| uplift themselves to global standards in all areas. The | | | | dominated by a few individuals. MYRADA staff |
| key areas commonly identified by most economists | | | | suggested that they return the money to themselves |
| are the social and economical transformation. The | | | | in other words the members who had come in a |
| economic indicators are per capital income, gross | | | | group to present their case to MYRADA. After some |
| domestic product, net domestic product, share in world | | | | hesitation, they decided to continue meeting in these |
| trade, foreign exchange reserves etc. On the social | | | | smaller groups. MYRADA staff realized that they |
| side, drinking water, reliable electricity, good sanitary | | | | would need training: how to organize a meeting,set an |
| conditions, viable transport system etc, are given due | | | | agenda keep minute, etc. Efforts were made to train |
| importance. Millions of people in our country dream that | | | | the members systematically. On analysis it emerged |
| India will become an economic super power in"2020". | | | | that the members were linked together by a degree |
| It will be possible only by means of a balanced growth | | | | of affinity based on relationship of trust and support; |
| in all sectors. The pattern of growth prevailing at | | | | they were also often homogeneous in terms of |
| present is more in urban and metropolitan cities when | | | | income or of occupation (for example, agricultural |
| compared to rural areas. This creates an economical | | | | labourers), but not always. Caste and creed played a |
| imbalance in our social system. | | | | role, but in several groups affinity relationship and |
| Over the years poverty, unemployment and excess | | | | economic homogeneity were stronger; as a result, |
| population are our important weakness. Among the | | | | several groups included different castes and creeds. |
| above three, poverty and unemployment are directly | | | | From the time that the first SHGs emerged in 1985 to |
| correlated. Creating employment opportunities will | | | | the inclusion of the SHG strategy in the annual plan for |
| curtail the poverty line. Previous studies with regard to | | | | 2000/01 (Government of India, 2000), several important |
| people living below the poverty line clearly reveals that | | | | steps were taken by the National Bank for Agriculture |
| majority of them are living in rural areas. So | | | | and Rural Development (NABARD), the Reserve Bank |
| concentrating on rural mass is the need of the hour. | | | | of India (RBI) and leading NGOs, as well as by |
| After independence Government of India launched | | | | multilateral agencies, particularly IFAD. The SHG |
| innumerable social and economical welfare | | | | strategy is an important component of the |
| programmes in spite of poverty and unemployment | | | | Government's overall thrust to mitigate poverty and |
| proliferates. Earlier programmes like Integrated Rural | | | | has been included in every annual plan since 2000. |
| Development Programme (IRDP), Development of | | | | SUGGESTIONS |
| Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), | | | | 1. There is no male SHG in the study area. The |
| Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment | | | | promotion of the male SHG can be suggested in the |
| (TRYSEM), Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural | | | | study area. |
| Artisans (SITRA) and Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY) | | | | 2. Family planning awareness must be given to the |
| were conceived to be complementary to each other, | | | | group members as majority of them have 4-6 |
| for achieving the larger goal of poverty alleviation in the | | | | members in their family. |
| rural areas. Over the years, however, there was an | | | | 3. Make each and every member of the group to |
| erosion in the process of implementation of the | | | | attend the meeting regularly. |
| programmes. These were conceived as integrated | | | | 4. Motivate the group members. |
| programmes with the objective of supplementing each | | | | 5. Strict action should be taken for not attending the |
| other efforts to ensure energy. However each | | | | meeting. |
| programme has been implemented as a separate and | | | | 6. Necessary steps should be taken to deposit the |
| independent programme that focused more on the | | | | collected amount in nationalized and co-operative |
| achievement of individual programme targets. The | | | | banks to promote rural development. |
| over all impact of the programmes in poverty | | | | 7. Steps should be taken to make all the group |
| alleviation, therefore was less than what was | | | | members to attend the self employment-training |
| expected of them. The programmes were, therefore | | | | programme promptly. |
| reviewed and the Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar | | | | 8. Self-employment training programme should be |
| Yojana (SGSY) was launched on April 1999as the | | | | suited to the surrounding environment. |
| single self-employment programmes in their place. | | | | 9. The groups must make use of the loan amount |
| The SGSY is a holistic programme and the objective | | | | efficiently. |
| of SGSY is to bring the assisted poor families | | | | 10. The number of self-employment activities should be |
| (Swarozgaris) above the poverty line. Under SGSY | | | | increased. |
| poor families are organized into Self-help groups | | | | 11. There should be adequate co-ordination within the |
| (SHGs) through the process of social mobilization. | | | | group. |
| SGSY ensures training and capacity building and | | | | 12. The government authorities can promote the |
| provides income-generating assets through a mix of | | | | marketing of goods at state level. |
| bank credit and Government subsidy. It is a credit | | | | 13. Self help group mainly concentrated on pickle |
| linked scheme. Here, the credit plays a predominant | | | | making business. Self-Help Groups should give keen |
| role and subsidy is an enabling component. | | | | attention on other areas in order to increase the |
| Under this scheme, financial assistance may be given | | | | diversification of business, which may earn higher profit |
| to individuals or groups (Self-help Groups) belonging to | | | | to them. |
| below poverty line families. However, the emphasis will | | | | 14. Women's development is mainly depends upon their |
| be on the Group approach. The SGSY envisages | | | | income level. Nowadays most of the women's are join |
| developing activity clusters by selecting about 10 key | | | | in Self-Help Groups and do their job. From the study, |
| activities per block. The programme is being | | | | the produced products mainly selled in village town and |
| implemented in rural areas of all the States / UTs | | | | district. They are not concentrated on state level |
| (except Delhi and Chandigarh)1 | | | | marketing. It may because of non co operation from |
| The basic idea of "SHG" scheme is derived from | | | | the other states or lake of finance. So the central |
| International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). | | | | government should give appropriate co ordination to |
| IFAD (1989) is quite similar to SHG programme, which | | | | self help group do get loan from the nationalized bank |
| was organised by an international social welfare | | | | and also each and every state should co operate |
| agency. The head quarters of IFAD is situated in | | | | them selves to allow the sales of products of other |
| Rome. IFAD aimed at providing subsidized individual | | | | state self help groups. |
| loans to people below poverty line for undertaking | | | | 15. Government should arrange most members of |
| activities such as animal husbandry, horticulture, | | | | training program and way of presenting advertisement |
| sericulture, khadi and handloom. Indian Bank played a | | | | and also the government channels can broadcast the |
| key role in financing these schemes. The scheme was | | | | self help group advertisement with meager amount or |
| implemented in 75 unions of 8 districts on a selective | | | | at free of cost. Which may help them to advertise |
| basis. The IFAD project was successfully completed in | | | | their product easily with lower amount. The public also |
| the year 19982. Keeping in mind the positive results of | | | | may know about the product through advertisement. |
| this scheme, the state Governments in India wanted to | | | | 16. Most of the Self-Help Groups are following direct |
| continue this scheme. So a separate wing was setup | | | | selling method to sell the products. It may because of |
| under social welfare department for continuing this | | | | non preference by the shop keepers. The government |
| scheme. Now SHG is being used as a major weapon | | | | can give subsidies to the shop keepers and also to |
| in poverty eradication. | | | | other purchases like shopping malls, big bazaar's etc., It |
| The research had been carried out on the following | | | | may increase the sales of products. |
| objectives: | | | | 17. Government should take necessary steps to |
| To study the origin, growth and development of | | | | increase the sales of self help groups. Government |
| Self-help groups | | | | should assure the purchase of certain products such |
| To understand the marketing of the Self-help groups | | | | as Seri culture handy crafts etc., which may increase |
| products | | | | the income self help group members. The government |
| To analyze the marketing problems of Self-help | | | | should take necessary action to increase the number |
| groups | | | | of Self-Help Groups in order to increase the women |
| To know the self-employment activities done by the | | | | empowerment. Government should allot adequate |
| Self-help groups | | | | fund to do the small scale businesses such as |
| HISTORY OF SELF - HELP GROUPS | | | | preparing paper cups etc., |
| Self-help groups first emerged in MYRADA in 1985. In | | | | Self-Help Groups are created with the aim of women |
| 1986 - 87 there were some three hundred SHGs in | | | | empowerment. It is only possible through encouraging |
| MYRADA's projects. Many had emerged from the | | | | Self-Help Groups in several small scale industries. From |
| breakdown of the large cooperatives organized by | | | | the above study make known that most of Self-Help |
| MYRADA. In these areas, a numbers of members | | | | Groups are involving sum self employment activities |
| asked MYRADA to revive the credit system. They | | | | and market their products. Still they are in need of |
| usually came in groups of 15-20. When reminded of | | | | government support to improve their activities. If the |
| the loans they had taken out from the cooperative, | | | | governments do that defiantly their economic level can |
| they offered to return them to MYRADA, but not to | | | | be improved. |