Women's Empowerment

Impact Assessment of Self-Help Groups towards Rural Development: A Case Study of Madhya Pradesh, India

This article is based on primary and secondary information and examines the premise that Self Help Groups (SHGs) have significant positive impacts on rural development and women's empowerment in Madhya Pradesh, India. The context for this paper derives from the current emphasis on microfinance in rural finance discourse and its increasing importance as a development tool in the fight against poverty. The methodology of the present study relied on primary data collected from 1,500 SHG members through structured surveys and interviews in Nalchha, Tirla, and Umarban blocks of Dhar District, Madhya Pradesh, supplemented by review of relevant literature. The paper concludes that SHGs play a vital role in livelihood development, women's empowerment, and community transformation when supported with appropriate training and enterprise development interventions.

Bihar at the Inflection Point: Inside the State's Most Ambitious Policy Season in a Generation

In six weeks, Bihar approved a semiconductor policy, a sugar-investment policy and a GCC and AI policy, then launched 2,476 projects worth ₹11,461 crore in a single programme. GSDP growth is running among the fastest of any major Indian state. Beneath the momentum, the state's oldest structural weaknesses -a credit-deposit ratio of just 53.5 percent, a literacy rate eleven points behind the nation

2 August 2026 · 11 min read