Lok Sabha Question No. 2639 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Review Performance of Women Self-Help Groups
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan, Dr. Ganapathy Rajkumar P

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2639 ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025

## REVIEW PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN SELF-HELP GROUPS

2639. Dr. GanapathyRajkumar P: ThiruThangaTamilselvan:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  review  the Performance of Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Assesment of their Contribution in Women Empowerment in the country;
- (b)
- if so, the outcome thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI)

- (a) & (b): There is no proposal to review and assess the performance  and  contribution  of  Women  Self-Help  Groups  (SHGs). However, under DeendayalAntyodayaYojana-National Rural Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM),  regular  periodic  reviews  of  the performance of Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and assessments of their  contribution  in  women  empowerment,  in  the  country,  are carried out through Performance Review Committee (PRC) Meetings, Reviews with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), Monitoring through Management Information System data, Field  Visits  by  National  Level  Monitors and   Assessment  and evaluation of the schemes through independent third-party research organizations.

In  addition,  following  assessment  and  evaluation  studies  have been  carried  out  to  understand  the  contribution  of  SHGs  and outcomes of DAY-NRLM in the country.

1. An evaluation study of DAY-NRLM was conducted during 201920  by  the  International  Initiative  for  Impact  Evaluation  (3ie),

- Madhya and  Uttar
- across Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra,  Rajasthan, Pradesh. The key findings of the study include:
-  Income Enhancement: Women  SHGs in treatment areas experienced a 19% increase in income over the baseline.
-  Formalization of Credit: There was a 20% decline in reliance on informal loans, indicating improved  access  to formal
- financial services.
-  Savings  Growth:  Participants  reported  a  28%  increase  in savings,  reflecting  stronger  financial  resilience  and  resource management.
-  Workforce Participation: Labour force engagement rose significantly, with a 4% higher proportion of females reporting secondary occupations in treatment areas, compared  to control areas.
-  Access  to  Social  Schemes:  There  was  a  6.5%  rise  in  the number  of social welfare schemes  availed by treatment households (compared to a base of 2.8 schemes), demonstrating improved awareness and reach of public welfare programs.
2. A study to understand the Status of MahilaKisan in Enhancing their Livelihood Activities, conducted by  Development & Research  Services  (P)  Ltd  (DRS)  in  2024-25  in  six  states (Arunachal  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra, Kerala,  Uttar  Pradesh)  from  different  regions  of  the  country. The key findings of the study include:
-  Socio-Economic empowerment of MahilaKisans: Among MahilaKisans, the reported benefits of the programme include increased  confidence  (48%),  improved  decision-making  and reduced labour costs (32%), enhanced agricultural knowledge (40%), and higher grain yields (52%). Additionally, the programme contributed to an increase in annual income, with 18%  of participating households  reporting gains of over additional 7% additional increase in annual income.
3. An evaluation of the Start-Up Village Programme (SVEP) was conducted by Development
- Entrepreneurship &

Research Services (P) Ltd (DRS) in 2024. The key findings of study include:

-  Empowering women through SVEP: A remarkable achievement of  the  programme  is  its  strong  focus  on  promoting  women's entrepreneurship-71% of the enterprises are women-ownedalong with its role in generating employment opportunities in rural areas. About 35% of entrepreneurs were not engaged in any  income-generating  activity  prior  to  starting  their  SVEPsupported enterprises, and approximately 74% of these enterprises have now become the primary source of household income.
4. Ministry  of  Rural  Development  (MoRD)  commissioned  a  study on  the  e ff ectiveness  of  the  Business  Correspondents  (BC) Sakhi model in 2023, which aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the model by examining its implementation architecture, training and deployment processes, the services delivered, and its impact on both the banking ecosystem and rural communities. The key findings of study include:
-  The study found that 45% of BC Sakhis have transitioned into Digi-Pay Sakhis, thereby expanding their capabilities in delivering  digital  financial  services.  An  interesting  trend  has emerged regarding the relationship between BC Sakhis' income levels and their entrepreneurial engagement. Over 61% of  BC  Sakhis  rely  solely  on  the  income  generated  from  their role as banking correspondents. BC Sakhis who rely exclusively on their role as BC agents tend to earn more from this activity than those who diversify their income sources.

These  outcomes  give  a  data-backed  proof  of  the  Government's commitment  to  empowering  women  economically  and  socially DAY-NRLM

through sustained & effective support under the programme.

- (c):     Does not arise.

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