Parliament Question: Rural Schemes implemented for SHGs

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3687 ANSWERED ON 11/08/2026 RURAL SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED FOR SHGS 3687. Shri Arun Kumar Sagar: Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the details of rural schemes being implemented for women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the country, State-wise; (b) the details of the credit and training facilities provided to women under these schemes; (c) the total number of women Self Help Groups set up in the country, State-wise; (d) the major challenges affecting the functioning of these Self Help Groups; and (e) the impact of these schemes on the income of women members of Self Help Groups? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI) (a): The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) with the objective of organizing the rural households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and continuously nurturing and supporting them till they attain appreciable increase in income over a period of time and improve their quality of life. Cumulatively, 10.08 crore women have been mobilized into 92.30 lakh SHGs. The mission seeks to achieve its objective through investing in four core components, viz., (1) social mobilization, promotion and strengthening of self-managed and financially sustainable community institutions of the rural poor; (2) financial inclusion of the rural poor; (3) sustainable livelihoods; and (4) social inclusion & social development. The Mission is implemented across the country in 28 States and 6 UTs (except Delhi & Chandigarh). Page 1 of 4(b): The Ministry facilitates access to institutional credit for women SHGs under DAY-NRLM. Under the programme, women SHGs avail collateral-free loans from Scheduled Commercial Banks and Cooperative Banks in accordance with guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India and National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD). For Training of these SHGs, Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) provide skill development and entrepreneurship training to rural youth including these SHGs with a strong focus on empowering women. These institute promote self- employment by supporting livelihood and enterprise development, facilitating bank credit linkages, and providing comprehensive post- training handholding. Further, Community Managed Training Centres (CMTCs) are promoted under the DAY-NRLM which are community-owned and community-managed institutions that serve as hubs for capacity building, peer learning, and knowledge exchange. (c): The total number of women SHGs under DAY-NRLM set up in the country, state-wise is given at Annexure-I. (d): Self-Help Groups (SHGs) face several key challenges, including social barriers such as gender inequality, migration, and low literacy further hinder participation and inclusion. Additionally, expansion of marketing facilities, limited access to technology, and vulnerability to natural disasters, health emergencies, climate change, and economic downturns also exist. (e): Under DAY-NRLM, the Ministry of Rural Development has adopted a multipronged strategy for the social, economic, and institutional empowerment of rural women. The positive outcomes of these interventions have been validated through independent impact evaluation studies commissioned by the Ministry. The 3ie Impact Evaluation Study (2025), based on two rounds of data collection conducted in 2019 and 2024 across 9 States, covering about 23,000 households, found that household incomes increased by 9.5% in NRLM blocks, while income gains in mature community institution clusters ranged from 12% to 33%. The study also reported an increase of 6–11% in per capita household consumption, along with improvements in women’s empowerment, livelihood diversification, and overall household welfare. Also, NITI Aayog’s Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the Rural Development Sector (2025) assessed DAY-NRLM as a highly relevant and impactful programme, noting its contribution to Page 2 of 4increased incomes, diversified livelihood opportunities, enhanced financial inclusion and literacy, greater self-confidence among women, and improved social inclusion through strong community institutions and convergence with other development initiatives. These findings underscore the significant role of DAY-NRLM in advancing women’s empowerment and improving the socio-economic well-being of rural households. It has demonstrated significant positive outcomes, with average household incomes increasing by 49%. It has also contributed to women's economic and social empowerment, as 58% of women reported enhanced confidence, 52% experienced improved access to income-generating opportunities, and 46% became capable of managing their banking transactions independently. In addition, women-led enterprises have diversified into a range of livelihood activities, including tailoring, goat rearing, and agri-trading, thereby strengthening income sources and promoting sustainable rural livelihoods. Further, the Lakhpati Didi Initiative is a program under the DAY- NRLM scheme aimed at enhancing the income of women Self-Help Group (SHG) members, with the goal of making them "Lakhpati Didi." It focuses on helping SHG members achieve an annual income of Rs. 1 lakh or more. The total count of Lakhpati Didis across the country has reached 3.46 crore, which shows the impact of DAY-NRLM scheme on the income of women members of SHGs. ****** Page 3 of 4ANNEXURE-I Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3687 to be answered on 11.08.2026 regarding “Rural Schemes implemented For SHGs” Detail of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) set up in the country, state wise: SHGs set up in the Country S.No State/UTs (state-wise) 1 Andaman And Nicobar Islands 1,343 2 Andhra Pradesh 8,27,133 3 Arunachal Pradesh 12,853 4 Assam 3,56,760 5 Bihar 13,53,025 6 Chhattisgarh 2,91,453 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and 1,823 7 Daman and Diu 8 Goa 3,462 9 Gujarat 2,32,911 10 Haryana 62,921 11 Himachal Pradesh 43,344 12 Jammu And Kashmir 96,637 13 Jharkhand 3,20,838 14 Karnataka 2,97,982 15 Kerala 2,38,981 16 Ladakh 2,119 17 Lakshadweep 348 18 Madhya Pradesh 4,68,501 19 Maharashtra 6,67,562 20 Manipur 13,689 21 Meghalaya 47,946 22 Mizoram 10,083 23 Nagaland 15,333 24 Odisha 5,51,414 25 Puducherry 4,927 26 Punjab 57,337 27 Rajasthan 3,36,928 28 Sikkim 5,895 29 Tamil Nadu 3,48,977 30 Telangana 3,93,845 31 Tripura 54,860 32 Uttar Pradesh 8,71,820 33 Uttarakhand 69,811 34 West Bengal 11,67,882 Total 92,30,743 ***** Page 4 of 4