Self-Help Groups in the Nandyal Region, Andhra Pradesh – A Pathway to Sustainable Development

Abstract

In India, 70% of the population lacks access to financial resources and productive assets to earn a living. The main reason is limited access to economic and social services. Consequently, the SHG (self-help group model) evolved in the 1980s and 1990s with the support of the Government of India, NABARD, the Banking sector, and other NGOs. Self-help groups are voluntary and self-managed by women from similar socioeconomic setups, who save and contribute a certain amount to a common fund, from which small loans are provided to group members to start their micro units. The study examines whether SDG has been achieved with the formation of SHG groups, and also concentrates on the social and economic development of SHG groups in the Nandyal region.
As per studies, the SHG program threshold is unreachable, but a few SDG goals can be achieved. The study is descriptive as well as exploratory. A questionnaire is used to collect data. Inferential statistical methods are used to analyze the data.