National Rural Livelihoods Mission

National Rural Livelihoods Mission 

National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), a new initiative under the Ministry of Rural Development to bring the poorest of the poor above the poverty line by ensuring viable livelihood opportunities to them was launched in Jun 2011 at Banswara in Rajasthan by the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 

The core belief of NRLM 

The NRLM is based on the core belief that the poor have innate capabilities and a strong desire to come out of poverty. This intrinsic capability of the poor is unleashed only when they are organized into institutions which are truly owned by them, provided sufficient capacity building and handholding support. 

Background of NRLM 

The Integrated Rural Development Programme was launched in 1980 by the Government of India to help the people below poverty hne. In 1999 the programme was transformed to Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY). This programme followed the strategy of generating self employment through organizing poor into Self Help Groups (SHGs). In the last 10 years about 250 lakh rural Pl. households have been organized and brought under the SHG network. It may also be noted that 450 lakh households still need to be organized into SHG: and the existing SHGs covering 250 lakhs also need further strengthening and greater financial support. Considering the enormity of the task, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India (Go!) set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. R. Radhakrishna (Committee on Credit Related Issues under SGSY), which submitted its recommendations in the year 2009. The Ministry after widespread consultations accepted the major recommendation of the Radhakrishna Committee for restructuring the SGSY as National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRL1,1). The Ministry' proposal was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 24.6.10.

Purpose of the Mission 

The basic purpose of National Rural Livelihoods Mission is to put in place a dedicated and sensitive support structure from the national level to the sub-district level which will focus on the poor, build and sustain their organizations at different levels. This will provide the poor a platform for collective action based on self help and mutual cooperation and they become a strong demand system, build linkages with mainstream institutions, including banks, and Government departments to address the various dimensions of poverty. 

The Mission 

The Mission aims to ensure that at least one member from each identified rural poor household, preferably a woman, is brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network in a time bound manner. NRLM would reach out, mobilize and support 7 Crore BPL households across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, in 6 lakh villages across the country into their self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federal institutions and livelihoods collectives. It would support them financially and institutionally in all their efforts to get them out of poverty. The poor would be helped to achieve increased access to their rights, entitlements and public services, diversified risk and better social indicators of en.ipowerment. 

Coverage of Weaker Sections of Society 

NRLM has been mandated to ensure adequate coverage of vulnerable section: of the society such that 50% of the beneficiaries are SC/STs, 15% are minorities and 3% are persons with disability, while keeping in view the ultimate target of 100% coverage of BPL families. A unique feature of the new initiative is that it would be led by the poor themselves. WRIM would utilize the services of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) who are women who have themselves come out of poverty through being a part of the Self Help Group. They will spread the concept of NUM from one village to another and from one district to another making NRLM a people's movement. 
NUM will focus on women as we believe that the best way of reaching out to the whole family is through the woman. There will be a special focus on vulnerable sections: scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, minorities, women headed families, etc. The second focus of NRLM would be rural youth of the country who are unemployed. They will be supported through placement linked skill development projects through which their skills will be upgraded through short term training courses in sectors which have high demand for services. 

Role of Banks 

The role of Banks will be of prime importance under NRLM as a source of credit for the poor at reasonable rates. NRLM will focus on getting banks to lend to the poor by making them bankable clients through smart use of subsidy.