✎ NRLM’s SHG-bank linkage aims to empower 3-6 crore women with ₹11L cr credit in 5 years via streamlined processes and stakeholder collaboration.
Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Polity & Governance
A high-level review meeting chaired by Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Mumbai on 3 September 2026 assessed the progress of SHG-bank linkage and individual enterprise financing under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). The gathering, attended by bankers, SRLM officials, RBI, NABARD and other stakeholders, identified bottlenecks such as delayed loan approvals, cumbersome paperwork and small credit limits at branch level. The minister directed banks to ensure faster, adequate and accessible credit for women entrepreneurs, set a five-year lending target of ₹10 lakh crore for SHGs and ₹1 lakh crore for individual women, and ordered quarterly virtual and bi-annual physical reviews to track commitments. He also announced a dedicated helpline for distressed SHG members and urged private bankers to participate actively in district-level coordination committees to sensitise staff and streamline processes.
The meeting underscores the government’s push for women-led economic empowerment as a cornerstone of “Viksit Bharat.” With the goal of raising the number of “Lakhpati Didis” from 3 crore to 6 crore, the minister stressed emotional commitment over routine compliance, asking bankers to treat the mission as a national duty rather than a professional task. For banking aspirants, the initiative highlights rural credit expansion, NABARD’s role in refinancing, RBI’s regulatory oversight and the importance of last-mile financial inclusion—key themes in exams like RBI Grade B and SBI PO. SSC candidates should note the policy’s intersection with poverty alleviation, women’s entrepreneurship and inter-departmental coordination under DAY-NRLM, which often appears in General Studies papers.
Source: PIB (Press Information Bureau)
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