The paper first discusses whether or not there exist on a priori grounds conflict between viability and equity objectives of institutional credit for agriculture. It then goes on to describe the past experience in this regard in India. This is done on the basis of readily available published...

This paper discusses three recent policy changes for rural banking by the commercial banks. It first discusses likely impact of these policy changes. It then presents rationale for promoting rural banking infrastructure. Next it discusses existing and potential operations of the rural branches...

This paper demonstrates that institutional finance must play a multi-functional role to fulfil its three-fold objectives of promoting (a) growth, (b) better equity, and (c) its own viability/profitability for agricultural and rural sector. It is further argued that sound and relevant...

This paper suggests that the groups which undertake multiple activities like selling, purchasing, borrowing, etc. are likely to be more successful than the groups which merely borrow. Another criterion suggested is that the members of the group be homogenous in their production technology and...

This paper discusses in aggregate terms the performance of the formal rural financial market (RFM) in India. Considering three different aspects of this market several criteria are applied for this purpose. Thee three aspects are: (1) Sectoral mobilization of deposits and sector’s contribution...

Four questions that are raised in this paper are: (1) Why is it necessary to reserve formal credit for rural poor? (2) Is credit a constraint on increasing production and incomes of the rural poor? (3) Is existing credit delivery conducive to increasing their incomes? And (4) What improvements...

The paper has analysed development and financial, with special reference to working capital management, performance of the selected food-processing industries. It prioritizes these industries for their development based on these performance criteria. It also discusses strategy for accelerated...

This paper examines the viability of rural banking by the Nationalized Commercial Banks and the factors influencing it. The viability was examined using both cost and profitability analyses. Theory of costs is used for the former, while multi-variate econometric model is formulated for the...

The paper departs from the present policy emphasis for and more recent literature on rural poverty in advocating six major conclusions based on its validation of a multi-variate model explaining the behaviour of this poverty for 1960-61 to 1990-91 which is extended up to 1993-94. These are: One,...

Past literature shows that technical change in agriculture is determined by non-price like government expenditure on R&D and infrastructure. But more recent literature also considers relative farm prices that would provide incentives for technical change. This has been reinforced by the present...