ABSTRACT
Microfinance has become an important sector in developing countries for providing financial services to the poor people. The government had implemented many poverty alleviation programmes in the last thirty years. In 1992, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) initiated the self-help group (SHG) Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP) to include the poorest of the poor inside the formal banking system. However, the Institute of Integrated Resource Management, Asomi, Young Mizo Association, Rural Development Organisation (RDO), Human Resource Development Organsation (HRDO) and Youth Volunteers Organisation are some of the leading NGOs in the region which are undertaking microfinance activities. The north-eastern region (NER) of India consists of eight states Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland which are extraordinarily diverse, colourful and mysterious because of their different cultures. The SHG members who were illiterate before joining the group have learned simple numeracy skills.
