Perceived Economic Empowerment through Self-Help Groups: A Statistical Study of Scheduled Caste Women in Ramgarh District, Jharkhand, India | Chapter 9 | Economics, Business and Management: Recent Advances Vol. 1

 

The issue of financial inclusion and economic upliftment among marginalised sections, particularly Scheduled Caste (SC) women, continues to pose a major challenge in India’s development process, including in Jharkhand. In this context, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as a crucial mechanism for promoting socio-economic advancement and empowerment at the grassroots level. Participation in SHGs not only enables women to achieve financial independence but also helps them acquire essential skills and strengthens their collective voice within their communities.

 

This study aims to examine the transformative impact of SHGs on the economic empowerment of SC women in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand. A total of 100 women associated with SHGs across five blocks—Gola, Mandu, Chitarpur, Ramgarh, and Patratu—were selected for the study. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and interviews, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to assess changes in participants’ economic conditions before and after joining SHGs.

 

The findings reveal a statistically significant improvement in key economic indicators after participation in SHGs, highlighting their strong positive influence on economic empowerment. There has been a notable increase in members’ annual income and savings, along with improvements in employment duration. These results demonstrate the tangible benefits of SHG involvement in enhancing livelihood opportunities and financial stability.

 

The study further suggests that sustained efforts—particularly through targeted training and skill development programs aligned with local market demands—are essential to maintain and expand these gains. It also emphasises the need for further research and supportive policy initiatives to strengthen and extend SHG programs, ensuring continued positive impact on the lives of Scheduled Caste women.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Manisha Kumari
Department of Commerce and Business Management, Ranchi University, Ranchi, India.

 

Shashi Shekhar Murmu
Department of Commerce and Business Management, Ranchi University, Ranchi, India.

 

Rinki Kumari
Department of Commerce and Business Management, Ranchi University, Ranchi, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/ebmra/v1/7021

Social, Cultural and Educational Evolution of Kaibarta Community in Assam | Chapter 4 | Current Progress in Arts and Social Studies Research Vol. 8

Assam is one of the old states of India. This region marked by significant ethnic diversity, has historically encompassed a blend of tribal and non-tribal communities, contributing to a complex social landscape. It is to be noted that the non-tribal category is included into three major groups such as the General Caste, the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Other Backward Classes (OBC). There are sixteen SC, twenty seven Scheduled Tribes (ST) and twenty nine OBC communities listed in Assam. The people of all communities are peace loving and are focused on maintaining social peace and harmony in the region. They have moved away more or less from their traditional social lifestyle. The members of the Kaibarta community play a very important role in the overall development of Assam. The traditional culture and heritage of the Kaibarta community are rich and significant. The present study is an attempt to discuss the social, cultural and educational Evolution of the Kaibarta community in Assam. The secondary data were collected from both government and non-government publications. In order to achieve the objective of the present study, the descriptive research method was used in this work. The findings revealed that in spite of having a huge potential for development, most of the people of the Kaibarta community have remained backward even after seventy-three years of independence of the country. By now it is almost clear that the Kaibarta community in the state is faced with different social, cultural, and economic problems for development.

 

Author (s) Details

Poli Konwar
Department of Education, Gargaon College, Simaluguri Sivasagar, Assam, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cpassr/v8/3354

Occupational Mobility among Two Kaivartta (Fisherman Community) Populated Village in Majuli Island, India | Chapter 8 | Recent Research Advances in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 8

Kaivarttas are one of the major fishing communities of Assam. The origin and migration of the Kaivarttas to the river island is still shrouded with mystery. In the last few decades, the processes like globalization of marketing, liberalization of different policies and privatization of education have changed the life style of the Kaivarttas, not only in an urban area but village too. Present study is undertaken into two Kaivartta populated village in Majuli Island to understand the occupational mobility among them. The concept “Occupational mobility” comes into existence in the field of Sociology that refers the process of movement from one occupational category to another. Now, Kaivarttas are engaged in different areas occupations including government, private and entrepreneurial works. As the occupation is closely interrelated with socio-economic and cultural factors, therefore, it is important to make a study to understand their adoption of new occupation in response to the process of social change. Primary data are collected through structured interview schedule through survey whereas Books, Journals, Government records and census are used as secondary data. It has been observed that external forces that are creating barriers and forcing the villagers to shift themselves to some other occupations i.e. low profit margin of fish trading more particularly during summer seasons, dwindling of sources of fish since most of beels and fisheries have been taken over by Government and the terms and conditions of the Leaseholders (Mahalders) are not satisfactory, negative attitude of society towards fish selling etc. The study shows that most of the villagers have taken up new occupations rather than fishing.

Author(s) Details:

Nabin Chandra Das,
187 No Chamaguri Koibartta LPS, Majuli, Assam, India.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RRAASS-V8/article/view/14257