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| National Rural Livelihood Mission | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Rural Livelihood Mission |
| Abbr | NRLM |
| Established | 2011 |
| Jurisdiction | India |
| ParentAgency | Ministry of Rural Development |
National Rural Livelihood Mission
The National Rural Livelihood Mission was a central poverty alleviation initiative launched in 2011 to promote self-employment and skilled wage employment among rural poor households. It aimed to build strong institutional platforms of the rural poor for sustainable livelihood enhancement, incorporating models drawn from Self-Employed Women's Association, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, and International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Mission sought to scale community empowerment approaches tested in projects such as Indira Kranthi Patham and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act-linked livelihood schemes.
The Mission evolved from earlier programmes like Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana and Aajeevika: National Rural Livelihoods Mission pilot studies, influenced by international initiatives such as Grameen Bank and SEWA. Core objectives included mobilising poor women into self-help group federations, enhancing microfinance access via partnerships with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and Small Industries Development Bank of India, and facilitating livelihood-linked skill development aligned with National Skill Development Corporation priorities. It aimed at financial inclusion by linking to Reserve Bank of India directives and leveraging frameworks from Financial Inclusion Plan initiatives.
Implementation involved multi-tier institutions: Gram Panchayat-level Village Organisations, block-level Cluster Level Federations, and district-level District Rural Livelihoods Mission units working with state societies such as Odisha Livelihoods Mission and Kudumbashree. The Mission coordinated with ministries including Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and engaged technical partners like National Institute of Rural Development and Institute of Rural Management Anand. Governance structures referenced models from Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) consultations, and monitoring drew on data systems akin to Aadhaar linkage and Public Financial Management System tools.
Components encompassed mobilisation into Self-Help Group networks, livelihood promotion through Producer Companies formation, skill training tied to National Skill Development Corporation standards, and improved access to credit via Bank Linkage Programme mechanisms. Convergence with flagship schemes included Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for asset creation, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana for urban-rural linkages, and coordination with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for housing support. Special initiatives targeted vulnerable groups covered under laws like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Market linkage efforts partnered with institutions such as National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and NABARD Consultancy Services.
Financing blended central allocations from Ministry of Finance with state contributions and bank credit, reflecting fiscal frameworks advocated by Fourteenth Finance Commission recommendations. Funds channelled through state societies to district missions utilised budgetary controls influenced by Public Accounts Committee oversight and accounting practices similar to Comptroller and Auditor General of India audits. Risk capital and revolving funds were supplemented via linkages to Small Industries Development Bank of India and bilateral institutions like World Bank in earlier livelihood projects, while subsidy norms aligned with directives from Department of Financial Services.
Reports highlighted improvements in women’s leadership within Self-Help Group federations and increased credit access via formal banking channels including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and regional rural banks. Case studies from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Bihar demonstrated upticks in livelihood diversification into activities such as agro-processing and livestock promoted through National Dairy Development Board linkages. Outcome assessments referenced evaluation methodologies used by Independent Evaluation Office-style actors and academic research from Indian Council of Social Science Research and Institute for Development Studies.
Critics pointed to uneven implementation across states such as Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, high attrition among community cadres, and variable microcredit repayment linked to market access constraints highlighted by Competition Commission of India-type analyses. Concerns included inadequate convergence with schemes administered by Ministry of Women and Child Development and limited data transparency relative to standards set by Right to Information Act expectations. Scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi School of Economics questioned sustainability of subsidies and dependency on external funding from entities like International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Policy evolution incorporated lessons from state innovations such as Kudumbashree and Indira Kranthi Patham, prompting institutional reforms, cadre professionalisation via training at National Institute of Rural Development and adoption of management practices influenced by Administrative Reforms Commission recommendations. Subsequent adjustments sought deeper convergence with National Urban Livelihoods Mission, enhanced use of technology with Common Service Centre integration, and finance diversification including partnership models tested with Small Industries Development Bank of India and National Cooperative Development Corporation. The Mission’s trajectory informed broader rural policy debates at forums like NITI Aayog and parliamentary committees.
Category:Rural development in India