A Study on the Impact of Microfinance on the Members of the Self Help Groups in Karnataka State, India
The present study focuses on assessing the extent to which the Microfinance programs have been effective in bringing about the change it is supposed to in the state of Karnataka, India. Therefore, an impact assessment is suited to know the ground reality of these programs. The study takes into consideration the socio-economic variables in order to assess the over-all effect of the programs. Apart from interventions and influences coming from the Microfinance programs, there are also other factors that influence the effect. These other factors are largely associated with the location where these programs are conducted. Locations or Regions bring with it difference in culture, social, occupational and demographical aspects which are also taken into account the study. The study shows that there is a significant change in the socio-economic lives of the poor of the different regions of Karnataka. However, the results are not as impressive as they should have been. All in all, the impact of the microfinance programs exhibits a dull, or rather, yet-to-explore field, urging efforts to reach out more effectively to the rural poor. Keywords: Impact Assessment, Microfinance, Karnataka, Self Help Groups, Savings Accumulation, Consumption Pattern, Accessibility to Credit