Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 29: The Department of Lifelong Learning, University of Jammu, organized a special lecture on “rural banking and its role in rural development” here today, for the students of Masters programme in Rural Development.
Dr Shiv Kumar Gupta, former Dean, Management, Baba Gulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, was the key resource person. Dr Kavita Suri, Director and Head, Department of Lifelong Learning, JU; Prof Poonam Dhawan, former Director DLL and DAA, JU; Dr Priyanka Sharma, Dr Vivek Sharma, Dr Sandeep Singh, all DLL faculty members, Dr Chandershekhar, Department of Psychology and students of Rural Development were present on the occasion.
Dr Shiv Kumar Gupta, who has worked closely with world famous Gramin Bank chairman Prof Mohammed Yonus ( a name in the field of social-economic reforms through micro credit in Bangladesh focusing on micro credit for the upliftment of villagers), has a significant contribution in rural banks in the country. He started his presentation by highlighting the developmental journey of an Indian villager and highlighted the reasons for the farmers being left behind than other classes of the villagers. He said that the appalling condition of the farmers is primarily because of their non- business approach to the life and to the profession (largely agriculture) they are involved in and therefore, the key challenge to improve their livelihood and socio-economic condition is to change them from being emotional and impractical to be practical and commercial in their approach.
The former Dean Management also stressed on the importance of women being the key receiver of the micro-credit. In order to elaborate and substantiate the point, he drew some comparisons with the success of the micro-credit in Bangladesh and little success in the case of India. He also threw light on the 16- point formula adopted by the Bangladesh Government for the success of their micro-credit scheme.
The presentation was followed by a discussion where many questions regarding the issue of underdevelopment, village development institutions, farmer’s issuers, the issues of farmer’s suicide were raised and were discussed with the resource person.
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