Government of India has introduced various schemes for the uplift of the deprived section of the urban poor. As a result, the proportion of India’s poor with respect to total population has dropped in both urban and rural areas, but then again, the absolute number of the urban poor is growing. Therefore, this article tries to analyse the utilization pattern of credit availed through various credit expansion avenues by the urban poor households, thereafter examining its impact on poverty alleviation at different levels. Snowball sampling method was used to collect data from 598 respondents living in the most populous cities of Punjab and the union territory (UT) of Chandigarh using the references of registered deprived urban poor, who are continuously being recorded and monitored by top non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and banks. Apart from descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize the utilization pattern and poverty alleviation dimensions into the valid factors. Finally, structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypothesis. The study found that the productive utilization of credit availed by the Economic Weaker Section (EWS) of the urban poor through various government credit schemes is highly associated with poverty alleviation at individual level (β = 0.55 and p = 0.000) followed by that at regional (β = 0.29 and p = 0.009) and community levels (β = 0.18, and p = 0.001). Social structure of the families is found to be an important deciding factor in how productively a household channelizes its loan amount or grants to move out of poverty and to become self-reliant. The article is limited to only government-backed credit expansion schemes for the EWS of the urban poor residing in the most populous areas of Punjab and Chandigarh. The development of the evaluation model is expected to lead towards better implementation of government credit schemes for the EWS of the urban poor, which would be practically helpful in policymaking. Also, the development of suggestive measures is expected to complement effective, efficient and more cohesive implementation of government schemes for the urban poor, which would be socially more sustainable. With policy emphasis in recent times for the urban poor, the topic is of utmost importance for research.
PurposeThe study aims to examine the impact of social assistance schemes introduced by the Indian government on poverty alleviation in urban slums.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the study's objectives, primary data were collected from 585 beneficiaries of government schemes operating in India's northwestern state using a multistage sampling technique (Punjab). The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique reduced the total dataset to its minimum factors. Then, using second-order confirmatory factor analysis, the data's validity and reliability were determined. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as one-way ANOVA, t-test and structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe study's findings indicate that social assistance provided by the Government of India has a direct and substantial influence on poverty alleviation in urban slums. The study demonstrates how access to basic credit financial services through social assistance programmes has improved the lives of urban poor households living in slums and assisted them in escaping poverty.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigation was undertaken among a few limitations. First, the in-depth investigation of the study is restricted to only the northwestern state of India solely because of limited resources and time availability. Second, the study focuses primarily on the perspectives of beneficiaries of the social assistance schemes in India. Still, it might be expanded in the future to include additional stakeholders such as bank executives, business colleagues and municipal town panchayats.Practical implicationsDue to policymakers' increased emphasis on poor households living in urban slums, this topic is critical for studying many issues.Social implicationsThe research explores gaps in social welfare schemes to direct policymakers and government authorities to take appropriate steps to aid the urban poor people in sliding out of poverty.Originality/valueBy examining the influence of the Indian government's social welfare schemes on poverty reduction in slums, this study contributes to the literature on public assistance schemes and poverty alleviation. This article can assist policymakers in developing nations in increasing financial capability among disadvantaged urban families on a national and international level.
India's population growth since Independence has considerably neutralised the gains of economic development. Population growth beyond optimum levels tends to pose a whole range of vexed problems before individuals, society and the state. India is a glaring case in point. As the country's performance in the area of population control has been much less than targeted or expected, the government has to formulate a more rigorous and harsher policy to exercise restraint over ever-increasing population; otherwise, the country would not be able to cope with the consequent social, political and economic problems.2 For 2050, UN demographers cite three population projections-a 'low' of 7.9 billion; 'medium' 9.3 billion and 'high' J0.9 billion-each-variant based on slightly different assumptions about future birth rates. See Brain O'Neil and Deborah Balk, "World Population Future",
In terms of remote banking services for social welfare programmes, fintech has completely changed the game for financial institutions, particularly during the COVID pandemic. However, many recipients continue to be dubious due to fears about its security. This study aims to create an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) that incorporates perceived risk, trust and innovation diffusion theory into the conventional TAM model to understand better the variables that influence user adoption and implementation of Fintech technologies. The critical FinTech applications were evaluated using the hypothetical classic model, which included external influences. The proposed model (urban poor beneficiaries‐TAM) was experimentally verified using semi‐structured questionnaires and structural equation modelling data. This research shows that attitude has a considerable impact on how fintech apps are meant to be used, outweighing usefulness and risk as factors that directly affect how they are used. The report concludes by discussing the critical organizational consequences and offering a variety of strategies for maintaining this recently innovative business in light of current technological improvements.
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