The study has analysed the changes in structure of rural credit delivery and inclusiveness of rural credit flow across states and social groups, along with identification of factors that influence the choice of credit source. The study is based on the unit level data of Debt and Investment Survey carried out by NSSO during 1992 (48 th round), 2003 (59 th round) and 2013 (70 th round). The structure of credit system has been assessed in terms of access of rural households to different credit outlets, share of formal credit institutions, availability of credit, and interest rate. The determinants of rural households' choice for credit sources have also been studied. The study has found that the structure of credit market has changed over time and the share of institutional credit has increased. The initiatives taken by the government have paid off and the flow of institutional credit to rural areas has increased significantly even in real terms. The indicators of financial inclusion have shown a sign of improvement. However, regional disparity and presence of informal agencies in the disbursement of rural credit is still persistent. Rural households' access to institutional credit is influenced by a number of socioeconomic , institutional and policy factors. In our analysis, the education, caste affiliation, gender and assets ownership have been found to influence the rural households' access to institutional credit significantly. A concerted effort and appropriate policy reform are required to make rural households' access to institutional credit neutral to caste, class and regions.
The linkage between agriculture and nutrition is complex and often debated in the policy discourse in India. The enigma of fastest growing economy and yet the largest home of under-and mal-nourished population takes away the sheen from the glory of economic achievements of India. In this context, the study has examined the food consumption patterns, assessed the relationship between agricultural production and dietary diversity, and analysed the impact of dietary diversity on nutritional intake. The study is based on a household level panel data from 12 villages of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha in eastern India. The study has shown that agricultural production diversity is a major determinant of dietary diversity which in turn has a strong effect on calorie and protein intake. The study has suggested that efforts to promote agricultural diversification will be helpful to enhance food and nutrition security in the country. Agricultural programmes and policies oriented towards reducing under-nutrition should promote diversity in agricultural production rather than emphasizing on increasing production through focusing on selected staple crops as has been observed in several states of India. The huge fertilizer subsidies and government procurement schemes limited to a few crops provide little incentives for farmers to diversity their production portfolio.
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