National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. This mission addresses rural poverty through comprehensive and long-term strategies. It helps poor rural families improve their lives by giving them better ways to earn a living and access financial services.

NRLM follows a community-led approach where people take the lead in shaping their future. It supports the creation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their networks, mainly involving women, so they can work together, build skills, start small businesses, and access banking and government schemes. The goal is to reduce poverty by strengthening local communities and making them more self-reliant.

What is National Rural Livelihood Mission?

National Rural Livelihood Mission has been renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission. It was launched in June 2011. DAY-NRLM is built on the belief that people living in poverty have the desire and ability to improve their lives. By organizing them into self-help groups, particularly women, it helps communities take collective action to access better livelihoods and financial services.

It was renamed in 2016 to honor Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and to emphasize its focus on reaching the poorest of the poor. Unlike traditional top-down welfare programs, DAY-NRLM follows a bottom-up approach that puts people at the center.

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It listens to local needs and builds from the ground up. By working closely with rural communities, especially women, it helps them take charge of their own progress. It helps in creating jobs, improving incomes, and building a better future step by step. Here is an overview: 

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana

To honor the vision of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the NRLM was renamed as DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission). The mission reflects the ideology of “Antyodaya”, i.e., uplifting the most vulnerable and marginalized in society.

DAY-NRLM focuses on creating a self-sustaining ecosystem where rural communities, particularly women, are empowered to form institutions, access resources, and take collective action. The goal is to help them move out of poverty and achieve long-term financial and social security.

The mission works through community-based institutions like self-help groups (SHGs) and their federations to build leadership, develop skills, and promote small enterprises. It also helps rural communities connect with banks, markets, and government services.

National Rural Livelihood Mission Objectives

The objectives of the National Rural Livelihood Mission are comprehensive and go beyond income generation. The mission aims to build strong institutions of the poor and enable them to access a range of services and opportunities.

National Rural Livelihood Mission Objectives are explained below: 

• The mission aims to bring all poor rural families, especially women, into Self-Help Groups (SHGs). These groups are later connected at the village, block, and district levels to give them more strength and voice.
  
• The mission provides training to SHG members so they can learn how to manage money, run small businesses, know their rights, and become confident leaders.
  
• One of the key goals is to make sure poor families can use financial services like savings, loans, and insurance. The mission helps SHGs build strong ties with banks and also supports local, community-run financial systems.
  
• The mission supports rural families in improving their income, whether through farming, raising animals, making crafts, or running small businesses.
  
• The mission helps families get the benefits of government programs like pensions, ration cards, health insurance, and housing. It also works with other big schemes like MGNREGS and PMAY-G.
  
• By targeting women as the core of the mission, NRLM seeks to improve their social standing, decision-making capacity, and economic independence.
  
• The formation of SHGs is just the beginning. The mission builds larger groups at different levels so communities can work together, solve problems, and make decisions that affect their lives.

National Rural Livelihood Mission Beneficiaries

National Rural Livelihood Mission Beneficiaries are not limited to any specific caste, religion, or region. The mission targets rural poor households with a focus on inclusion and equity. It follows a participatory process to identify poor households at the community level using a method called Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP).

Here are the National Rural Livelihood Mission beneficiaries:

• Women play a central role in the mission. Each poor household is encouraged to have at least one woman member in an SHG.
• The mission also reaches out to marginalized communities, including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), minorities, and other backward classes.
• Small and marginal farmers, who often struggle with low incomes from farming, are supported with better tools, training, and opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
• Landless labourers, who depend on daily or seasonal work, are helped to find more stable and income-generating options.
• People with disabilities and senior citizens in poor families are also given focused support.

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Benefits of the National Rural Livelihood Mission

The benefits of the National Rural Livelihood Mission are both immediate and long-term. It empowers the poor not only by improving their income but also by enabling them to participate meaningfully in the development process.

Key Benefits of National Rural Livelihood Mission are: 

• NRLM has helped form over 87 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs), bringing together more than 9 crore women across India (PIB, 2024). These groups give women a platform to save money, support each other, and work together on small businesses and local issues.
• Most SHGs are now linked with banks, giving members access to loans without needing collateral. By 2024, the total amount of bank loans given to SHGs crossed ₹2.9 lakh crore.
• Members receive training in business planning, financial management, agricultural practices, and crafts.
• NRLM supports a wide range of small businesses based on what works best in each area, like poultry farming, tailoring, organic farming, and micro-enterprises.
• As women take leadership roles in SHGs, they participate more actively in Gram Sabhas and decision-making at home and community levels.
• Many SHGs have adopted digital tools for bookkeeping, financial transactions, and access to services, promoting transparency and efficiency.
• NRLM acts as a bridge, helping SHG members access benefits under PMAY-G, Ujjwala Yojana, MGNREGA, and more.

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