2nd National Seminar on

Microfinance – Issues and

Challenges

(21 – 22 February 2011)

Centre for Microfinance Research

Bankers Institute of Rural Development

Lucknow

Second National Seminar on

Micro-finance – Issues and

Challenges

Background

The phenomenal growth of Indian microfinance sector and its potential for further expansion

attracts everyone in terms of product deepening, diversification and expansion of

geographical spread.

The Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP), pioneered by NABARD in 1992,

has emerged as the largest and the fastest growing community based microfinance

programme in the world resulting in credit-linkage of more than 4.85 million SHGs as on 31

March 2010. The Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) too have emerged as strong players in

supplementing the role of formal financial institutions in providing microfinance services to

the poor. However, despite various policy interventions aimed at upscaling the efforts to

bring in the excluded families, particularly the weak and vulnerable members of society

including those who live on the fringe of forests, tribals, etc., within its fold, financial

exclusion continues to deprive millions of people living below a sustainable level of income.

The comparatively disadvantageous groups like various tribal communities struggling to have

assured means for livelihood need to be approached in an entirely different manner than

what is generally designed for people living in other parts of the country.

There is also a need to debate on the sustainability of SHG-Bank Linkage programme itself

which has completed about 20 years of its existence in various forms in the country and now

regarded as the world‟s largest community based programme. The issue needs to be viewed

from the angle whether an SHG member in the rural area has really gained the competence

and confidence of providing a physical collateral security for his/her credit needs from the

formal banking system so that the way ahead of SBLP could be „SHG to No-SHG‟.

Further, on account of unemployment and under-employment in various rural parts of the

country, sizeable rural population migrates to semi urban and urban areas of the country in

search of employment. One of the problems relating to migrant workers is the lack of

opportunity to husband their daily small savings at their places of work and remittance of

their saved money to their native place. If the issue of remittance is tackled in a manner

suitable to migrant workers and their family members (recipients), it will definitely create a

dent on the poverty of the migrant workers‟ families. Further if the migrant workers are SHG

members, their families can pay the thrift/ repay the loan installment without any default and

thus can continue their effective membership in the SHGs of their villages.

Of late, the experiments like Joint Liability Groups, producers groups, etc., have led to the

increased application of micro-finance approaches in meeting the credit needs of the

agricultural sector. However, much has to be done in bringing the small farmers, marginal

farmers, tenant farmers, share croppers and oral lessees into the microfinance movement so

as to provide opportunities for them to sustain their farming operations leading to increased

income for their families.

The microfinance sector across the globe, over the past few years, has shown tremendous

growth in terms of its efficiency and outreach which was made possible due to various

experiments done by diverse stakeholders in different parts of the world. However, in spite of

best efforts of the Rural Financial Institutions (RFIs) and the MFI sector, the magnitude of

financial exclusion is truly staggering. Further, one of the key challenges facing the policy

makers today is how to make the growth process more inclusive. In this background, it is felt

that results of various successful models/ experiments need to be widely disseminated

amongst all the stakeholders in order to provide suitable options, particularly to those

practitioners who are concentrating in regions where microfinance has not yet penetrated.

These challenges call for a need on the part of all the stakeholders in the microfinance sector

to come together and share their experiences on the issues identified for the seminar. They

may adopt and implement innovative approaches after learning from experiences and

innovations made by other experts in various fields of microfinance. In this background, the

Centre for Microfinance Research (CMR) is organising the Second National Seminar on

‘Microfinance in India – Issues and Challenges’ to provide a common platform to a

wide spectrum of policy makers, academicians and experts from mFI sector for

interactive deliberations and discussions on the following four themes:

Agriculture and Microfinance

Tribal Economy and Microfinance

SHG Bank Linkage Programme – Looking Ahead – The Roadmap

Migrant Workers : Tackling issues relating to remittances

Seminar Format

There will be four Technical Sessions on each of the four themes indicated above. Each

session will have a Panel consisting of 3-4 eminent experts/practitioners from the sector and

one among them will be the Chairperson for that session. 3-4 papers of original research

done in the microfinance sector will be presented by various Authors followed by floor

discussions in each Technical Session.

Chief Guest

Prof B.B. Bhattacharya, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University has given his kind

consent to be the Chief Guest of the seminar. On the sidelines of the seminar, technology

vendors will be showcasing their products and services useful for microfinance sector.

Duration of Seminar & Nomination

The programme would commence at 10.00 AM on 21 February 2011 at BIRD, Lucknow and

will conclude at 05.30 PM on 22 February 2011. Nominations along with participation fee

must reach us by 15 February 2011. The format given along with this brochure may be

used for registration. Interested participants may send the duly filled-in registration forms by

post or by Email to birdjournal@yahoo.in, bird@bsnl.in or birdindia@yahoo.co.in

Registration Fee & Mode of Payment

Particulars Indian delegate Foreign delegate

Without boarding and lodging ` 2000 USD 200

With boarding and lodging ` 4000 USD 400

Research Scholar / Students

(with ID proof)

` 500 USD 50

Indian delegates may pay participation fee by demand draft drawn in favour of Bankers

Institute of Rural Development payable at Lucknow. Foreign delegates may pay their fee by

means of Swift Transfer. For details of swift transfer, please contact at birdjournal@yahoo.in,

bird@bsnl.in or birdindia@yahoo.co.in.

Venue

The venue of the conference shall be at Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD),

Lucknow.

Accommodation

BIRD has centrally air conditioned self-contained single room accommodations. Prior

confirmation may have to be obtained for availing Boarding and Lodging facility.

Participants are required to tender the confirmation letter to the Reception at the time of

checking in the hostel rooms.

About BIRD

Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) established in 1983 by National Bank for

Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), is a premier training, research and

consulting organization in India working in the field of agriculture, rural development,

microfinance and development banking. This ISO:9001 : 2008 certified Institute conducts

international and national level as well as region-focused, issue-specific and research-based

training courses and seminars, as well as feasibility, diagnostic studies, exposure visits, etc.,

for rural financial institutions including NGOs and MFIs. It has undertaken several important

consultancy assignments for international bodies like South Asian Association for Regional

Co-operation (SAARC), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), World

Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Department for International

Development (DFID), ILO, Govt of India, etc. It has been regularly conducting training

programmes on Projects, Finance, Microfinance, HR, IT and Rural Development for Banks,

Government Departments / Corporations, Development Organisations and NGOs. Demand

based international training programmes are also conducted by BIRD. It has also started one

year fully residential Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Banking from July 2010 for making

available trained personnel to man rural financial institutions.

BIRD is located in a sprawling lush green compact campus of 42 acres, at a distance of 6 kms

from Lucknow Airport and 9 kms from Lucknow Railway Station. It is fully equipped with

centrally air-conditioned state-of-the-art class rooms, seminar/discussions rooms, computer

lab, conference hall, auditorium, library, hostel, gymnasium, indoor games court, lounge, etc.

About CMR

Centre for Microfinance Research (CMR) is set up within BIRD in 2008 to take up research

activities in the field of microfinance for facilitating policy initiatives and improvements in

design and delivery system of microfinance services. The vision and mission is to emerge as

a centre of reference for information, knowledge and valued opinion related to the

microfinance sector and strengthen the microfinance sector through supply of researched

inputs that facilitate policy initiatives / improvement in design and delivery systems that

provide poor with sustainable access to quality financial services. CMR has four sub-centres

located at Indian Institute of Bank Management, Guwahati, Centre for Microfinance –

Institute of Financial Management and Research, Chennai, Institute of Development Studies,

Jaipur and Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna.

About Lucknow

Situated on the banks of river Gomti, at a distance of 500 Kms. from National Capital Delhi,

the ancient city of Lucknow is the capital of the State of Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is

internationally known for its traditional culture and hand-woven embroidery chikankari. A

number of national level institutions, such as Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Central

Institute for Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CMAP), National Botanical Research Institute

(NBRI) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) are located in the city. Lucknow

experiences a temperature variation from a peak of 460

during summer (April to June) to as

low as 20

C during winter (November to January). Although the winter may recede in

February, it is advisable to come with adequate woollen clothings for comfortable stay.

Reaching BIRD

Lucknow is well connected by air and rail to major cities of India. Delegates arriving by air

are required to alight at Lucknow‟s Amausi Airport which is just 6 kms from the Institute.

Prepaid Taxi services are available at the airport. Delegates arriving by train are required to

alight at Lucknow‟s Charbagh Railway Station. Pre-paid auto and other modes of transport

are available at the station to reach the Institute. The distance between Lucknow railway

station and BIRD is about 9 kms.

Enquiries and nominations along with fee may be addressed to:

The Director,

Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD)

Sector “H”, L.D.A. Colony, Kanpur Road,

Lucknow – 226 012 (India)

Phone No.: 91-522- 2421007 / 2421187 / 2421137 / 2421055 / 2421182.

Fax : 91-0522-2412047 / 2421176

Website:http://www.birdindia.com

Email birdjournal@yahoo.in, bird@bsnl.in, birdindia@yahoo.co.in

NOMINATION FORM

National Seminar on Microfinance – Issues and Challenges

(21 – 22 February 2011)

Full Name: .................... .................... ........................

Present Designation :………………………………….

Address: ............. .................... ...............................................................................

……………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………….

Participant's

Mobile No............................... Email ..........…........

Telephone No. ( STD Code) ………………………. Fax No.... ....................

(Office)……………….(Residence)………………….

Sex: Male Female

Vegetarian/ Non-Vegetarian……………………………………………

Educational/Professional Qualification……………. .......................................………..

Name and Postal Address of Organisation: …………………………………………

Arrival: Date..........…........ ..................…………Time…………………………….……

Train/ Flight No……………………………………………..

Departure: Date..........…........ ..................…………Time…………………………….……

Train/ Flight No……………………………………………..

Accommodation Required/ Not Required…………………………………….

Registration Fee Details:

Details of D.D

DD No………………….

Date………………………..

Drawn at……………………

Bank…………………………..

Amount……………………………..