152 SAKSHAM centres launched in India, here’s all you need to know

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A total of 152 Centres for Financial Literacy and Service Delivery, (SAKSHAM Centres) across 77 districts of 13 states launched under Deendayal Antyodya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development between 4 to 8th October, 2021. The Centres for Financial Literacy and Service Delivery would act as a one stop solution or single window system for basic financial needs of Self Help Group (SHG) households in rural areas. Its primary objective is to provide financial literacy and facilitate delivery of financial services (savings, credit, insurance, pensions etc.) to SHG members and rural poor.

These centres would be managed by SHG network, largely at the level of the Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), with the help of trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs).

The CRPs would be given residential training at Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) for six days by the lead bank of the district. All of these trained resources personnel would be given a training tool kit in vernacular languages.

SAKSHAM to measure penetration of financial services

Adding to that, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has developed a mobile and web based application called SAKSHAM, which will be used by the community resource person of the centre to know the penetration of financial services for each SHG and village. It will also identify major gaps and accordingly provide training and deliver the required financial services.

This application will also measure the programme’s impact on regular interval for mid-course correction in strategy.

The 13 State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) have conducted block and district level programmes in which women SHG members, financial literacy resource persons, Bankers, district administration officials, public representatives and other important functionaries participated in the launch event. Assam, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.