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This study focuses on poverty alleviation, living opportunities and infrastructure facilities through wage and self-employment. The goals can be achieved by programme support being implemented by Department of Rural Development which also provides logistic support of technical and administrative types for programme implementation. Poverty means deprivation from food, nutrition, health, education and housing. Poverty can be absolute and relative. Poverty reduction has been remarkable over the last three decades but much remains to be done both in urban and rural areas for daily ways earners and landless labourers. This study elaborates the micro-credit intervention, poverty alleviation schemes employment generation and asset creation programmes. It analyses inter-regional development in poverty reduction and evaluates the role of SHGs in India. Lastly, this study examines the trends and inequalities in rural poverty at the national level and its selected states during the last two decades. It also lays down pragmatic suggestions.

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Harinam Singh holds M.A. and M.Phil. in Economics besides having a Master Degree in Population Studies from IIPS, Mumbai. Presently, he is a Ph.D. Scholar at the SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi. He has presented more than 25 papers in Seminars and Conferences and many of these have also been published in edited books and reputed Journal.

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