India, March 5 -- The future trajectory of rural development in India will depend on the extent to which it includes populations that remain excluded from the country's economic progress. The National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) plays a pivotal role in this context. NRLM operates through an extensive network of women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Impact assessments indicate that, when effectively implemented, NRLM has led to significant improvements in economic, social, and political outcomes for rural women.

The mission is entering a new phase - NRLM 2.0 - with addressing extreme poverty as one of the focus areas. It has already begun work through the Samaveshi Aajeevika Yojana (SAY), designed for the extremely vulnerable and "left-ou...