A Study of Self Help Groups in Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India

Rural households depends on agriculture for their livelihood and agriculture is not able to provide adequate and sufficient livelihood to the growing population so rural people have to supplement or to find alternative practices to protect their livelihood security. Self Help Group and Micro finance creates an impact on the rural livelihood by reducing poverty and empowering women. Social and economic empowerment leads to development and the development relieves people from poverty. This paper discuss about the status of Self Help Group in India, Tamil Nadu and Vellore District in the first section and next section covers the sustainable alternative livelihood practice followed by the members of the Self Help Groups with the guidance of Non Governmental Organisations/Voluntary Associations and banks in Vellore District. This new alternative livelihood activities supplemented some family’s main income and it became the main source of livelihood to some families. This article explains the diverse and diversified sources of livelihood in Vellore District.