Knowledge of SHGs members regarding JSLPS-supported livelihood interventions in Simdega District of Jharkhand

Introduction

The Rural Development Department of Government of Jharkhand (GoJ) has established a separate and autonomous society named as "Jharkhand State livelihood Promotion society" (JSLPS) which works as a nodal agency for effective implementation of livelihood promotion in the state. JSLPS is also the nodal agency for implementation of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) Project in state of Jharkhand. NRLM has an ambitious mandate Conceivably, the largest poverty reduction programme for poor in the world, The national Rural Livelihoods Mission aims at reaching nearly 70 million rural households of India, It aims to reach out to all rural poor families and link them to sustainable livelihoods opportunities. It will nurture them till they come out of poverty and enjoy a decent quality of life. (District Statistical Handbook. In Jharkhand, government interventions are transforming rural women's livelihoods into enterprises, leading to a shift in their social position. They are taking independent business leadership roles in risk-taking, asset building, developing new business concepts, and attempting to improve socioeconomic standing. The government of Jharkhand aimed to expand livelihood prospects beyond agriculture by empowering self-help groups (SHGs) to explore nonfarm sectors. This strategic adjustment intended to maintain revenue stability during lean agricultural seasons and reduce farm-related challenges. Rural communities can prevent distress migration and generate long-term economic prospects by diversifying their livelihoods. SHG members effectively demonstrated their agricultural and non-agricultural products at various fairs and exhibitions across the country, the absence of a distinctive brand limited their market visibility and reach. There was a felt need for an exclusive brand identity-one that could reflect the uniqueness of Jharkhand while enhancing the credibility and marketability of these rural products. The Didis in the group kitchen were registered as self-help organisations with the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society. These community kitchens, also known as Ajeevika Didikitchens, were primarily established and operated during the COVID pandemic in a five-phased approach during a three-month period from April to June 2020. Around 450 women got involved in administering these community kitchens. The case shows the Didis' discussions about their involvement in the micro-entrepreneurial effort and their emotions of empowerment. (Mahato & Vardhan (2021) [7] . JSLPS supports women businesses by providing necessary resources. Connecting rural women with SakhiMandals attempts to create new livelihood opportunities for them. JSLPS focuses on social mobilisation, financial inclusion, skill development, and livelihood activities. JSLPS is currently implementing the ongoing World Bankfinanced NRLP. JSLPS is responsible for the overall outputs and outcomes of the project, obtaining co-financing through convergence, sourcing required technical support through partnerships, and so on. The key line departments partnering with JSLPS for the implementation of the various activities are the Department of Agriculture (encompassing the directorates of horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and soil conservation) the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Higher & Technical Education and the Department of Energy. The line departments provide technical support through training and extension services as well as financial support through convergence with government schemes. The project implementation www.extensionjournal.com architecture of JSLPS is spread over various levels.

Methodology

The present study was conducted in the Simdega district of Jharkhand, India, where the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) is actively implementing various livelihood interventions under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. A total of 120 JSLPS beneficiary rural households were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Simdega district and two blocks with active JSLPS-supported livelihood interventions were selected purposively, and four villages from each selected block were selected randomly, resulting in a total of eight villages. Primary data were collected through personal interviews using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. The knowledge level was assessed using a structured knowledge test. Each fully correct response was assigned a score of 3, while each partially correct response was assigned a score of 2, and each not correct response was assigned a score of 1.

Based on the knowledge level of the respondents regarding JSLPS-supported livelihood interventions was assessed using a structured knowledge test,and the respondents were classified into low, medium, and high knowledge categories based on the Mean ± Standard Deviation (SD) method. The collected data were coded, tabulated, and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation to determine the knowledge level of the respondents. The table indicate the level of knowledge regarding JSLPS interventions. A majority (58.33%) partially correct information was found cooperation with government welfare schemes, followed by SHGs and their operation (57.50%) and savings and credit facilities (57.50%). JSLPS supported livelihood activities had the highest percentage of fully correct knowledge (47.50%), followed by training and capacity-building initiatives (45.83%). However, a very large percentage of respondents (31.66%) had proper understanding of value chain support and market connectivity, showing that this characteristic needs more focus. Overall, the data show that respondents had a small amount of knowledge about JSLPS interventions, indicating the importance of continuous awareness programs, training, and extension support to improve their knowledge of all program activities. These findings was in line with the findings of National Rural Livelihood Mission and the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society's program reports, which stress that ongoing training and learning in groups help people gain more knowledge and take a more active role. Similar findings are also reported by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS). The table shows that the majority of the respondents (59.17%) had a medium level of knowledge, followed by (25.83%) with a high level and (15.00%) with a low level towards JSLPS-supported livelihood interventions. This indicates that most respondents had average knowledge of the interventions. More training, awareness programs, ongoing further training can help them to increase their level of knowledge. Correlation analysis showed that training exposure showed the highest and most significant relationship with a knowledge (r = 0.3711, p<0.01), indicating that SHG members who attended more training sessions understood JSLPS interventions better, as structured training directly promote awareness. Extension contact (r = 0.2987, p<0.05) and easier credit access (r = 0.1864, p<0.05) were found to improve SHG members' knowledge and institutional participation. Landholding (r = 0.2350, p < 0.01) was also significant, probably due to members with more land having stronger interest in livelihood interventions. However, the number of trainings attended showed a significant negative connection (r = -0.4500, p<0.01), which goes opposite to the training exposure finding and should be corrected against the coding system. The remaining variablesage, education, social category, family type, family size, occupation, annual income, house type, and membership statuswere not significantly related to knowledge, indicating that these background factors do not have a strong influence on how much SHG members understand about JSLPS. These findings align with Srivastava et al. (2025) [12] , who found training significantly improved SHG members' outcomes under DAY-NRLM, and Kharsati (2018) [3] , who reported that SHG membership increased extension contact among beneficiaries in Meghalaya. All other variables like age, education, social category, family type, family size, occupation, annual income, house type, and membership status were non-significant.

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

It is concluded that JSLPS beneficiary participants in Simdega district had a medium level of knowledge about JSLPS-supported livelihood activities. Beneficiaries were more familiar with basic components such as SHGs, livelihood activities, savings, and credit facilities, but had less knowledge about market linkage and value-chain support programs. Correlation analysis further revealed that training exposure, extension contact, landholding, and access to credit were significantly associated with beneficiaries' knowledge level, while basic socio-economic factors such as age, education, social category, family size, and membership status showed no significant influence. They suggests that institutional support mechanisms particularly training and extension contact play a more decisive role in shaping beneficiaries' understanding of the programme than their inherent socio-economic background.

References

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