Financial Inclusion: A Cross Examination of Dimensions and Access in the Three Districts of Assam

Abstract

Financial inclusion is the process of bringing into the ambit the excluded populace towards access to the diverse product and services rendered within a financial system. This paper is an attempt to decode the depth of financial inclusivity and access with regard to the rural areas of three specific north bank districts of Assam. The financial inclusion at best is and in the narrowest possible sense points towards mediocre or medium inclusion in the range of scale. This has been largely due to the lack of aggressive or high financial access, either due to moderate or partial access in addition to large section of rural households without any financial access. At times when welfare interventions, direct benefit transfer, and dispensations orientation even for maintenance of frill accounts are high and loud, such dismal statistics calls for accentuated efforts to redress this gap. Unless rejuvenated accentuated efforts are made in regard to financial inclusion, society cannot be expected to be reintegrated in the broader scheme of the paradigm.