<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.2 20190208//EN"
  "https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.2/JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
         xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
         article-type="research-article"
         dtd-version="1.2">

  <!-- ============================================================ FRONT -->
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJLTEMAS</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering, Management &amp; Applied Science (IJLTEMAS)</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJLTEMAS</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2278-2540</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>IJLTEMAS</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <!-- IDs -->
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">44</article-id>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150700039</article-id>
      
      <!-- Categories -->
            <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Financial Inclusion</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      
      <!-- Title -->
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Financial Inclusion through Self-Help Groups in Haryana: A Conceptual Comparison of Government-Promoted and NGO-Led Models</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <!-- Authors -->
      <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Sharma</surname>
            <given-names>Aditi</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Professor, Department of Commerce, Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Kajal</surname>
            <given-names>Kajal</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
              </contrib-group>

      <!-- Volume / Issue / Pages -->
            <volume>15</volume>
                  <issue>7</issue>
                        <fpage>467</fpage>
            <lpage>485</lpage>
            
      <!-- Dates -->
      <history>
                <date date-type="received">
          <day>29</day>
          <month>07</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>03</day>
          <month>08</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>07</day>
        <month>08</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      
      <!-- DOI Self-URI -->
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150700039"/>
      
      <!-- Keywords -->
            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
                <kwd>Financial Inclusion</kwd>
                <kwd>Government-Promoted SHGs</kwd>
                <kwd>NGO-Led SHGs</kwd>
                <kwd>Women Empowerment</kwd>
                <kwd>Financial Literacy</kwd>
                <kwd>Digital Financial Inclusion.</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
    </article-meta>
  </front>

  <!-- ============================================================ BODY (Abstract) -->
  <body>
        <sec>
      <title>Abstract</title>
      <p>The concept of financial inclusion is seen as an integral part of development and sustainability in developing countries. It seeks to offer inexpensive, convenient, and appropriate financial services to all segments of society, especially economically disadvantaged and socially marginalised communities. In India, the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) scheme has come to be one of the most successful initiatives for the cause of financial inclusion, poverty alleviation, increased female economic participation, and improved livelihoods. Both government-sponsored SHGs through DAY-NRLM, as well as NGO-backed SHGs, have played a significant role in increasing access to formal financial services among rural households. However, there is a significant difference between these two institutional forms with respect to governance systems, operational practices, institutional support, community involvement, capacity-building processes, and sustainability. There is a substantial amount of work on financial inclusion with the use of traditional indicators such as savings and credit, not much effort has been made regarding the new aspects of financial inclusion such as financial literacy, digital financial inclusion, institutional support, social capital, financial capability, and sustainable livelihood development.
This research paper depicts an integrated theoretical framework is designed to investigate the impact of SHGs sponsored by the government and NGOs on the process of financial inclusion in Haryana State of India. Based on Financial Inclusion Theory, Social Capital Theory, Institutional Theory, and Capability Approach, the research suggests that financial literacy, institutions, saving activities, access to credit, digital finance, capacity building, and social capital operate as important mediating factors between SHG membership and financial inclusion results. The contribution of the paper to the literature lies in bringing together various theoretical concepts under one conceptual framework and comparing the two approaches for promoting SHGs, i.e., the government approach and the NGO approach. This conceptual framework would have practical implications for policymakers, financial institutions, development agencies, and NGOs trying to enhance financial inclusion programs through SHGs in Haryana and other socio-economic environments alike. Future research directions have been provided in this study for empirical testing of conceptual relationships.</p>
    </sec>
      </body>

  <!-- ============================================================ BACK (References) -->
    <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>References</title>
            <ref id="ref1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>Amartya Sen. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ahmad, D., Mohanty, I., Irani, L., Mavalankar, D., &amp; Niyonsenga, T. (2020). Participation in microfinance-based Self-Help Groups in India: Who becomes a member and for how long? PLoS ONE, 15(8), e0237519. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237519</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ahlawat, S. (2022). Financial performance of group-based microfinance model in Haryana. International Journal of Research in Commerce and Management.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>Beck, T., Demirgüç-Kunt, A., &amp; Levine, R. (2007). Finance, inequality and the poor. Journal of Economic Growth, 12(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10887-007-9010-6</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>Burgess, R., &amp; Pande, R. (2005). Do rural banks matter? Evidence from the Indian social banking experiment. American Economic Review, 95(3), 780–795. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828054201242</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref6">
        <label>6</label>
        <mixed-citation>Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref7">
        <label>7</label>
        <mixed-citation>Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., &amp; Hess, J. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2021. World Bank.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref8">
        <label>8</label>
        <mixed-citation>Kabeer, N. (1999). Resources, agency, achievements: Reflections on the measurement of women's empowerment. Development and Change, 30(3), 435–464.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref9">
        <label>9</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ledgerwood, J. (2013). The New Microfinance Handbook: A Financial Market System Perspective. World Bank.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref10">
        <label>10</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ministry of Rural Development. (2024). Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): Framework for Implementation. Government of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref11">
        <label>11</label>
        <mixed-citation>North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref12">
        <label>12</label>
        <mixed-citation>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. (2024). Annual Report 2023–24. NABARD.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref13">
        <label>13</label>
        <mixed-citation>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. (2025). Status of Microfinance in India 2024–25. NABARD.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref14">
        <label>14</label>
        <mixed-citation>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. (2024). Department of Microfinance and Financial Inclusion. NABARD.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref15">
        <label>15</label>
        <mixed-citation>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. (2024). Self-Help Group–Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP): Overview. NABARD.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref16">
        <label>16</label>
        <mixed-citation>Putnam, R. D. (1993). Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton University Press.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref17">
        <label>17</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reserve Bank of India. (2024). Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2023–24. Reserve Bank of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref18">
        <label>18</label>
        <mixed-citation>Reserve Bank of India. (2024). Financial Stability Report. Reserve Bank of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref19">
        <label>19</label>
        <mixed-citation>Sarma, M. (2008). Index of Financial Inclusion. Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Working Paper.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref20">
        <label>20</label>
        <mixed-citation>United Nations. (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref21">
        <label>21</label>
        <mixed-citation>World Bank. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2021.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref22">
        <label>22</label>
        <mixed-citation>World Bank. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19. World Bank.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref23">
        <label>23</label>
        <mixed-citation>Yunus, M. (2007). Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. PublicAffairs.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref24">
        <label>24</label>
        <mixed-citation>Yadav, J., Kaur, R., &amp; Mishra, S. (2024). Measurement of the attitude of the members of SHGs toward Self-Help Groups in Haryana. AMC Indian Journal of Entrepreneurship, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.17010/amcije/2024/v7i2/174824</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
          </ref-list>
  </back>
  
</article>
