This book examines the responses of the Indian states to economic reforms, and addresses a wide range of issues, such as growth dynamics, income inequality, the fiscal behaviour of the states, the role of the banking sector, and the emerging institutional structure aimed at catering for social banking and strategies for agricultural growth.

In India, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) were started in 1975 to cater to the needs of the rural economy. Operating mainly at the district level, these RRBs pay particular attention to the credit requirements of small farmers, artisans, and agricultural workers. The capital of RRBs comes from contributions by India's central government, concerned state governments, and sponsor banks at a ratio of 50:15:35. This book contains 18 papers by scholars in the field of rural institutional finance. The papers examine almost every aspect of the functioning of India's RRBs, including geographical coverage, clientele outreach, business volume, and the development of the rural economy.

With special reference to their performance in rural credit in Uttaranchal, India.

A thoughtful and thought generating overview of what ails the banking sector and a reminder that the purpose of banks is to help create economic growth.