NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL FINANCE STRATEGY: EVIDENCE FROM INDIA.

A country’s growth depends on how well the citizens are able to access, avail and afford the financial services. Finance is an important aspect for a country to prosper. Agricultural finance ensures that there is a full participation by everyone and that the underprivileged or the marginalized compartment of the society is not left behind in availing the basic financial services. India having a big population often face a problem when it comes to implementing the policies that reach a wider audience. The Agricultural Banking Services in India has undergone changes with time and have been working to provide a wide range of facilities but the infrastructure, insurance, financial literacy, the digital divide and the disparity in the availability of resource in urban and rural area is evident. There is one section that avails all the benefits and others who are excluded. In this paper, we study about the status of India, when it comes to Agricultural finance, using selected indicators, and understand the basic initiatives taken by the government under the recent National Strategy Planning and the action plan and milestones set to achieve the goal of providing inclusion and financial strength to maximum citizens of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]