Does Access to Finance Eradicate Poverty? A Case Study of Mudra Beneficiaries

The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of access to finance on the different dimensions of poverty. To achieve the objectives of the study, the participants/beneficiaries of the Mudra scheme were included and sample of target respondents was extracted through multistage random sampling technique. The sample for the study was taken from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir of India. The study further utilized secondary data from the government official websites and lead banks. A paired t-test was applied to test the impact of access to finance across the various dimensions of poverty by constructing the Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI), after checking the normality of the data. MPI incorporates dimensions such as education, health, and standard of living.The finding of the study revealed that dimensions of poverty responded positively to access to finance. The study shows that larger access to finance has helped in reducing the multidimensional poverty by having moderate, but positive impact on the standard of living, health, and education, thereby improving the lives of the poor. The present study identified that the level of impact of access to finance is moderate and further explains its importance for policy implications.