Financial Inclusion Index: A Customized Regional Model with Reference to Economically Most Backward Districts of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent of financial inclusion in the economically most backward districts of Tamil Nadu, India which consists of four districts namely Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram. This study used customized financial inclusion index to compute the level of financial inclusion for which, the sample size was 384. Optimum allocation stratified random sampling method was used under probability sampling to collect the data through questionnaire. This study resulted with low and below average financial inclusion scores for three districts and above average score for one district. There is no district in the study area found with high level of financial inclusion. The reasons were lack of income, financial illiteracy, complexity in documentation and lack of help desk to guide the needy people. It is the duty of the concerned authorities to scrutinize the status of financial inclusion reach and the people should get involved in the process to lead the financially excluded into access of financial products and services at affordable cost, time and distance.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6p209