International Seminar on Microfinance in India - Issues and Challenges

International Seminar on Microfinance in India - Issues and Challenges

Call for Papers

Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Lucknow, India is a society established by National bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), India in 1983 as an apex level institute offering training, research and consultancy services on various aspects of agriculture, rural development and rural finance. BIRD has set up within its fold a Centre for Microfinance Research (CMR) to take up research activities in the field of microfinance for facilitating policy initiatives and improvements in design and delivery system of microfinance services. The Centre has established three sub centres at IIBM, Guwahati, IFMR, Chennai and IDS, Jaipur. 

CMR is organising an International seminar on Microfinance in India - Issues and Challenges at Lucknow during January 2009. Eminent practitioners in the field of microfinance and economists from various countries are expected to attend the seminar. For the purpose, papers on Microfinance in India from researchers/practitioners in the field of microfinance are invited. Interested researchers/practitioners are requested to submit to us abstracts of their papers, not exceeding 500 words, latest by 31 August 2008. All abstracts will be reviewed for their suitability for presentation in the seminar. Detailed papers will have to be submitted by 30 November 2008 and a communication in this regard will be sent to contributors of the shortlisted abstracts by 07 September 2008. For this purpose, contributors may give their email address.

Papers are invited under the following broad themes : 

12. Taking SHG - Bank Linkage Programme to next level - Challenges and bottlenecks:-

Promotional cost of SHGs 
Livelihood and enterprise development - appropriate mechanism
Quality and sustainability of SHGs 
Federations 

13. Microfinance - Financial access or Poverty alleviation ? 
14. Banks/MFIs-Comparative Performance 15. Cash flow in poor households 
16. Cost structure of MFIs 
17. Management, ownership and control of MFIs
18. Equity in MF Sector 19. Gender issues in Microfinance
20. Leveraging technology for MF
21. Remittances, Micro insurance and Micro savings
22. Innovations in Microfinance

Authors of the selected papers will be invited to present their papers in the proposed seminar for which they will be paid AC rail fare/ Airfare by economy class. Stay and boarding arrangements will be made in BIRD's campus at Lucknow. Some of the papers may be selected for publication in the inaugural issue of 'BIRD Journal of MicroFinance' to be released during the seminar for which concurrence of the authors may be expressed. 


The abstracts may either be mailed to bird@sancharnet.in or posted to the 

Director, 
Bankers Institute of Rural Development, 
CMR, 
Sector 'H', L.D.A. Colony,
Kanpur Road, 
Lucknow - 226 012

so as to reach on or before31 August 2008 (Phone : 0522 2421187, 2421137, 2421154, Fax : 0522 2421176, 2421047) Lucknow , India

V S Bhadauria
Officer on Special Duty