India

Overview

The National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India signed an MoU with BRAC International based on the shared commitment to economic inclusion and social protection for those in extreme poverty, particularly women. The MoU has been signed for the inclusion of those furthest behind under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), a flagship programme under MoRD. BRAC International will be supporting five states in India for this project – Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

BRAC International is working with the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, locally known as JEEViKA, to further scale their Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana programme which equips people to build inclusive, sustainable livelihoods in Bihar, India. JEEViKA delivers community-based anti-poverty interventions of the Bihar government and was initiated in 2007. To date, they have enabled 150,000 participating households to build sustainable livelihoods.

BRAC International partnered with JEEViKA to launch the Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana Shahari (SJY Urban), Asia’s first government-led urban Graduation programme. SJY Urban intends to provide a time-bound series of multifaceted interventions to enable participating households to develop food security, social inclusion, sustainable economic livelihoods, and create a sustainable pathway out of urban poverty.

Additionally, BRAC International is working with JEEViKA and Bandhan-Konnagar on an Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) programme in Patna to share insights and learnings about Graduation with other governments in India and across the Global South and provide a model of government-led Graduation to international counterparts.

Key Objectives

UPGI aims to see high-quality Graduation programmes implemented at scale and adopted within and across a range of existing government initiatives.

UPGI aims to engage with government partners, advocate for the inclusion of Graduation-style programmes at the national-level agenda, and support knowledge sharing to enhance poverty alleviation efforts.

Progress

In February 2024, BRAC International signed an MOU with the National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) with the Government of India. The MoU was signed for the inclusion of those furthest behind under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

In April 2023, BRAC International signed an MOU with the Government of Bihar’s Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society to develop a new Program for Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) to be headquartered in Patna.

In July 2023, BRAC International signed an MOU with the Government of Bihar’s Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society to launch Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana Shahari (SJY Urban), the first government-led urban Graduation programme in Asia.