Considering the power of the media and its unique ability to influence public opinion and generate awareness, there is immense potential for initiatives such as this to galvanize financial inclusion efforts in India. I heartily congratulate CNBC TV 18 for this creditable endeavor and hope that this is the first in a series of many such initiatives in the days to come. Introduction 2.
Poverty and exclusion continue to dominate socio-economic and political discourse in India as they have done over the last six decades in the post-independence period. Poverty reduction has been an important goal of development policy since the inception of planning in India. Various anti-poverty, employment generation and basic services programmes have been in operation for decades in India.