Banks barrowers and barriers : problem of finance against poverty

This is a very substantial piece of work, which reviews 'best practice' in Micro Finance and analyses the failings of the Indian financial systems. The whole follows a logical and clear structure and is very thorough. It moves on to propose an alternative model, for India, which is a group of key principles well-supported from the evidence and analysis and offered for flexible application in different measure to the various sectors involved. A large number of sources is used and there is evidence of their thoughtful use. The arguments are well summarised at various stages and linked to the final model, and other characteristics are well supported.

One commendable feature is that the candidate demonstrates and uses a profound personal understanding of rural situations in India. This gives the piece a very convincing balance between the conceptual analysis and the potential application. This standard of work is consistently sound and the last two chapters are very good.