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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of awareness and use of credit sources. The paper attempts to answer the critical question: is awareness of credit sources prerequisite for their use?

This study is conducted in Assam, India, and uses a two-stage econometric model to reduce possible selection bias.

This study argues that awareness of credit sources may be a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for use. It is found that, in general, formal, semiformal and informal sources attract different classes of the population with respect to economic and social indicators.

The study recommends expanding the scope of semiformal and informal credit sources in rural areas of Assam only for income generating activities with proper market linkages. The possible limitation of the study can be due to exclusion of the role of traditional community-based organizations in rural Assam while analyzing the awareness and use of credit sources.

The study contributes to the literature by assessing the probable differences among formal, semiformal and informal credit sources with respect to their determinants of awareness and use.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the rural credit demand by providing a theoretical and econometric framework which controls the problem of selection bias.

The study is conducted in Assam, India, and uses a quasi-experiment design to gather primary data. Heckman two-stage procedure and type 3 Tobit model are used to evaluate the rural credit demand.

It is observed that, in general, rural households’ credit demand is influenced by the ability and capacity to work, the value of physical assets of the borrowers as well as some other lenders’ and borrowers’ specific factors. But, the direction of causality of the factors influencing borrowers’ credit demand is remarkably different across credit sources.

The study recommends that it is possible to provide an efficient credit demand estimate through a correct theoretical and econometric framework. The possible limitation of the study can be due to the exclusion of the role of “traditional community based organizations” in rural Assam while evaluating the credit demand, and therefore, this limitation is left to future research.

The study contributes to the literature by assessing the probable differences among formal, semiformal and informal credit sources with respect to rural credit demand.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of credit access on income and multidimensional poverty by providing an econometric framework.

The study is conducted in Assam, India and uses a quasi-experiment design to gather primary data. Econometric tools like Heckit procedure, Tobit selection equation and probit model are used for empirical purpose.

The paper finds that the level of individual welfare is influenced by equivalent factors. In addition, the study observes a larger incidence of poverty among treatment households of semiformal and informal borrowers. The study argues that formal sources are more effective in reducing the number of poor households by lifting those who are closest to the poverty line.

The study indicates a vicious circle of income and multidimensional poverty among semiformal and informal borrowers. By tradition, as rural Assam gets a dominant role of traditional community-based financial institutions, we should develop the banking structure by involving these institutions. The study excludes other probable explanatory variables while evaluating the impact of credit access on income and multidimensional poverty, and this limitation is left to future research.

This is probably the first empirical paper in Assam showing the impact of credit access on multidimensional poverty by adjusting for endogeneity and selection bias.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the non-monetary effect of credit access by providing an econometric framework which controls the problem of selection bias.

The study is conducted in Assam, India and uses a quasi-experiment design to gather primary data. The ordered probit model is used to evaluate the non-monetary impact of credit access. The paper uses a propensity score approach to check the robustness of the ordered probit model.

The study confirms the positive association of credit access to life satisfaction of borrowers. It is found that, in general, rural borrower’s life satisfaction is influenced by the ability and capacity to work, the value of physical assets of the borrowers as well as some other lenders’ and borrowers’ specific factors. But, the direction of causality of the factors influencing borrowers’ life satisfaction is remarkably different across credit sources.

The study argues to provide productive investment opportunities to semiformal and informal borrowers while improving their life satisfaction score. Although the results are adjusted for selection and survivorship biases, it is impossible with the available data to assess which non-income factors explain the findings, and therefore this limitation is left to future research.

The study contributes to the literature of rural credit by assessing the probable differences among formal, semiformal and informal credit sources with respect to non-monetary impacts.