Correct Option (B)
The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), now known as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – NRLM (DAY-NRLM), primarily focuses on improving the livelihood options of the rural poor through a multi-pronged approach centered on community institutions. A core strategy involves mobilizing rural households into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and federations of SHGs. The mission provides capacity building, skill development, and financial literacy to these groups, facilitating their access to financial services (such as credit linkages) and markets. This empowerment enables members to undertake sustainable livelihood activities.
Incorrect Options
Statement 1 is incorrect. NRLM's approach is not to directly establish a large number of new manufacturing industries or agribusiness centers. Instead, it aims to foster an enabling environment for the poor to develop and manage their own enterprises, often through SHG-based collective action, rather than direct government-led industrial setup.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The provision of agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, diesel pump-sets, and micro-irrigation equipment free of cost to farmers falls under specific agricultural development schemes or input subsidy programs, which are distinct from the mandate and operational framework of NRLM. NRLM focuses on financial inclusion, skill enhancement, and enterprise promotion among the rural poor, not on direct distribution of agricultural hardware.