Jowar Rural Health Insurance Scheme

This article describes the trajectory of moral and social upliftment of villagers in the Sevagram region of Maharashtra that had its roots from the initiation and success of a micro health insurance scheme first introduced to ensure uniform health care to the poor and needy in a Nagpur village. With its increasing acceptance across more villages, the scheme was extended to cover income generation programmes as well as women's self-help groups addressing the village as one social unit for development. At the next stage, the health insurance scheme moved towards action-oriented individuals who could play leadership roles in the community. This empowerment and leadership conferred on select individuals helped initiate the anti-liquor movement in the villages around Sevagram.