People at grassroot level are the best key to poverty alleviation. The main reason why it has been difficult to alleviate poverty is because the people who are at the grassroot level or rather most effected by poverty are always considered as victims of poverty in such a manner that they are believed to be unable to tell their problem and eradicate it. They are always thought as someone who needs to be spoken for. But rather in reality the best way for poverty alleviation can begin at grassroot level. It can be seen in history of Indian Independence. Many leaders have recognized this, and different measures are taken by them. This paper would provide the need of an hour for such recognition.

Introduction
More and more awareness is required in every sector as the world develops. However, maintaining awareness in rural regions is still a crucial characteristic. Rural communities must, despite their challenges, retain a certain level of awareness in order for their residents to prosper. In rural communities, there are numerous strategies to maintain awareness. It is crucial to increase poverty awareness in rural communities. Holding surveys and workshops is only one of several methods for doing this. Because they enable individuals to come together and exchange information. This is crucial, especially in rural locations where residents might not have the same access to resources.

Objective
The objective of this paper is to discuss the root cause of persistence of poverty and how can it be eradicated. One of the major causes of rural poverty's persistence is a lack of knowledge of the issue. Urban residents are more likely to take benefit of the possibilities and resources that are available to them since they are normally more aware of them. Rural residents, meanwhile, frequently lack access to the same opportunities and services.

This ignorance may result in a vicious cycle of poverty that is hard to escape. Although it is a worldwide issue, poverty is more common in emerging nations. One of the nations with the greatest rates of poverty is India. About 22% of the population, according to the World Bank, is considered to be poor and its major cause is lack of awareness.

The another objective of this paper is to provide a broad understanding of the various schemes by the Indian government for rural development and the general issues faced by the villagers. It is important to have a clear perspective of both, in order to appreciate the efforts being made and also to acknowledge the gaps that need to be plugged. There is no denying the fact that the government has taken various steps for the upliftment of the rural masses but much still needs to be done in this regard. A study of the government schemes and the problems faced by the villagers will help us have a better understanding of the situation.

Literature Review
The Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) is pursuing multifaceted approaches to combat rural poverty and enhance the economic wellbeing of those living there, with a particular emphasis on expanding livelihood opportunities, elevating rural women, providing a social safety net, educating rural youth, developing infrastructure, increasing land productivity, etc. these schemes are Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana  National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyay  Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana  Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National Rurban Mission (SPMRM) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), and programmes of Department of Land Resources, viz., Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (WDC-PMKSY).[1]

Though these many schemes may sound amazing, but when it comes to the fundamentals, they are not very effective. These programmes overlap, lack a defined mandate, and the beneficiaries seldom know about them, just like many other government programmes.

Analysis and Findings
On April 1, 2008, the most well-known RSBY, a government-sponsored health insurance program for the poor, was launched. It offers cashless hospitalization. It currently has 26 million families are enrolled under it, which covers 25 states. Currently, 14 Insurance companies from all throughout the nation are taking part.

In addition to the ignorance problem, according to figures from the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (Irda) reveals a startling statistic: an insurance company settles claims under government insurance programs with a claim ratio as low as 31%. This indicates that just 31 claims were paid out of a total of 100 premiums. collections made. Under RSBY, there are 3.22 million active smart cards[2].

Another irony is that some of these hospitalization programmes are completely useless because so many towns lack hospitals. Fewer claims may be due to the fact that most villages only have primary health care facilities where patients can cure minor illnesses with medication rather than being admitted to a hospital.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation obtained a personal accident policy to cover all tax payers, However, despite the fact that there have been several such occurrences over the past seven years, the body has only made two insurance claims. For the protection of all Rs 4.57 lakh property taxpayers and their families, the corporation had paid an annual premium of Rs 8.83 lakh.

According to Birendra Mohanty, VP, Financial Inclusion Solutions Group, ICICI Lombard, "with In insurance programmes of this nature, there would be the odd operational hiccups that are faced during enrolment or claims processing, given the connection challenges. "We investigate each of these concerns carefully and work to find solutions. The federal and state governments have, for the most part, recognized the importance of our contribution."

Similar to fuel or food subsidies, there is a potential that wealthy individuals with connections in the government will misuse these benefits rather than those who are below the poverty level. Abolish all programmes that appear to benefit only a select few, it is also said that insurance firms do not honor all claims if the premiums received under a specific head have already been used up. "Avoid insurance schemes, as they fragment health care, do not provide full coverage of needed services and fail to cover the whole population."[3]

Insurance firms profit as long as people are unaware of claims. However, while competition is already driving down premiums, insurance companies could go into the red once awareness levels increase and claims increase. According to a Vantage Insurance Broker report, premiums have decreased despite rising claims ratios due to competition. Although the government fixed the price for RSBY at Rs 750 per family, businesses have provided quotes that are far lower. With the exception of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the premium is less than Rs 400 per household, the average premium per family is between Rs 500 and Rs 550.

"It may take some time to create awareness about the benefits of social insurance schemes, However, many schemes incorporate mandatory awareness campaign as part of insurance programmes and overall utilization from second year onwards is quite satisfactory."[4]

Conclusion
The Indian government has long strived to improve the rural economy. The government has introduced a number of programmes to guarantee that the rural population is made aware of the advantages they can take advantage of. In order to increase employment prospects in rural areas, the government has also developed a number of employment schemes.

It is a given that the rural areas of our country are mostly ignorant of the government's plans and programmes. The primary cause of this is a breakdown in communication between the government and rural residents. Rural residents are intended to benefit from several programmes and policies, yet they are unable to fully utilize them due to a lack of awareness.

The rural population is intended to benefit from numerous policies and programmes, yet they are unable to fully utilize these programmes owing to a lack of awareness. This leads to significant loss of opportunities and resources. Although it is encouraging that the government has launched programmes to increase rural awareness, more work has to be done. Many people living in rural areas are unaware of these programmes. To change things, the government must do more to increase public awareness of them.

End-Notes:

• Strategy for Poverty Alleviation in Rural Areas
  Article by Ministry of Rural Development; Posted On: 15 DEC 2021 4:04PM by PIB Delhi
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/insure/govt-sponsored-schemes-meant-for-poor-but-beyond-theirreach/articleshow/15914642.cms
• K Srinath Reddy; Director, Public Health Foundation of India.
• Amarnath Ananthanarayanan; CEO & MD, Bharti AXA General Insurance