TY - BOOK AU - Stephen, Nishanth AU - Tom, Tinsy Rose TI - The role of cooperative banks in financial inclusion PY - 2016/// CY - Hydrabad PB - IUP Publication KW - Co-operative Banking KW - India KW - Liquidity N1 - Financial services actively contribute to the economic development of the society. This leads to a social safety net that protects the people from economic shocks. Hence, each and every individual should be provided with affordable institutional financial products/services, which is popularly called ‘Financial Inclusion’. Despite witnessing substantial progress in financial sector reforms in India, it is disheartening to note that nearly half of the rural households even today do not have any access to any source of funds—institutional or otherwise. Hardly one-fourth of the rural households are assisted by banks. Hence the major task before banks is to bring most of those excluded, i.e., 75% of the rural households, under banking fold. There is a need for the formal financial system to look at increasing financial literacy and financial counseling to focus on financial inclusion and distress amongst farmers. Indian banks and financial market players should actively look at promoting such programs as a part of their corporate social responsibility. This paper examines the role of cooperative banks in this regard ER -