In recent years, SHGs have become significant institutions for rural development. It is now being increasingly realized that instead of targeting the individual in the process of development, it would be more useful to adopt the approach of group development. The group approach makes available the collective wisdom and combined resources for any task. With this background, a critical study of the evaluation of the profile characteristics of the SHGs and Non SHG members was carried out. Hence the present study has been formulated with the objective i.e. to study the profile characteristics of SHG and Non SHG members. The purpose of the study was to compare the SHG and Non SHG members with respect to their profile characteristics. The diagnostic study was confined to 10 villages from which 90 SHGs and 90 Non SHG respondents were selected for the study. The result revealed that the independent sample ‘Z’ test showed that there was significant difference in the mean values of SHG members and Non SHG members in case of education, family size, social participation, land holding, annual income, material possession whereas, there was no significant difference in the mean values of SHG members and Non SHG members in case of age and marital status. SHG and Non SHG members, Self Help Groups, Profile characteristics, Mean value, Significant difference by 15.83 per cent respondents. Technique of light intensity pruning was fully adopted by 62.50 per cent of total respondents, partially adopted by 29.17 per cent of total respondents and not adopted by 08.33 per cent respondents.

The relationship between women’s empowerment and social development has been a major theme in studies of any nation’s overall development. The United Nation (UN) claims that improving women’s status is not only beneficial to themselves but also for overall social and economic development of the nation. The present study was carried out in Amreli district of Gujarat state. Three talukas were purposively selected where SHGs formed under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). Two villages were selected purposively where SHGs are working from last three years. Nine SHG members were selected randomly in each of SHG and nine non SHG members were selected in same villages for comparative study. A total of 180 respondents were selected for the study. The Ex-post facto research design was adopted. Data were collected through personal interviews using the pre-tested structured interview schedule. The result revealed that the independent sample ‘Z’ test showed that there was highly significant difference in the mean values of SHG members and Non-SHG members in case of communication ability, mass media exposure, extension contact and social status.