Popular Articles
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Flood management: Looking beyond defence strategies
Discourse on flood prevention needs to move away from structural interventions towards the life and livelihoods of communities residing in...
Transforming livelihoods through farm ponds
Photo credit: Wikimedia Farm ponds can act as effective harvesting structures and also yield healthy financial returns. But if they...
Uttar Pradesh youth help elderly access benefits
Photo by Anand Pande Lack of literacy and complicated documentation were hurdles that hampered financially dependent rural elderly from accessing...
Pepper helps Rabhas to live with tuskers
Photo by Mike Pence The Rabha people in Assam have taken to cultivating pepper in their homesteads to discourage elephants...
Peri-urban villages shrivel in expanding rings of dryness
Photo by Global Water Forum The rapidly expanding cities in western and peninsular India are soaking up water from the...
How to revitalize agriculture in India
Photo by Nandu Kumar The government needs to aggressively promote micro-irrigation and small-scale farm mechanization to improve agricultural productivity. It...
The role of SHG federations
There is a tremendous amount of social capital that is built into Self-Help Group federations. However, given how they function...
Make lives better for rural people
Photo by Maureen Barlin The new government should act swiftly to take a few measures that would improve the quality...
Women’s collectives need to think beyond livelihoods
Photo by Shashank Deora Agricultural interventions by women have ensured nutritional security in many parts of rural Odisha. Building further...
When will rural men own up responsibility?
Photo by Anthony Pappone Rather than holding the state solely accountable for bettering lives of the rural poor, we need...
Dairy farming in tribal regions holds enormous promise
Photo from Flickr With a little help from the government and specialized agencies, the promotion of dairy farming among the...
Ujjwala in southern Rajasthan: A cylinder half full
Photo credit: Getty Images The scheme must be evolved so it is not just aimed at providing connections but ensuring...
Doha Model shows how to rein in water for irrigation
In spite of its challenges, digging of streams and creation of pond-like structures along their length can provide farmers with...
Ujjwala and waterwheels: reducing women’s drudgery
Photo by Daniel Bachhuber Regular supply of cooking gas and easier ways to bring drinking water home would significantly reduce...
Is farmer income support a sustainable solution?
Photo by Jeevan Singla Income support to smallholder farmers is similar to palliative measures like minimum support prices or loan...
Irrigation key to fighting poverty in Kandhamal
Groundwater recharge in Kandhamal’s undulating terrain and pumps to lift water are needed to break the nexus between lack of...
Rural India still insensitive to persons with disabilities
Photo by Kailas Kokare In a society steeped in referring people with special needs by their disability, there is a...
The travails of India’s forest dwellers
Photo by Bishnu Sarangi Tribal people who live in and around forests are being continuously pushed beyond the edge of...
Is resettling millions of forest dwellers feasible?
Photo by Saurabh Chatterjee A recent Supreme Court order that will likely lead to the largest ever eviction of forest...
Income support is healthy tonic for smallholder farmers
Photo by Nithi Anand Instead of farm loan waivers and minimum support price for crops that distort resource allocation and...
How useful will farmer support be?
Photo by Bishnu Sarangi It will not be easy to optimally deploy the basic income support announced by the government...
Can data-driven social enterprises boost farmer incomes?
A collaboration between technological and value chain enterprises working directly with farmers could help make the farm to fork value...
The unending saga of farm distress in India
Photo by Bishnu Sarangi Farmers in India will continue to suffer unless there is a fundamental change in the pro-urban...
Unsafe behavior rampant in the countryside
Photo by Knut-Erik Halle Whether it is a national trait or simply a rural folly, there is a need to...
Relationship between the presence of police and the crimes
India has a population of 1.21 billion as per census of 2011. Against this population, it had a police strength...
Piped water allows rural women to bathe in private
Photo by Gram Vikas In Odisha, where a high number of rural households lack enclosed bathing spaces, construction of bathrooms...
Money & manhood: changing gender roles in rural homes
Photo by Michael Foley In times of increasing agrarian stress and uncertain incomes, women in villages are becoming as much...
Marathwada farmers harvest water in streams, reap rich yields
Farmers in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra that is prone to droughts have made agriculture remunerative by harvesting rainwater in...
Blending tribal people into India’s mainstream
Photo by Rajesh Pamnani Efforts to meet the aspirations of India’s tribal population would essentially mean their greater integration with...
Rural crime and policing in India’s villages
Photo by Pixabay Even as crime in rural India increases, particularly against marginalized communities, minorities and women, more effective policing...
#MeToo movement yet to reach rural India
Photo by Pixabay Although women routinely suffer sexual harassment at work in villages, the stranglehold of patriarchy and the scepter...
Revive traditional wisdom for ealthy life in villages
Photo by Piyal Adhikary India has a rich heritage of local health traditions and reviving these diverse ethno-medical practices could...
Promoting input-based enterprises to spread organic farming
Photo by Jyotika Sood Promotion around locally available farm inputs can be sustainable solution. Read more
Gram swaraj in a globalizing world
Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of economically self-sufficient villages is at a distinct variance with the ideas and policies of liberalization, trade...
Rural youth: old prejudices or real disadvanteages?
Photo by Jasper Veen Despite long-held notions that young people in villages lack better life opportunities, the current situation of...
India’s traditional wisdom in coping with extreme weather
In large parts of the subcontinent where floods or droughts are annual or recurring events, people in rural areas have...
Of kamranga and kachnar: vanishing flavors and shrinking food basket
Innumerable varieties of native fruits and leafy vegetables found in different parts of India are becoming rare on dinner tables....
Reversing the indefensible culture of open defecation
Ending open defecation in India’s villages cannot be the sole responsibility of the government. The heads of rural households also...
When the rural elite hijacks welfare schemes
Although there are multiple factors that interfere with the fair implementation of rural welfare programs, it is important to break...
Why do villagers often ignore obvious yet valuable things?
We need to figure out ways in which people in rural India are able to make reasoned and sustainable choices...
Will Rural Women Rise up Against Digital Patriarchy?
“I have been saving a little each month. I must guard that money and also the goat, which is about...
People with disabilities languish across rural India
Although there are 27 million people in India with disabilities, of which more than 70% live in villages, they are...
Rural vs. Urban: Measuring the inequality of opportunity
Just building infrastructure to bridge inequality in basic services like education is not the answer. Read more…
The grey and grim hues of rural India
In travelling to the less fortunate parts of the countryside, it is difficult to come to terms with the stark...
The importance of succlure and faiccess in rural development
It is not always easy to measure the success in any rural development intervention because it often depends on...
Kamrup women lead Eri silk revival for improved livelihoods
Linking markets with traditional Eri silk weavers in many parts of Assam, non-profit organization Grameen Sahara has enabled thousands of...
Strengthening grassroots in Gaya for self-sustenance
By popularizing the system of root intensification and introducing sustainable agricultural practices, Anil Verma has brought a positive change in...
Telcos, Techies and Teachers: Travesty of Digital Inclusion in India
A study conducted by the IIM Udaipur, revealed that although digital networks have penetrated into remote rural areas, their use...
A voice against abuse and exploitation
Standing against forced marriages in the old city of Hyderabad, Shaheen has emerged as a space for women of minority...
How to develop divisible technology for the rural poor
There is a need to develop easily divisible technologies that do not need heavy investment, after taking into consideration social...
How a church group helped better the lot of tribal villagers in Nagaland’s Jalukie valley
The Rongmei Baptist Association has been at the centre of developmental work in the region for a quarter century Read...
Beyond Narendra Modi’s TOP: There’s more to the farm sector than tomatoes, onions and potatoes
Special attention must be given to smallholder vegetable growers Read More
How to spread technology rapidly among the poor?
The remarkable spread of mobile phones and related telecom infrastructure throughout India holds important lessons on how to reach latest...
Case of tur dal farmers shows that hiking minimum support price won’t help if implementation is poor
Farmers cultivating pigeon pea continue to suffer losses because of improper procurement. Read More
What technology does the poor need?
Although it is true that the poor needs affordable technological solutions that meet their requirements, these solutions frequently fail to...
Does rural India have a level field for opportunities and aspirations?
Unless children growing up in India’s villages have access to equality of opportunity in its broadest sense, it is unlikely...
Women in rural India still struggle to get cooking fuel and water, which hurts their health
Women carrying heavy loads over long distances often develop genital, spinal and musculoskeletal problems Read More
Digital inclusion still far from rural India
Even as a digital revolution sweeps across India, people in the more impoverished and remote parts of the country have...
What stops rural enterprises from growth and prosperity?
Any external intervener who seeks to promote rural enterprises must create credible incentives for villagers to make proactive lifestyle adjustments...
How development arrived in Kapa Mal village
An underdeveloped village inhabited mostly by the Baiga tribal community has gone through a makeover under the parliamentarians’ model village...
Better nurture needed for new producers’ organizations
Development professionals managing newly formed farmer producers’ organizations, while high on technical and social skills, have to be more market...
Antenatal care of producer enterprises missing in India
If producer companies that aim to benefit poor farmers are to succeed in India, critical factors such as a sense...
From bathroom services to tree protection, micro businesses in rural areas need new ideas
Small business in villages do indeed create livelihoods, but there is an over-saturation in dairy, cattle rearing and the like...
Technology for nonprofits: Caution against digital evangelism
While digital is useful, it cannot and will not substitute basic infrastructure and people on the ground. Read More
How technology is streamlining supply chain of fertilisers in India
Linking technology and Aadhaar, the direct benefit transfer of fertiliser subsidy in Andhra Pradesh has helped curb malpractices and benefited...
Flayers and leather workers are victims of thick-skinned polity
Leather workers and people who deal with cattle carcasses remain an oppressed minority in villages across India, languishing at the...
Women-centric interventions needed for flood-ravaged Sundarbans islands
After men migrate for work, women of Mousuni Island in the Sundarbans in West Bengal have to struggle for survival,...
In a Jharkhand district, women are growing food in their kitchen gardens to tackle poor nutrition
Backyards tended by women in Gumla district are providing a rich variety of local cereals, pulses and vegetables Read More
Hiccups of clean growth or wages of stupid policy?
Should we opt for an economy that thrives on facelessness and tax evasion just because it supports livelihoods of a...
How can we kick-start Make in Rural India?
A significant portion of the government’s flagship Make in India initiative can be realised in the country’s rural areas through...
Chosen to be a model village, yet to become one
With proactive villagers and panchayat leaders, Ansarwada in Maharashtra, chosen to be a model village under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana,...
The spirit of Prime Minister’s model village scheme
Has the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, aimed at all-round development of three villages by each Member of Parliament, made a...
Riverbank erosion no less a disaster than Assam floods
A widespread hazard like riverbank erosion, which continuously affects the poorest and the most vulnerable in the Brahmaputra River Basin...
Who Benefits From the Weekly Farmers’ Markets?
The recent proliferation of weekly farmers’ markets in urban areas is quite useful for consumers but their benefits to farmers...
Managing embankments
Involving the communities would help minimise the misery in flood-prone areas Read More
Medicinal herbs can form a base for rural enterprises
There is a potentially large livelihoods and enterprise potential in the medicinal herbs sector, which is sadly neglected by grassroots...
Restored farm ponds help Sahariyas tide over drought
Even as Madhya Pradesh reels under severe drought, residents of a tribal village who were denied access to water have...
Living With The Deluge
Focus should shift from relief measures to building resilience in flood-prone areas Read More
It’s time to explore new possibilities in village enterprises
A new generation of rural businesses are being established to cater to the changing needs of the countryside that require...
Non-farm enterprises as job creators in rural India
Targeted interventions and managerial assistance to promote non-farm rural enterprises have the potential to create a large number of jobs...
How an IT company and NGO joined hands with residents to bring water to a parched Pune village
Varoti’s 33-feet well offers an example of what collective community action can achieve Read More
Books in tribal languages help rejuvenate school learning in central India
An initiative that produces books in tribal dialects in an underdeveloped area of Madhya Pradesh is helping tribal children to...
What cow-loving India should actually focus on: Making more fodder available to starving cattle
With forests overrun by weed and other unwanted growth, free-grazing lifestock face a grim situation Read More
How a body of farm collectives helped farmers in Maharashtra sell their produce at fair prices
The organisation procures produce from small farmers and sells it in government markets at the minimum support price Read More
Village entrepreneurship as a key to rural growth
The active promotion of enterprises in rural India is a possible way to further growth in the countryside and there’s...
Farm Subsidies: Direct Transfers are Mixed at Best, Debilitating at Worst
Direct Benefit Transfers in form of subsidies to offset farming costs have a shaky track record given the complex and...
Water control is the strongest anti-poverty measure
Once we realize that one size does not fit all, it will be easier for the government and civil society...
Many fellows but not too many ships to anchor
To make fellowships that connect with rural realities really worthwhile, it is necessary to provide pointed guidance through mentors who...
Small pumps are a viable solution for poor farmers
Although small pumps for irrigation doesn’t get the attention it deserves, evidence from groundwater-rich states such as Assam, Jharkhand and...
Small pumps hold promise for smallholder farmers in Jharkhand
Many small and marginal farmers in Lohardaga and Gumla are using tiny pumps to irrigate vegetable fields, an entrepreneurial model...
Solar pumps bring relief to smallholder farmers in Rayagada
Using small solar-powered pumps to irrigate vegetable gardens could transform lives of tribal farmers in Rayagada district of Odisha by...
Dry land distress drives people to break stones in quarries
A lack of livelihood opportunities is compelling villagers of Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh to take up jobs in local...
Small water pumps have changed the fortunes of marginal farmers in an Assam district
A survey conducted in South Kamrup in Assam shows that use of small water pumps for irrigation in an area...
Farmers in Telangana’s tur belt don’t know whether they should grow the pulse this year
Constant swing in prices of the dal and tardy implementation of the government’s procurement mechanism have made life tough for...
Time has come to rethink the way we irrigate farmland
Rethinking irrigation needs to focus on end results and in exploring every possible way of reaching water to crop roots....
Are farmers collateral damage of modern economic growth?
People living in villages, who are migrating in large numbers to urban spaces in search of livelihoods, could be victims...
Time to focus on women’s access to sanitation, hygiene
While women are tough and find ways to overcome challenges they face due to patriarchal mindsets and neglect for their...
Community resource persons are torchbearers of a resurgent countryside
The silent revolution of community resource persons fanning out across the country in the past few years to deliver last-mile...
Farmer Suicides Droughts, floods, and suicides: What Bihar can teach Maharashtra and other states
A deeper dive is needed to draw insights from the low prevalence of farmer suicides in Bihar than in more...
A Gujarati man has spent 50 years advocating peace and Gandhian principles in Nagaland
Natwarbhai Thakkar and his Nagaland Gandhi Ashram have worked unceasingly in a village of Mokokchung district Read More
Living with the clockwork floods of Barak River
The state seems to be indifferent to the plight of the large number of people settled in the Barak Valley...
Land comes in between plough and plate
Increasing fragmentation of cultivated land in most parts of India makes it difficult to build supply chains of produce from...
Women forced to bathe in the open in Odisha villages
A village-level analysis of availability of bathrooms in Odisha shows that not enough attention is paid to the clear and...
Rural men must realize women need secluded bathing spaces
Women taking a bath in the open is a common enough sight in the countryside, which needs to change. For...
Women in rural India get little time and space to bathe – and it’s taking a toll on their health
What are the physical, mental and monetary costs of not maintaining personal hygiene? Read More
Budget has prepared ground for states to usher in transformation
Finance Minster Arun Jaitley has paved way for making significant transformation of rural areas a reachable dream. It is now...
Women are still considered beasts of burden in rural India
Women carrying enormous head loads remain a common sight in large swathes of the country, indicative of our gender insensitivity...
India should gear up for a blue revolution
The productivity of inland fisheries can be boosted massively if governments get out of the way of operations and let...
It’s much better to dig than to build for water
Learning from some exemplary instances in drought-prone Marathwada, it makes sense for government programs to dig tanks and deepen streams...
Convenience drives farm practices more than sustainability
For all talk of sustainable farming practices than often entail increased drudgery, there is a clear trend that farmers are...
Small vegetable and poultry farmers severely affected by demonetization drive
Three weeks into the surprise announcement by the government to withdraw high denomination currency notes from circulation, it is now...
Demonetization and the rural poor in five dimensions
The junking of high value currency notes has led to an unprecedented situation where the poor are more at risk...
Tackling malnutrition in India needs thinking out of the box
If India has to improve its rank on the global Hunger Index, there has to be an emphasis on alternative...
Can this crisis in the heart of India be allowed to continue?
The economic exploitation and developmental neglect of the core tribal areas of India’s eastern plateau and hills across Odisha, Chhattisgarh...
There’s a mismatch between aspirations and reality in rural India
Opportunities to a better life have not kept pace with the rising aspirations of the rural youth that are a...