Rural youth: old prejudices or real disadvantages?

Despite long-held notions that young people in villages lack better life opportunities, the current situation of youth in urban areas and their proximate countryside is not too different in many parts of India

Upland farmers shift to coffee for better prospects

Suffering losses from traditional crops of ginger and cardamom, farmers in the mountainous areas of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in West Bengal have started growing organic coffee for better returns

Rural community at receiving end of temple town’s sewage

Commercial establishments catering to religious tourism in the temple town of Guruvayur have contaminated the ground and surface water of a village in Thrissur by releasing raw sewage into natural drains

Tripura’s fish farmers net benefits of captive fisheries

Fish farmers in the Sepahijala district of Tripura have formed collectives to successfully rear fish seeds and table fish. This collective livelihood initiative has increased their incomes by reducing risks and costs

Women farmers suffer due to unequal land rights

Although they are often the actual cultivators, the lack of land rights among women farmers in Odisha has resulted in chronic distress because they are unable to get government loans or compensation over crop loss

Assam village become trailblazers in adaptive agriculture

From seed banks to rainwater harvesting, one village on the banks of the Brahmaputra River has spread innovative agriculture through the region, as farmers battle against worsening floods and droughts

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 evolved location-specific strategies to deal with the disasters and unusual weather

Women show the way in waterless Ladakh

As snowfall reduces and glaciers retreat in Ladakh due to climate change, a group of women is promoting traditional ways of farming that are best suited to the cold desert

Bengal youth lead revival of heritage rice varieties

A bunch of young professionals have chosen to stay back in their villages in Uttar Dinajpur to revive the heritage of folk rice varieties that were once cultivated by their ancestors

Kerala moves swiftly to treat Attapady’s tribes

The lynching of a mentally ill tribal youth has spurred Kerala to create jobs for tribes living in the progressive state, besides surveying them to identify the mentally ill, treat them and rehabilitate them

Munda tribes of Jharkhand desire inclusive development

Once self-sufficient, the Munda farming community in Jharkhand has accepted changes in governance that promises social and economic development. But, inclusive development has eluded them

Karnataka farmers reap benefits of native cow’s milk

Rearing native cattle, farmers in rural Karnataka have brought about a welcome rural-urban link, benefiting economically and bringing health benefits to urban consumers

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. We should make efforts to revive them for a more varied and nutritious food basket

West Bengal brings Dokra metal craft back from brink

Revived with the support of the state government and social enterprises, the traditional metal craft Dokra has found its place in art maps, giving artisans in the remote Bikna village much-needed financial stability

Science popularization helps tribal students spread wings

An academy in Pune district of Maharashtra has boosted the confidence of tribal students, and helped them dream beyond their textbooks and hamlets by giving them practical exposure to science

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