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 irrigation and poverty in this seriously underdeveloped area of Odisha

Rural India still insensitive to persons with disabilities

In a society steeped in referring people with special needs by their disability, there is a need for concerted efforts to recognize their rights and create inclusivity

Tamil women bank on herbs to boost income

Women in rural Villupuram have quit working as farm labor and have become herbal entrepreneurs to conserve traditional knowledge, revive use of healthy herbs and boost household incomes

Santhal girls shatter social taboo playing football

Teenaged Santhal girls in West Bengal have taken to football despite facing community antagonism. They hope that the sport would deliver them from poor socioeconomic shackles

Village women up in arms against alcoholism

Women in rural Karnataka have banded together to demand a prohibition on liquor because they are at the receiving end of alcoholism of men that leads invariably to domestic violence and financial hardship

The travails of India’s forest dwellers

Tribal people who live in and around forests are being continuously pushed beyond the edge of their meager livelihoods and the land where they live, despite laws that are supposed to protect their rights

Odisha women fight malnutrition with backyard gardens

Women in distressed and malnourished regions of Odisha are growing nutrition gardens to feed their families organic vegetables and legumes consistently through the year at no additional cost

Healthcare of elderly suffers with youth migration

With little livelihood opportunities in villages, the youth in rural Maharashtra migrate to cities, leading to delayed healthcare of elderly dependents and increased medical expenses

Kashidakari women look to grow embroidery earnings

Women in Jodhasar, who have begun embroidering for a living by putting traditional skills they used for embellishing personal clothing to good use, need better market linkages to boost incomes

Beedi rolling robs Murshidabad girls of their childhood

Young girls in rural Murshidabad are pushed by their parents to roll beedis, the poor man’s cigarette, at the cost of their schooling because being able to earn improves their marriage prospects

Palakkad’s priestly community encash culinary tradition

Priests from Tamil Nadu, who migrated to Kerala for temple duties centuries ago, have put their culinary skills to good use, augmenting household incomes and the local economy

Is resettling millions of forest dwellers feasible?

A recent Supreme Court order that will likely lead to the largest ever eviction of forest dwellers in India needs to be seen as a wake-up call for state governments to quickly remedy the situation

Seed guardians of Banswara revive traditional varieties

Village women in Banswara district of Rajasthan are setting an example as organic farmers by adopting and spreading awareness to revive indigenous varieties of crops that boost nutritional security

How development excludes India’s tribal people

Failing to understand the tribal world view and imposing the dominant development paradigm on adivasi communities is affecting their identity and well-being

Karnataka dairy farmers face heat of drought

Dairy farmers in Karnataka have been seriously impacted by the severe drought in most parts of the state as milk yields have fallen and fodder has become more expensive

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