Saathi Ventures announces award for stories of micro-entrepreneurs

“The idea behind Udyami Saathi Challenge is to bring out the human stories behind numbers. To understand what it is like to build and expand a micro enterprise. The incredible resilience they have shown post COVID to rise up once again. We forget to celebrate micro-entrepreneurs, but they too are frontline workers” said Aishwarya Chordiya… Continue reading Saathi Ventures announces award for stories of micro-entrepreneurs

Sport unites two hostile tribes in Assam

Imagine living in a small tribal village but rushing home every day before sunset because you feared some of your own neighbours. That was the story  in Simlaguri, a village in Assam’s Chirang district with just about 100 families of Bodo and Santhal tribes, most of them practising agriculture.  Though they live in the same… Continue reading Sport unites two hostile tribes in Assam

Sparking ideas for India’s next 75 years

As India pondered its 75 years of hectic democracy and frenetic growth – those at the sharp end of its march towards the next 75 years bustled with ideas at the recent Indian Rural Colloquy (IRC). “The world was last designed 75 years back in 1942. This design needs revamping as social, political and technological… Continue reading Sparking ideas for India’s next 75 years

No longer walking 2km to fetch dirty water

For decades the tribal women of Rooppura and Ganpat Khera villages in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan used to trudge two kilometres every day to fetch dirty, unhealthy water.  “Now we get clean drinking water and it will add 10 years to our life,” said Ramesh Goswami of Rooppura village. Despite being just about 25km… Continue reading No longer walking 2km to fetch dirty water

Learnings beyond books – my internship experience

As classes are in full swing, fifth semester is coming up and graduation is in sight, I look back at my internship experience over the summer at Village Square and ACCESS Development Services (ACCESS). Being an intern was a unique experience where I felt empowered, inspired and learned new things every day. From walking in… Continue reading Learnings beyond books – my internship experience

A lighthouse in the gloomy world of cooperatives

Cooperative form of organisations was a favourite instrument for achieving economic wellbeing in the last century. From the time of Independence, huge public expenditure and investment occurred in cooperatives throughout India’s high noon period of centralised planning and socialist economic policies.  Cooperatives achieved respectable stature and economic viability in some sectors – notably dairy and… Continue reading A lighthouse in the gloomy world of cooperatives

International Youth Day- Part II

International Youth Day is celebrated every year on August 12 to raise awareness about cultural and legal issues related to the youth. And what better way to celebrate it than talking to the actual youth of India about their problems and concerns? Presenting to you the Part 2 of Village Square’s two part interview with… Continue reading International Youth Day- Part II

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International Youth Day-Part I

International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. And what’s better than directly speaking to the young of this country about their opinions? That’s exactly what we did at Village Square.… Continue reading International Youth Day-Part I

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Ambitious plans to reintroduce cheetahs to India

Cheetah

Cheetahs were officially declared extinct in 1952 because of excessive hunting, human encroachment and vulnerability to disease. Now an ambitious plan is underway to reintroduce the world’s fastest land animal back to India. As there are only a few Asiatic cheetahs left on earth, mostly in Iran, African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa are headed… Continue reading Ambitious plans to reintroduce cheetahs to India

Giving voice to issues on margins and of marginalised what can media do right IRC 2022

Eminent panelists drawn from the media discuss and explore opportunities in the ever-changing media space to bring and engage with issues of marginalized and on margins. The session will discuss possibilities of expanding in the mainstream, digital, and niche media both the content and positioning that converses with the wider public in raising societal consciousness,… Continue reading Giving voice to issues on margins and of marginalised what can media do right IRC 2022

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Present-day challenges to Adivasi languages

“I am a firm believer that language and how we use language determines how we act and how we act then determines our lives and other people’s lives” said Black American writer Ntozake Shange. The base of communication is language and language is the source of life, traditions and culture. There are more than 1,000… Continue reading Present-day challenges to Adivasi languages

Lip-smacking tribal cuisines help women make a living

Bonga Murmu, a Santhali tribal woman from Karandih village in the Purbi Singhbum district, couldn’t hide her excitement while preparing jil pitha, a dish unique to the rural community of Jharkhand. “We make this dish during the paddy harvest and festivals like Diwali,” she said, while preparing the dish. Mixing cooked chicken and rice flour,… Continue reading Lip-smacking tribal cuisines help women make a living

World’s highest railway bridge brings Kashmiri villagers hope

From the foothills of the valley Mohan Bagat watched in awe as the final  ‘golden’ joint of the world’s highest railway bridge was put in place. He felt like he was  looking up at the skies, as the bridge is 359 meters over the Chenab River bed. Bagat had rushed from his maize field when… Continue reading World’s highest railway bridge brings Kashmiri villagers hope

How the youth built and build India

Let us begin “long years ago” to see how the youth helped India become independent. Born in 1905 in Assam to the erstwhile Ahom royal family was Kushal Konwar. He got educated, and established a school. An active freedom fighter, he participated in the 1921 Non-Cooperation Movement and then joined the Congress. When Gandhiji announced the Quit… Continue reading How the youth built and build India

August-Photo of the Month

 Farmers engaged in flower cultivation in Midnapur, West Bengal (Sandipani Chattopadhyay) A glimpse into parenting – A couple feeds and educates their children at their doorstep in Canning, West Bengal (Raj Kumar Som) An unconditional bond – A mother in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, kisses her child in the middle of her work (Raj Kumar) A man… Continue reading August-Photo of the Month

Stresses and dreams from India’s youth

We asked youth from all over India to tell us about the most worrying thing in their lives and how it is getting in the way of their biggest dreams and hopes.  Rural youth focus on employment Rural youth are most concerned with their education and their employment prospects. Have a listen. Rohit Kumar, class… Continue reading Stresses and dreams from India’s youth

Mainstreaming Rural in Higher Education

It was felt that the youth have shied away from the social sector as their first career choice largely because they have very little or no knowledge about the realities of the social sector. Often, they think it is a stagnant or stranded sector, a drag on growth. They have no clue about the kind… Continue reading Mainstreaming Rural in Higher Education