Nursing the underserved to health in rural Rajasthan

Qualified and specially trained nurses man primary healthcare AMRIT clinics in villages that lack access to hospitals (Photo courtesy Basic HealthCare Services)

As the world commemorates International Day of Nurses on 12 May, young women in Rajasthan have broken stereotypes, becoming nurses after marriage and motherhood, and transforming rural healthcare

Migrant children get a shot at continuing education

As per Odisha government’s directive, schools near brick kilns enroll migrant workers’ children like Laxmi Bag (Photo by Rakhi Ghosh)

A scheme by the Odisha government has enabled children of migrant workers to continue their education at destination sites, preventing child labor and ensuring continuity in education

When will rural men own up responsibility?

It's time for men to stand up to their responsibilities (Photo by Anthony Pappone)

Rather than holding the state solely accountable for bettering lives of the rural poor, we need to also focus on making men, and not just women, take responsible action for the sake of their families

Sheepherders conserve quality Kashmir Merino stock

Merino sheep breeding helps maintaining a healthy stock and boosts wool and meat production (Photo by Athar Parvaiz)

Good management practices have helped sheep farmers to ensure a quality lineage of Kashmir Merino, a hybrid of the government’s crossbreeding program. It has boosted local production of wool and meat

Bengal’s brass workers labor to sustain tradition

A brass smith beats into shape a traditional brass pot that is no longer in demand (Photo by Gurvinder Singh)

The brass smiths of Birbhum are eking out a living making pots, but are competing against cheaper alternatives. They persist, hoping that state support and product diversification will sustain them

Traditional handloom weaves a comeback in Kachchh

Revival of handloom has provided traditional weavers like Jaishree Habubhai of Adhoi village better livelihood (Photo by Ashish Kothari)

The remarkable revival of traditional Kachchhi handloom by the vankar community could serve as a shining example of how India could tackle its severe livelihood, ecological and cultural crises

Chia seeds earn bumper incomes for Mysuru farmers

Kurubur Shantakumar, flanked by his farmer friends in a field of chia, the crop that has brought them good financial benefits (Photo by Hiren Kumar Bose)

Switching from traditional crops, farmers of Mysuru district in Karnataka have boosted agricultural income by cultivating chia seeds, which are becoming popular in India because of their nutritional value

Bengal women find viable livelihood in turkey

Overcoming odds, women sought help under bank linkage program and took to turkey rearing as a viable livelihood (Photo by Dhruba Das Gupta)

Overcoming hurdles and non-starter self-employment projects, members of women self-help groups persisted tenaciously and took to rearing turkeys, setting a successful livelihood trend

Dairy farming in tribal regions holds enormous promise

Dairy farming could yield rich dividends in the central and eastern tribal belts in the country (Photo by Flickr)

With a little help from the government and specialized agencies, the promotion of dairy farming among the tribal people of central and eastern India has potential to lift millions out of poverty

Drought-hit farmers grow crops with treated wastewater

Manjula Amma's field next to Laxmisagar tank, where Bengaluru’s treated wastewater is stored, has sufficient water for irrigation (Photo by Nidhi Jamwal)

After Karnataka government pumped Bengaluru city’s treated wastewater into Kolar’s tanks last year, farmers made use of the raised groundwater table to grow crops amidst concerns of contamination

How poor breadwinners hit digital hurdle

Mula is the principal wage-earner of the family. Her husband Mangu Lal is infirm (Photo by Puja Awasthi)

Online procedures to avail of government welfare entitlements are big hurdles to unlettered villagers that sometimes lead to delays and loss, often adding to the distress of the rural poor

Sariska’s herders fear livelihood loss with eviction

Bera, a village of pastoralists, is one of the 29 villages to be relocated from Sariska Tiger Reserve area (Photo by Tarun Kanti Bose)

Nomadic pastoralists being evicted from Sariska Tiger Reserve to conserve tigers introduced from Ranthambore fear loss of livelihoods, and life in relocation settlements with poor amenities

Oriya bonded labor languish after being rescued

Dasarathi Lahajar and the others from Kalahandi district, who migrated to Telangana for work, had to be rescued from bondage (Photo by Rakhi Ghosh)

Migrant workers from western Odisha who are rescued from bondage at destination sites continue to languish in poverty for want of rural employment and rehabilitation support

Manas villagers benefit from alternate livelihoods

Alternate livelihoods help women like Sabitri Barman earn more and be less dependent on forest resources (Photo by Abdul Gani)

Shifting to non-forest livelihoods has helped landless families around Manas National Park to avoid human-animal conflicts, and earn more without denuding the forests

Ujjwala and waterwheels: reducing women’s drudgery

Carrying water is a constant chore for women in rural areas (Photo by Daniel Bachhuber)

Regular supply of cooking gas and easier ways to bring drinking water home would significantly reduce the daily drudgery of women in rural areas

Hudali keeps khadi cooperative flag flying

The soap-making unit of the Khadi and Gramodyog Sahakari Uttpadak Sangha in Hudali is known for its nominally priced Kutir soap made of anti-bacterial neem oil (Photo by Amoolya Rajappa)

The first khadi unit to be established in southern India at Hudali in Karnataka continues as a successful rural artisanal cooperative, supplying a variety of products to industries and urban consumers

Declining rainfall places farming at risk in Bihar

Most smallholder and marginal farmers in Bihar cannot afford the additional cost of irrigating their fields (Photo by Santosh Singh)

The economy of Bihar is in jeopardy as the number of no rainfall days due to climate change is showing an increasing trend in a state that depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture

Vagad farmers stage progress marches

Street plays help the farmers articulate their problems and learn innovative farming practices easily (Photo by Rakhee Roytalukdar)

Tribal farmers of the Vagad region have been marching through villages to find local solutions to farming and community problems through participation and discussion

Social audit empowers Odisha’s rural poor

Villagers of Podaguda village in Malkangiri attending the social audit meeting (Photo by Basudev Mahapatra)

People left out of the government’s welfare programs have been included through a social audit in Odisha’s underdeveloped rural areas, boosting nutrition security among impoverished families