Women in Gir stand up for dignity of widows

Protesting against the sexual assault and death of a woman, women of self-help groups brought the issue to the police when no one else dared to, and ensured the capture of perpetrators. (Photo by Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell)

Women of self-help groups in the Gir region of Gujarat are going beyond microfinance and income-generation activities to fight against social taboos attached to widows and help them lead a better life

Sagging spirit of Prime Minister’s model village scheme

Parliamentarians adopting villages in their constituencies for holistic development is yet to show significant results. (Photo by Rajeev)

Has the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, aimed at all-round development of three villages chosen by each Member of Parliament, made any significant impact on the ground?

Diminished Wular Lake threatens livelihoods

Fishing and other rural communities that have traditionally depended on Wular Lake are now struggling to earn a living from it, as shrinkage, siltation and ecological degradation take a toll on Kashmir’s largest flood basin . (Photo by Athar Parvaiz)

Fishing and other rural communities that have traditionally depended on Wular Lake are now struggling to earn a living from it, as shrinkage, siltation and ecological degradation take a toll on Kashmir’s largest flood basin

Riverbank erosion no less a disaster than Assam floods

Riverbank erosion on the Beki River continually threatens habitations in Barpeta district of Assam. (Photo by Sayanangshu Modak)

A widespread hazard like riverbank erosion, which continuously affects the poorest and the most vulnerable in the Brahmaputra River Basin in Assam, is not classified as a disaster and does not receive the swift emergency response as floods

Do farmers’ markets in cities really benefit farmers?

People find it convenient to buy vegetables at the weekly farmers’ markets in Pune. (Photo by Ajit Kanitkar)

The recent proliferation of weekly farmers’ markets in urban areas is quite useful for consumers but their benefits to farmers are limited at best and cannot replace the practice of selling at wholesale yards

Artificial glaciers help mitigating rural water crisis in Ladakh

The artificial glacier melts and flows towards Nang village in May, fulfilling the village’s water needs. (Photo by Samten Choephel)

Faced with severe water shortage due to reduced snowfall and receding glaciers, a Ladakh village has built an artificial glacier successfully through community efforts that now fulfills all its water needs

Medicinal herbs can form a base for rural enterprises

Growing medicinal herbs that fetch high prices could be promoted as a form of rural enterprise. (Photo by Pixabay)

There is a potentially large livelihoods and enterprise potential in the medicinal herbs sector, which is sadly neglected by grassroots development professionals and ignored by the government despite an acute shortage of modern healthcare services in rural India

Plight of migrant workers needs attention in Himachal Pradesh

Migrant workers in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh face a high risk from landslides and rock falls. (Photo by Abhijit Mohanty)

Migrant workers, who contribute significantly to infrastructure development in the developed mountain state, need to be provided with better working and living conditions through friendly government policies

Maharashtra’s tribal farmers revive traditional crops

Rahibai in her farm of landrace hyacinth bean that she has helped conserve among other traditional crop varieties. (Photo by BAIF)

Recognizing the significance of traditional crop varieties that can withstand climate-related vagaries and offer nutrition security, tribal farmers have started to conserve and propagate local cultivars

Restored farm ponds help Sahariyas tide over drought

Pooran Adivasi near his farm pond with some water, even as the rest of the landscape wears a parched look. (Photo by Nachiket Sule)

Even as Madhya Pradesh reels under severe drought, residents of a tribal village who were denied access to water have collectively restored farm ponds to harvest the meager rainfall to fulfill their water needs

India needs more fodder to prevent cattle starvation

Pastureland is shrinking in the country and feeding within premises is gaining prominence. (Photo by Saif Noor)

The estimated increase in cattle population due to growth in dairy farming and ban on cow slaughter will need increased production of fodder and restoration of common pastures to prevent livestock starvation

Women take initiative to build toilets in rural Bihar

A woman’s meeting in Jehanabad discussing the benefits of building toilets in homes. (Photo by Mohd Imran Khan)

Women self-help groups in the villages of Jehanabad have become the harbingers of social change by convincing people about the usefulness of building toilets at homes and ending open defecation

It’s time to explore new possibilities in village enterprises

New horizons for entrepreneurship are opening up as the village economy makes new demands. (Photo by Ravi Teja)

A new generation of rural businesses are being established to cater to the changing needs of the countryside that require very little capital infusion to start and expand. There is now a need to put in place a financial ecosystem for these enterprises to thrive

Assam flood fury leaves high houses on river islands untouched

Houses on raised ground help char villagers stay safe during floods with banana trees and vegetable gardens preventing soil erosion. (Photo by Abdul Gani)

A simple innovation of building houses on a raised and reinforced earthen platform has spared many village homes on the easily flooded islands on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries

Enterprising woman farmer charts a path to prosperity

Sangita Mhatre and her husband Shashikant in their jasmine nursery, preparing saplings to be sold to other farmers. (Photo by BAIF)

From an impoverished homemaker to a successful farmer and trusted counselor for many women in the area, the story of Sangita Mhatre of Mande is an inspiring tale of how women in rural India can take charge of their destiny given the slightest of opportunities

Rural India needs a reformed NGO sector

NGOs have played a pivotal role in the women’s self-help group movement in India. (Photo by McKay Savage)

The need of the hour in the non-governmental sector is for the government to keep a transparent check on non-performing NGOs while recognizing and appreciating NGOs and their teams that make a positive contribution towards rural development

Toilets as bride price scripts sanitation success in Haryana

The state government spared no expense in spreading the sanitation message. (Photo by Yaniv Stopnitzky)

A social marketing campaign urging parents of brides to demand toilets at marriage negotiations has led to a dramatic increase of 21% in private sanitation coverage in Haryana, particularly in rural areas

Successful self-governance in Barkheda leads others to embrace gram swaraj

A village council meeting being held in Barkheda village to discuss community issues. (Photo by Ishan Agrawal)

Restoration and effective management of village commons to the financial benefit of the community in Barkheda village of Madhya Pradesh has prompted 90 neighboring villages to adopt self-governance