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Bengal’s brass workers labor to sustain tradition
The brass smiths of Birbhum are eking out a living making pots, but are competing against cheaper alternatives. They persist, hoping that government support and product diversification will sustain them
Traditional handloom weaves a comeback in Kachchh
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
Villagers face eviction near Panna forest reserve
The residents of Rampura, a small village in the buffer zone of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, have been asked to move. But, they say, with no allocation of alternative land, they have nowhere to go
Is farmer income support a sustainable solution?
Income support to smallholder farmers is similar to palliative measures like minimum support prices or loan waivers that do not address the problem of an unsustainable population living on a fixed resource base
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