Governance

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How can rural India prepare for a third wave

Experience from Jharkhand proves that synergic effort involving local administration, community collectives and civil society organizations can help villages face COVID-19 third wave.

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Decentralization to localization: Collectives and local development

Community collectives working alongside local administration have reversed pandemic situation and ensured livelihood support. With concomitant procedural measures, the synergy can continue beyond the pandemic

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Decentralization to localization: the emerging community–PRI–government compact

As communities rose to fill the lacunae in rural public systems, it is time the potential of the social capital was recognized, and grassroots institutions strengthened for rural transformation

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When hazards overlap – flood preparedness during pandemic

Planning and preparedness for floods during the pandemic should be tailor-made for regions, as the impact would be different across flood typologies

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Mandatory registering on Co-WIN hampers universal vaccination

Erratic mobile connectivity, digital illiteracy and lack of devices to access the portal have made inclusivity in vaccination impossible in remote villages of Odisha

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Bihar floods and COVID-19 – Is there a connection?

As available data point to a probable connection between floods and a higher incidence of positive coronavirus cases, the overlap needs to be considered in planning for 2021 monsoon

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Community restores grasslands, makes village drought-resilient

Grasslands conservation, initiated to ensure water availability has increased the water table, resulting in reverse migration and cultivation of crops, and prevention of soil erosion

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Community ensures forest protection and sustainable management

Van panchayats, which are local forest management institutions with elected representatives, ensure protection of forests by reviving and conserving water sources and by adopting fire prevention measures

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Where are the women in water governance?

Women contribute equally to livelihood activities involving water. Yet they are absent in the decision-making processes, since only domestic water management is seen as their responsibility

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Self-help groups effect social change in villages

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Freeing themselves from the restraints of veils, rural women have become empowered to make financial contributions to the household and raise their voice for village needs

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Community prevents pollution, keeps lake clean

By taking all possible preventive measures, community ensures Tsogmo Lake, a popular tourist destination in Sikkim with rich biodiversity, remains tidy and pollution free

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Administrators hope to appease relocated tribes of Simlipal

With International Forest Day, observed on 21 March, and news of forest fires in Simlipal, the biosphere's administrators hope to change mindset of relocated forest dwellers with education and employment

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Community involvement improves waste management

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With awareness lacking in rural areas, waste management is an issue, especially in tourist attractions. A multi-stakeholder model, with the community at the helm shows the way

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Visitor toll helps tribes develop their villages

District administration permits tribes to collect toll from tourists visiting Kataki waterfall. With the revenue, the toll committee upgrades the village and waterfalls, besides helping the needy

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Empowered rural women demonstrate leadership skills

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Providing an enabling environment transforms and empowers rural women. Building on their abilities, the women realize their potential to lead and become change makers

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How rural India showed resilience, synergy during lockdown

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Republic Day is an ideal occasion to celebrate rural India’s positive progress. VillageSquare recollects how communities used the lockdown productively, despite difficulties and loss of livelihoods.

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Cash crop cotton loses lustre for Ganjam farmers

Lack of transportation and marketing facilities and exploitation by private money lenders have forced cotton growers to cultivate other crops despite cotton’s potential for good returns

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Dairy cooperative leads to empowerment of women

Women who were confined to their homes became dairy farmers as SHG members, subsequently forming a self-reliant cooperative. It has resulted in empowering them socially and financially

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Odisha fares poorly in women’s safety, despite government efforts

Statistics reveal rampant gender-based violence and inequality in Odisha. A concerted multi-stakeholder effort is needed to bring about change, as government initiatives are slow in bearing results

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Tribes hope to revive degenerated agriculture through development plan

Development eluded two remote Irula tribal villages in Western Ghats. Through Tribal Sub-Plan being implemented, they hope to revive agriculture that once kept them self-sufficient