Livelihoods
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
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
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
Irrigation key to fighting poverty in Kandhamal
Groundwater recharge in Kandhamal’s undulating terrain and pumps to lift water are needed to break the nexus between lack of irrigation and poverty in this seriously underdeveloped area of Odisha
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
Healthcare of elderly suffers with youth migration
With little livelihood opportunities in villages, the youth in rural Maharashtra migrate to cities, leading to delayed healthcare of elderly dependents and increased medical expenses
Kashidakari women look to grow embroidery earnings
Women in Jodhasar, who have begun embroidering for a living by putting traditional skills they used for embellishing personal clothing to good use, need better market linkages to boost incomes
Beedi rolling robs Murshidabad girls of their childhood
Young girls in rural Murshidabad are pushed by their parents to roll beedis, the poor man’s cigarette, at the cost of their schooling because being able to earn improves their marriage prospects
Palakkad’s priestly community encash culinary tradition
Priests from Tamil Nadu, who migrated to Kerala for temple duties centuries ago, have put their culinary skills to good use, augmenting household incomes and the local economy
Seed guardians of Banswara revive traditional varieties
Village women in Banswara district of Rajasthan are setting an example as organic farmers by adopting and spreading awareness to revive indigenous varieties of crops that boost nutritional security
How development excludes India’s tribal people
Failing to understand the tribal world view and imposing the dominant development paradigm on adivasi communities is affecting their identity and well-being
Karnataka dairy farmers face heat of drought
Dairy farmers in Karnataka have been seriously impacted by the severe drought in most parts of the state as milk yields have fallen and fodder has become more expensive
Singing genealogists of Karnataka sustain ancestral profession
The Helavas of Karnataka, who sing family genealogies from carefully maintained records, have practiced the tradition for centuries, and continue to do so despite fading relevance
Heavy snow hurts Kashmir’s apple farmers
Extreme weather events such as untimely snowfall and heavy floods have harmed the apple crop in Kashmir; one way to reduce losses is to properly implement a crop insurance scheme
Village health workers toil tirelessly despite low wages
Village health workers have emerged as the mainstay of the primary healthcare system in rural Maharashtra. Yet, they are paid tiny amounts, get no benefits and struggle with supply shortages
Participation key to empowering Juang tribes
Treating Juang tribes of Odisha as participants in the development process rather than as recipients of development largesse will help bringing them into the national mainstream
Food forests offer better profits to farmers
Mimicking forests, progressive farmers across India have started transforming farms into a layered cropping system that is climate resilient and more productive