Livelihoods
Farm entrepreneurs build path to prosperity in rural Jharkhand
Many farmers in Jharkhand have started taking progressive steps as rural entrepreneurs, offering a host of services to help local smallholders move beyond subsistence agriculture and towards increased incomes
Rural women’s collectives are all about empowerment
Self-help groups in villages bring financial and social empowerment to women, changing entrenched perceptions on their competence in managing their affairs
Technology-enabled sale streamlines fertilizer supply chain
Linking technology and Aadhaar unique identity numbers, the direct benefit transfer of fertilizer subsidy in Andhra Pradesh has helped in curbing malpractices and has benefited farmers by preventing leakages
Flayers and leather workers are victims of thick-skinned polity
Leather workers and people who deal with cattle carcasses remain an oppressed minority in villages across India, languishing at the bottom rung of rural society and ignored by governments at all levels
Women-centric interventions needed for flood-ravaged Sundarbans islands
After men migrate for work, women of Mousuni Island in the Sundarbans in West Bengal have to struggle for survival, losing land to floods and erosion, and livelihoods to salinity ingress
Farmers grow coconuts in deserts to improve livelihoods
Many farmers in India, the world’s top coconut producing country, have successfully introduced coconut farming in arid regions to meet growing demand and to boost earnings
In Gandhi’s Gujarat, potters keep shine on Hindu-Muslim amity
Despite insufficient income, lean periods during monsoons and unexpected hardship such as the floods this year, the Sumra Muslim potters return every year to Sarkhej Roza, where the pots they make are bought by Hindu wholesale traders, evoking secular unity
How can we kick-start Make in Rural India?
A significant portion of the government’s flagship Make in India initiative can be realized in the country’s rural areas through enterprises that have potential to benefit and provide employment to a large number of people
Bengal’s farmers are behind Kolkata’s stunning Durga Puja pandals
Designing and building the temporary pavilions that house the deity during West Bengal’s biggest annual festival remains the preserve of rural artisans — chiefly farmers and folk artists — despite an increasing presence of professionals from creative arts in this field
Niyamgiri tribe revive wild harvests after Vedanta victory
Judicious use of wild uncultivated foods and revival of indigenous crops are helping the Dongria Kondh tribe of Niyamgiri to boost food security beyond their successful campaign against mining giant Vedanta
Mutlupur farmers transform neglected wetland into integrated farm
A group of farmers have converted a shunned wetland to practice fish farming, agroforestry and horticulture, providing employment and livelihood opportunities to impoverished villagers
Poor flood planning is destroying livelihoods in south Bengal
Breach of riverbanks after torrential rains and water released from overflowing reservoirs flood southern portions of West Bengal, leading to loss of livelihoods and complete disruption of life
Women in Gir stand up for dignity of widows
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
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
Maharashtra seed mother pioneers conservation of native varieties
Linking failing health to hybrid seeds, Rahibai Soma Popere of Kombhalne village in Maharashtra conserves hundreds of native varieties and encourages other farmers to grow traditional crops
Riverbank erosion no less a disaster than Assam floods
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?
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
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
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, 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