Perspectives
Small vegetable and poultry farmers severely affected by demonetization drive
Three weeks into the surprise announcement by the government to withdraw high denomination currency notes from circulation, it is now clear that producers of perishable commodities such as vegetable and poultry have been seriously impacted
Demonetization and the rural poor in five dimensions
The junking of high value currency notes has led to an unprecedented situation where the poor are more at risk from manipulation by the unscrupulous than from any crippling financial loss in the short or medium terms, barring exceptions
Tackling malnutrition in India needs thinking out of the box
If India has to improve its rank on the global Hunger Index, there has to be an emphasis on alternative and participatory approaches of delivering nutrients to underserved populations
Social forestry provides useful lessons in participatory democracy
The road to participatory democracy cannot be paved with good intentions alone but needs resources, sustained work and self-critical reflection by villages and voluntary organizations alike
Can this crisis in the heart of India be allowed to continue?
The economic exploitation and developmental neglect of the core tribal areas of India’s eastern plateau and hills across Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have to be tackled through practical solutions unhindered by ideological blinkers
Women in villages pay a heavy price for working away from home
The knotty issues around rural women’s migration for employment that often stigmatise and disempower them in their communities have to be urgently addressed for a gender-inclusive economic growth
There’s a mismatch between aspirations and reality in rural India
Opportunities to a better life have not kept pace with the rising aspirations of the rural youth that are a natural corollary of high economic growth, which raise spectres of frustration and social friction in our society
Learning from Mahatma Gandhi’s insights on economic democracy
Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas on gram swaraj and his thoughts on economic democracy through creative localisation could well be the new launch pad to create a more vibrant model of sustainable development of rural society and economy