Governance
A Bal Gram Sabha for kids
By imparting values of democracy and leadership, Bhata Dungariya, a nondescript village in Mandla, is grooming Gen Alpha to take on governance roles in the future.
Dalits’ pursuit of dignity and rights
While there have been significant changes to Dalit lives – more work needs to be done, especially in rural India, to ensure they’re given equal opportunities to thrive, says JNU assistant professor.
Mandla makeover – How MP’s cyber crime hub became a literacy model
When 4,500 volunteers set out to transform Mandla in 2020, it was notorious for its low literacy rates and cyber fraud. It then became the first district in Madhya Pradesh to achieve 100 percent functional literacy.
Simple tech to solve water distribution woes
An innovative shaft-based technology promises to transform water distribution, ensuring every household gets its fair share regardless of supply timing.
A village where farms and forests belong to everyone
The lands at Mendha Lekha village in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district are collectively owned, with the profits shared among all. This settlement of around 500 Gond tribe members tells a powerful tale of cooperation and shared prosperity.
Mixed signals for rural sector in latest Union Budget
India's 2024-25 Budget presents a mixed bag for rural development. With increased overall funding but cuts in crucial programmes like MGNREGS, the coming year will reveal if these allocations can effectively address the challenges faced by the rural economy.
‘Technology has become indispensable for rural development’
In an interview with Swapnil Agarwal, CEO and co-founder of Dhwani Rural Information Systems, we discuss the transformative impact of technology, AI and dashboards on the development sector.
‘We need to communicate what safe water means’
Several regions across India face acute shortage of safe drinking water. We speak to Amar Prakash, state programme director for WaterAid in Madhya Pradesh, about their interventions, challenges and success stories.
‘More awareness is needed about safe internet use’
“We need to involve parents in conversations about internet safety,” Unmesh Joshi, co-founder and COO of Responsible Netism, tells Village Square.
What this interim budget holds for rural India
While the Rural Development Ministry got increased allocation, with MGNREGS getting a boost, not all schemes saw hikes in the interim budget 2024-25 presented by the Union government on Feb 1.
On Kolab reservoir’s perilous pathway, villagers await bridge
Despite being a 15-minute drive from Koraput town in Odisha, 138 villages remain isolated due to the absence of a road bridge over the Kolab reservoir. They currently use a two-foot-wide pathway attached to an old railway bridge.
Tamil Nadu villagers take it upon themselves to build road
With no redressal of their decades-long request, Kottur Malai villagers pool money and labour to lay a six-kilometre mud road to their village.
Jharkhand’s McCluskieganj struggles to stay alive
McCluskieganj, a charming hill town near Ranchi, faces an uncertain fate. It grapples with decaying colonial structures, a departed Anglo-Indian community, and environmental threats posed by illegal brick kilns.
Jharkhand villagers waiting to see ‘light’
Residents of three hamlets in Jharkhand continue to live in darkness as electricity supply is yet to reach them. Lack of hospitals and schools in the vicinity adds to their woes.
Former bonded labourers champion justice in Punjab
In the heartland of Punjab, people who once endured the shackles of debt and bondage now dedicate their lives to freeing others.
Poor facilities plague Rajasthan’s anganwadis
With dilapidated buildings that often do not have basic facilities such as water and electricity, the anganwadis in Rajasthan are not able to fully ensure the development of children.
Mokhada tribal villagers don’t fear the rains anymore
In the quaint tribal taluka of Mokhada nestled in the Sahyadri hills, the construction of a concrete bridge and a tar road marks the beginning of a new chapter.
Is rural India on the brink of a renaissance?
Will Indian villages be part of the country's galloping growth? A leading development conference holds over 100 conversations to find out.
‘Women’s quota in panchayat polls not mere rubber stamp’
Dolly, a two-time sarpanch of Shadipur village in Gaya, Bihar, talks about the practice of sarpanch pati in India’s panchayati raj institutions. Dolly left her comfortable corporate job in 2018 to pursue a career in grassroots politics.
‘Feminist sensitisation is needed for everyone’
What is it like to empower marginalised women to access justice in rural India? We speak to Anshumala of Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives Trust (AALI), an organisation working on protection and advancement of women’s rights since 1998.