Ground Report
The vanishing art of weaving bamboo baskets
A couple struggling to earn money by weaving bamboo baskets – their traditional livelihood – makes a development management student wonder if it’s wrong to expect some support from the government.
Why do women revert to the chulha despite Ujjwala Yojana?
Some rural women still do not use cooking gas because it is not affordable. A development student feels that the government needs a bottom-up approach in designing welfare schemes.
The voice of a labourer
A villager who raises his voice for labourers’ rights and juggles multiple jobs to make a living inspires a development management student to be courageous and just. The lead image shows Grishma Kajbaje and her friend during a field visit.
A veil won’t cloud her vision
A development management student is inspired by a strong and bold former woman panchayat leader who overcame all odds in a highly patriarchal society to develop a model village.
Uninhibited menstruation talk on “Hello Saathi” helpline
Want to have an uninhibited talk about menstruation? Try the “Hello Saathi” helpline, a game-changing scheme from the menstrual health group Uninhibited helping 150,000 people in less than two years, as two of its practitioners report.
When a wedding gift becomes a high interest loan
Development professional Sanjana Kaushik discovers how notra tradition, once a beautiful culture of generosity and oneness, where everyone in the Bhil tribe helped host weddings, has sadly become a vicious money-lending cycle.
“Beej Gram” scheme makes farming financially viable
Farmers benefit by distributing seeds produced from the high quality foundation seeds that the Government of Madhya Pradesh supplies at a subsidised rate.
Taekwondo master gives confidence kick
Development management student Shashvi Thakur is inspired by a passionate and progressive taekwondo blackbelt who trains young girls and boys from the marginalised Bedia community in Madhya Pradesh.
Perils of not having a birth certificate
One in 10 children under the age of five do not have a birth certificate in India. This makes them invisible to the system, unable to avail of state benefits. But one district in Madhya Pradesh is trying to buck this trend, as development fellows Sohinee Thakurta and Smriti Gupta have discovered.
Teaching beyond the textbooks in Rajasthan
An education support programme offers students in government schools a holistic approach, helping them imbibe lessons through practical and hands-on learning, and boosting their confidence through peer learning.
Of windmills and women
Wind farms are generally a beneficial source of renewable energy. But what happens when they cut through ancient tribal land, stoking fears of lost livelihoods and identities? India Fellow Aneesh Mohan finds out.
Weed wars – invasive plants battle it out
Aggressive and highly invasive plant species are destroying India’s forest lands and biodiversity. Sridhar Ananth and Sanjiv Phansalkar write about the scale of this issue and deliberate possible solutions.
The elephant and the honey bee: Are there lessons for Meghalaya and Tripura?
An ecosystem consisting of honey bees, elephants and rubber plantation is enabling additional income for tribal homes. Here K Sivamuthuprakash and Sanjiv Phansalkar describe the fascinating project which facilitates this ecosystem.
Whose idea of development is it anyway?
For two development professionals a field visit to a displaced village triggered a series of broader questions about development. They share their dilemmas about how development is perceived and practiced.
From the bladder of a cow
Natural farming based on the clever use of cow waste is transforming lives in Andhra Pradesh as Sanjiv Phansalkar of the VikasAnvesh Foundation discovered close up.
Rural theatre acts out vaccine hesitancy
Setting the stage to bust myths around vaccine hesitancy, tribal dance and theatre productions manage to convert the unvaccinated in Rajasthan, proving the power of tailor-made messaging.
Is digital planning working for India’s villages?
India’s villages are the last stop in the government’s drive to digitize administrative planning and ensure a more transparent allocation of resources. But how effective is this digital push? Development worker Jitendra Pandit tackles this in his Field Report.
The power of exposure trips
Four years ago, program officer Ankita Goyal accompanied a group of tribal women on their first trip out of their village. Little did she know this “exposure visit” would turn out to be a life-changing experience for her.
The lack of sustainable farming prospects in India
While the government is taking small steps towards sustainable agriculture, there are challenges ranging from India’s agricultural workforce to its political economy that need to be acknowledged and addressed.
Assam’s rural theatre: Curtains up or down?
Despite competition from Netflix and YouTube, small theatre troupes in Assam enjoy a loyal patronage. Yet, with acting as their main livelihood, the artists face uncertainty during the pandemic.