Ground Report
Nalsarovar: The lake of opportunity for Maldhari pastoralists
Nalsarovar Lake, a protected wetland and bird sanctuary, provides a livelihood for the Maldhari pastoralists who depend on it for fodder for their livestock and income through tourism-related activities
The dangerous state of women farmers
Women farmers face discrimination despite their contribution to the agricultural economy and protective laws. Self-help groups and women’s collectives offer them support and hope.
Saving Rajasthan’s villagers from online fraud
After villagers in Rajasthan lost their hard earned money in online frauds, a woman entrepreneur from amongst them decided to change this.
Shrimply Tamil Nadu
Does the sight of shrimp make you hungry? This photo walkthrough shows how shrimp farming is reshaping the environment, livelihoods and social relations in a coastal village of Tamil Nadu.
“Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks as I received the award”
Damayanti Nayak’s inspiring journey is causing many farmers to take up collectivized and synchronized farming. Here Damayanti recalls how she went from growing crops for self consumption to earning 2 lacs from farming - in her own words
SFURTI: Helping farmers to become artisans with a novel scheme
Two-third of India lives in villages with limited access to economic agricultural opportunities. SFURTI, a government scheme, is trying to help villages imagine their lives beyond farming – helping them become earning artisans.
Menstruation is Natural. Period.
It’s 2023 and more than 300 million Indian women still don’t have access to sanitary pads. Desperate to change this, three Delhi University students launched Project Aarogya.
Amul’s camel milk a lifeline to depleting Kharai camel herders in Gujarat’s Kutch
Camel milk and camel chocolate give a lifeline to herders of the remarkable but threatened kharai camel, which can swim in the ocean and eat saline plants.
How Kollam became India’s first constitution-literate district
Democracy – without understanding the constitution that protects it – is fatal to society. That’s why one initiative, Citizen 2022, is setting out to ensure more of India’s villagers are constitution literate.
Girl child – a nation’s asset, but her life’s at stake
Despite many legislations to protect and empower girls, the ground reality paints a dismal picture. It’s time to recognise that a girl child is an asset and not a liability.
How technology delivers more female calves, boosts dairy business in Guntur
Thanks to sex-sorted semen insemination, 90% of the new cattle born in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district are female, making dairying lucrative for farmers.
Four hurdles to social change in rural India
Rural India has a long, arduous journey towards socio-economic development. However, there are four major challenges which if addressed could make the journey easier.
Farming sans chemical pesticides, courtesy solar-powered insect traps
Solar-powered insect traps are an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides, which also reduce costs for farmers and produce better quality crops.
Women adopt organic farming to transform a Karnataka village
The old adage – empower a woman and it will transform not just her and her family but the entire community – is coming true once again as more women take to organic farming in Handanakere of Tumkur district in Karnataka.
Smashing gender discrimination one theatre skit at a time
Nukkad naatak (street theatre) is not only helping a group of tribal women raise awareness about gender discrimination and the digital divide in Banka, Bihar -- but it’s helping bring about real change too.
Alu Kurumba art depicts the tribes’ connection with nature
In the remote forests of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, one man tries to keep the art of the Alu Kurumbas tribe alive despite the impact of a cultural shift.
Synchronised farming, collective marketing boost farmers’ income in Odisha
Farmers in an Odisha village are reaping rewards from synchronised cultivation and coming together as a collective for purchase and sale of their produce.
How a tribal woman farmer increases income with this new approach
Balmati Goud was your average struggling tribal farmer who worked as a daily wage worker – until she adopted the ‘50-cent (0.5 acres of land) model' of organic farming, transforming her life and becoming an inspiration for other women farmers.
How millet magic is empowering women in rural Odisha
Loaded with nutritional benefits and climate resistant properties, finger millet can be a life-transforming crop – especially if mini-millet flour mills, making the processing easier.
Kudumbashree: A 3-tiered programme tackling Kerala’s gender-based violence
Tackling gender-based violence, Kerala’s Kudumbashree programme works on the three principles of transformation, prevention and support - offering community-based centres and counselling for those in need.