Read the opinion pieces from those at the sharp end of development world – from practitioners in the field to district officers and even ideators creating schemes for the future. Field Journal is the place for civil society groups to share their experiences and insights – their highs and lows – in their journey to put India on the path to progress.
Ground Report
Overcoming the many hurdles to women’s inheritance rights
Prameelaben, a single child, faced many challenges on her way to claiming inheritance rights until support arrived from the local women’s collective and a grassroots organisation
Solar-powered water supply eases women’s struggles
Gone are the days when Andharkachhala village in Gujarat faced acute drinking water shortage. A solar-powered system managed by a woman-led user group ensures adequate water supply now, besides bringing multiple other benefits.
India’s population spike holds lessons for gender equality
The burden of family planning lies on the woman even as she struggles with patriarchal control over her body, preference for male children, limited access to pregnancy control measures and men’s apathy towards the issue.
Deepening pond to deepen farmers’ pockets
An intervention to make a pond deeper at Surendranagar in Gujarat has brought joy to many farmers in the region by ensuring more water availability and preventing soil erosion.
Digging pits to build lives the Chhattisgarh way
In a planned, coordinated effort by the government and other agencies, the employment guarantee scheme brings positive changes to the lives of tribal people in the extremism-affected Bastar.
How these farmers grow more crop per drop
In Gujarat’s water deficient areas, farmers opt for micro irrigation systems which reduce their production cost and increase their income.
Tribal dairy farmers prosper with ‘solar-irrigated’ fodder
Forest villages that were once a picture of neglect have started prospering, thanks to solar-powered irrigation that helps villagers rear cattle and provide them green fodder.
When natural farming is more viable
Realising that pesticides and fertilisers made with local materials are more effective and cheaper, farmers in Rajasthan are switching to natural farming.
The many gains of a farm pond
Constructing a pond on her farm in Sonpari village of Gujarat has brought many joys for Jayaben, including enhanced income, more cultivable land and enough water for her cattle.