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
Tharu tribes lose identity and livelihood to industrial development
The Tharu tribes of Uttarakhand have a symbiotic relationship with nature. With industrial development bringing in migrants and taking away land, they are at risk of losing their nature-centric way of life and livelihood.
Golden empowerment: Women effect change through turmeric
In a remote village in Jharkhand, women take to turmeric cultivation and processing – learning everything from scratch, transforming their lives and inspiring other women to follow in their footsteps.
Concerted efforts help communities get through Cyclone Remal
While early warning systems help the administration prepare communities to safeguard themselves and their possessions during a cyclone, collaborative post-disaster relief work with other agencies helps people in the Sundarbans recover fast.
Combating desertification and drought in Chhattisgarh
This initiative of Transform Rural India and Hindustan Unilever Foundation is working to restore land and water ecosystems in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh by layering scientific principles while planning and executing local development plans.
Another brick in the wall: The story of a brick-making village
In a village in the periphery of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, where brick kiln workers toil hard, difficult circumstances force their children to forego education, ending in a cycle of hardships across generations
Reviving healthcare services in the Red Corridor villages
Caught in the conflict between the left-wing extremists and government-supported counterinsurgency militia, villages in Chhattisgarh were devoid of healthcare, till a collaborative effort resulted in the revival of medical centres.
Fostering menstrual health and women’s empowerment in rural India
Providing education, affordable products and fostering a supportive environment can go a long way to empower women and girls, and break taboos around menstrual health.
A youth in Rajasthan becomes the bird man of the desert
A young man who became a guide in the Desert National Park to make a living gets drawn to birds, and learns to identify the local and migratory birds, earning the epithet ‘bird man of the desert’.
Solar energy brings a shining solution for Assam’s villagers
In remote villages of Assam that have no or erratic power supply, locally produced solar energy helps villagers access digital services and also become small entrepreneurs to enhance their income.