The latest rural news, most touching stories and insights from villages – where nearly two-thirds of India lives. Find out about rural start-ups and livelihood trends, impact of rapid development on the environment, advances in health and nutrition, innovative approaches in learning and literacy, and much more.
Rural News
Livelihoods
South Kerala farmers are taking the entrepreneurial route
Reflecting a transition in the agricultural landscape of south Kerala, spearheaded by farmer collectives, farmers are voluntarily taking up entrepreneurship to propel them into higher earnings.
Yamuna Kumari: A pioneer in modern farming
Breaking barriers as a successful farmer, Yamuna Kumari from Jharkhand’s Bero village has inspired a community of women to take up high-value agriculture.
Tribal woman in Odisha champions heirloom seeds
Raimati Ghiuria, popularly known as the Queen of Millets, from the Bhumia tribal community of southern Odisha’s Koraput district, has championed heirloom seeds and local agrobiodiversity. She has also shared her knowledge of organic farming with over 2,500 farmers.
Environment
Young changemakers teach sustainable menstruation
Five schoolgirls from Uttarakhand took on the challenge of managing menstrual waste, breaking taboos and promoting sustainable menstruation through education, advocacy, and eco-friendly alternatives, inspiring change in their community and beyond.
Chuck the plastic with these cool alternatives
This World Earth Day, Village Square highlights five Indian brands creating stylish alternatives to plastics for the conscious consumer.
People’s movements to save the forests – a timeline
The Telangana government’s decision to auction off 400 acres of forested land in the heart of Hyderabad sparked massive public outrage recently. Here are a few other popular people’s movements that sought to fight for our forests.
Health & Well Being
Young changemakers teach sustainable menstruation
Five schoolgirls from Uttarakhand took on the challenge of managing menstrual waste, breaking taboos and promoting sustainable menstruation through education, advocacy, and eco-friendly alternatives, inspiring change in their community and beyond.
Hidden heroines of Temla: Transforming rural lives
In the small village of Temla, Tempo Chauhan and other local volunteers are intensifying their efforts to raise awareness and prevent maternal and newborn deaths. This World Health Day, marked by the theme ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,’ we look at their remarkable journey.
Braving the snow: ASHA workers’ unseen fight
Healthcare workers in Kashmir’s Kulgam district stand between triumph and tragedy in the remote snowy region, putting their own well-being second to that of the people they serve. It’s time their efforts are suitably rewarded.
Education
Patwa Toli: Bihar’s IIT hotbed
This is the remarkable tale of Patwa Toli, a village of weavers that transformed its destiny by ensuring that it nurtures an engineer in every household. Read on about Bihar’s hamlet of IITians.
Sukma’s educational renaissance
Sukma, in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, has adopted several best practices in its educational system to ensure that tribal children are able to secure their future.
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.
Gender
The portrayal of women in Kalighat paintings
Kalighat paintings offer a fascinating glimpse into the complex and evolving relationship between societal expectations, gender roles, and females in India. By portraying women as both symbols of tradition and catalysts for change, the art form serves as a valuable record of a transformative period. The contemporary depiction of women in Kalighat can be seen as a continuing struggle for gender equality and women’s rights in today’s society.
Her cafe’s Kangri dham a big draw
Started by Manisha Thakur in 2022, Her cafe is an all-women-run cafe in Bir that serves local Himachali delicacies and provides the feel of a home-cooked meal in their village-inspired cafe setting.
Reimagining the idea of processed foods
A Chennai-based food technologist, with the help of farmers, has pioneered a movement of consciously processed foods and given a completely new dimension to the idea of healthy eating.
Governance
How the panchayat came about
Did you know it was a critical comment about villages that sparked a heated discourse in the Constituent Assembly debates that led to the formation of the panchayat system? Read on to find out how.
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.
COVID-19 Impact
Boom in Kashmir’s bloom business
Stuck at home in the pandemic, many Kashmiris became avid gardeners and are now turning their passion into a business by transforming their backyard patches into plant nurseries.
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.
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.