IDR Hindi
A circular strip_circular economy
Environment

IDR Explains | Circular Economy

In just five questions, explore the circular economy—what it is, why it’s crucial for sustainability in India, and the challenges of adopting it.
by India Development Review | 10 min read

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Latest

A passenger boat departing from Alappuzha station._water transport
Livelihoods
Photo essay: A deep dive into Alappuzha’s water transport system 
The rich history of Alappuzha's inland water transport system stands in sharp contrast to the challenges experienced by the boatmasters who now anchor it.
by Sara Koshy | 5 min read
A watercolour painting of trees in a forest using green, blue, and purple colours - Social change
Perspectives
Connection, not abstraction
Philanthropy’s most important role is not to abstract solutions by distilling them into replicable frameworks. It is to nurture the connections that make them possible.
by Gautam John | 7 min read
a hand wearing a glove working in mud-nursery
Livelihoods
Photo essay: Inside a plant nursery in Uttar Pradesh
Burdened by low wages and unsafe working conditions, and coupled with limited access to schemes like e-Shram, nursery workers in Shahjahanpur barely make ends meet.
by Sumaiya Ali | 5 min read
three sheep looking up at the camera--nonprofit humour
Humour
Conference partners: What they actually do
Ever wondered about the role that each partner plays at a conference? Here’s an easy guide, featuring Sister Michael from Derry Girls.
by Srishti Gupta | 2 min read
Workers sitting in an auto-rickshaw_migration
Diversity & Inclusion
The road to safety and security for migrant workers
The migrant crisis during the Covid-19 lockdown was a wake-up call for policy makers that certain long-term and systemic practices and approaches need to be adopted for internal migration in the country
by Johnson Topno | 5 min read

Ground Up

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Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.


Agriculture
photo
All is not well in Nagaland’s oil palm plantations
by Keletsino Mejura
Location Icon Peren district, Nagaland
Education
photo
Not enough classrooms for Kuki students displaced by Manipur violence
by Gracy Lamkholhing
Location Icon Churachandpur district, Manipur
Diversity & Inclusion
photo
Can the Meiteis in Tripura save their beloved musical instrument?
by Ningombam Bir Singha
Location Icon Khowai district, Tripura
Environment
photo
Beyond classrooms: Rethinking environmental education
by Anjana Vencatesan
Location Icon Chennai district, Tamil Nadu

A day in the life of

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Frontline workers and first responders share their insights from working at the grassroots.


Priti Mishra, a social–emotional learning facilitator, teaching in a class in jharkhand's east singhbhum district--social–emotional learning
Education
Social–emotional learning: In the classroom and beyond
A day in the life of a nonprofit worker who supports children’s social–emotional learning in government schools in Jharkhand.
by Priti Mishra | 7 min read
Disability rights activist Pappu Kanwar in Barmer, Rajasthan--disability rights
Diversity & Inclusion
An activist fights for gender equality and disability rights in Rajasthan
A day in the life of an activist from Barmer, Rajasthan, who battles ableism, casteism, and violence against women.
by Pappu Kanwar | 6 min read
Santosh Charan, an ASHA sahyogini in Chittorgarh--healthcare
Health
An ASHA stands up for herself and the women in her community
A day in the life of an ASHA sahyogini who isn't deterred by the challenges she faces in rural Rajasthan.
by Santosh Charan | 7 min read

Failure Files

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Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

Aerial shot of women protestors sitting_well-being
Social Justice
Preparing for a marathon, not a sprint 
Dalit civil rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan on why failure is an opportunity to build power, how systems of oppression affect well-being, and what healing looks like for individuals and communities.
by India Development Review | 10 min read
Barbed wire_nonprofits
Leadership & Talent
Why don’t nonprofits talk about their failures?
A number of risks, both real and perceived, stop nonprofits from talking about failure. Here's how various stakeholders can work together to overcome them.
by Rachita Vora, Tanaya Jagtiani | 7 min read
rural women take part in a boat race in west bengal-leadership
Leadership & Talent
The road to recovery
In Part II of a conversation with Dream a Dream CEO Suchetha Bhat and co-founder Vishal Talreja learn about what it took to rebuild an organisation in crisis, and why it needed a new kind of leadership.
by India Development Review | 15 min read

IDR Interviews

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Conversations with visionaries on their life's work, and their efforts to challenge the status quo in our country.

an image of Dayamani Barla against a turquoise background-adivasi
"Activists should go to places where laws are made and also where laws are implemented. If you don’t get into politics, you won’t be able to save the country."
Dayamani Barla
3 min read
Madhu mansuri hasmukh
"I spoke of the rights of Adivasis in my songs. When the state of Jharkhand was created, we had great aspirations, and  these aspirations are also woven into my songs."
Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh
8 min read
Narendra Gupta profile_healthcare
"If we have Right to Education, Right to Information, Right to Employment, Right to Food, Forest Right Act, then why not Right to Health?"
Dr Narendra Gupta
2 min read

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Sectors

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Insights and analysis of specific sectors in the development arena—what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change.

See all coverage by topic:
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Livelihoods
  • Rights
  • Water & Sanitation
    • A circular strip_circular economy
    Environment
    IDR Explains | Circular Economy
    In just five questions, explore the circular economy—what it is, why it’s crucial for sustainability in India, and the challenges of adopting it.
    by India Development Review | 10 min read
    A passenger boat departing from Alappuzha station._water transport
    Livelihoods
    Photo essay: A deep dive into Alappuzha’s water transport system 
    The rich history of Alappuzha's inland water transport system stands in sharp contrast to the challenges experienced by the boatmasters who now anchor it.
    by Sara Koshy | 5 min read
    a hand wearing a glove working in mud-nursery
    Livelihoods
    Photo essay: Inside a plant nursery in Uttar Pradesh
    Burdened by low wages and unsafe working conditions, and coupled with limited access to schemes like e-Shram, nursery workers in Shahjahanpur barely make ends meet.
    by Sumaiya Ali | 5 min read

    Themes

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    Approaches and ideas that cut across sectors and counter the dominant narratives around us.

    See all coverage by topic:
  • Advocacy & Government
  • Climate Emergency
  • Collaboration
  • COVID-19
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Ecosystem Development
  • Gender
  • Inequality
  • Philanthropy & CSR
  • Scale
  • Social Business
  • Social Justice
  • Urban
  • Youth
    • A watercolour painting of trees in a forest using green, blue, and purple colours - Social change
    Perspectives
    Connection, not abstraction
    Philanthropy’s most important role is not to abstract solutions by distilling them into replicable frameworks. It is to nurture the connections that make them possible.
    by Gautam John | 7 min read
    Workers sitting in an auto-rickshaw_migration
    Diversity & Inclusion
    The road to safety and security for migrant workers
    The migrant crisis during the Covid-19 lockdown was a wake-up call for policy makers that certain long-term and systemic practices and approaches need to be adopted for internal migration in the country
    by Johnson Topno | 5 min read
    An image of a police station-criminal laws
    Rights
    How India’s new criminal laws curb civil liberties
    From introducing vague offences to increasing police powers, India's new criminal laws, touted as a means to 'decolonise' the criminal justice system, achieve anything but.
    by Medha Deo | 6 min read

    Expertise

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    Skills and functions that are core to growing programmes and organisations.

    See all coverage by topic:
  • Board & Governance
  • Fundraising & Communications
  • Leadership & Talent
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Programme
  • Technology
    • three women working in a co-working space in Delhi, India--AI for nonprofits
    Technology
    Are Indian nonprofits ready for AI?
    As AI adoption spikes globally, GivingTuesday conducted a survey to assess how well Indian nonprofits have adapted to this fast-growing technology. Here's what they found.
    by India Development Review | 6 min read
    red, orange, and yellow coloured powder--persons with disability
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Designing inclusive programmes for persons with disabilities
    Advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through grassroots initiatives can only succeed when their voices and wisdom are placed at the centre.
    by Srishti Gupta, Derrek Xavier | 8 min read
    A group of people from rural India sitting on the floor in a circle_grassroots organisations
    Ecosystem Development
    Lessons for building economic self-reliance in jan sangathans
    Grassroots organisations are the backbone of social change in India. Here’s how they can sustain their efforts while remaining community-centric and economically self-reliant.
    by Sidharth Bhatt, Indresh Sharma | 6 min read
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