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    • The image shows a group of four women standing in a line in a grass-covered clearing in a forest. Using a shovel, they are digging the soil to create a shallow, horizontal trench. Another woman is standing next to them and she has built a triangular structure using wooden sticks._Kuki-Zo community
    Livelihoods

    Why are the Kuki-Zo in Manipur negotiating for land?

    Amid shifting cultivation and migration, Kuki-Zo families in Manipur are finding ways to secure access to the land they have inhabited for generations.
    by Paohaolen Haokip | 2 min read

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    A board game with a red and black grid, wooden pawns of different colors, and small wooden walls placed across the squares_mental health for lgbt
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Mental healthcare continues to fail queer communities
    Sexual and gender minorities in India face higher mental health risks, stigma, and limited access to inclusive, affordable care. What is the path forward?
    by Tanushree Ghosh | 8 min read
    The image features a group of people sitting around two rectangular tables. The people are of different ages and genders, some have laptops and notebooks placed in front of them, and the group is engaged in a discussion. The people are smiling and laughing. The walls of the room have colourful drawings of animals, including a lion and a giraffe, painted on them._Neurodiversity
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Reading our way to change 
    How a simple lunch-hour book club sparked a shift towards more compassionate, neurodiversity-affirming autism support.
    by Andre Filipe Velho | 2 min read
    Colourful shawls lying on top of each other--funding
    Fundraising & Communications
    How to get funding for your organisation’s core costs
    Tweaks in language and systems could persuade donors to pay for costs not directly linked to specific programmes.
    by Girish Nair | 5 min read
    An illustration of three schoolchildren in uniforms crouched at a starting line on a running track labeled “1, 2, 3.” A man in traditional attire stands beside them, holding a green flag to signal the start. A large sign behind the children reads “Scholarship race.” The image represents competition among students for scholarships._Nonprofit humour
    Humour
    Off to the races
    But jump through a million hoops first to access your basic rights.
    by Rajika Seth, Pooja Rathi | 2 min read
    The image is a close-up of differently-coloured umbrellas that are open and suspended in the air._Queer laws
    Rights
    Do India’s laws protect queer people from discrimination?
    Existing laws fail to protect India's queer community against systemic discrimination in housing, education, employment, and finance. Here's how this can change.
    by Jwalika Balaji, Kartavi Satyarthi, Namrata Mukherjee | 7 min read

    Ground Up

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


    Livelihoods
    photo
    Why are the Kuki-Zo in Manipur negotiating for land?
    by Paohaolen Haokip
    Location Icon Churachandpur district, Manipur
    Diversity & Inclusion
    photo
    Reading our way to change 
    by Andre Filipe Velho
    Location Icon North Goa district, Goa
    Education
    photo
    Don’t girls with single parents deserve scholarships?
    by Roshni Tiwari
    Location Icon East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand
    Ecosystem Development
    photo
    Working with the Baigas: Lessons from Madhya Pradesh
    by Sattva Vasavada Sengupta
    Location Icon Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh

    Videos

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    Fake News, Misinformation and Disinformation: What they aren’t telling you!
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    A day in the life of

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


    a female forest guard puts out a forest fire in Mewar Biodiversity Park, Udaipur district, Rajasthan--forest guard
    Environment
    Why conservation needs connection: Guarding Rajasthan’s forests
    A day in the life of a forest guard, who navigates gender roles, community needs, and conservation in Rajasthan.
    by Santosh Kunwar Bhati | 5 min read
    Women in a village standing in a group and talking_mental health stigma
    Health
    From self to society: Navigating silence and stigma around mental health
    A day in the life of a community health worker in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, who tackles mental health stigma through trust and support—in her own life and for the people she serves.
    by Geeta Shakya | 6 min read
    a teacher coach observing a class in session--government school teachers
    Education
    Observing classrooms, building capacities
    A day in the life of an educator, who uses a technology-enabled approach to coach government school teachers in Palghar, Maharashtra.
    by Ketan Tambe | 8 min read

    Failure Files

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    Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

    Silhouetted birds perched on bare tree_leadership failure
    Leadership & Talent
    Building team culture isn’t optional
    A nonprofit co-founder reflects on how scaling rapidly unintentionally alienated employees, which led to cracks in organisational culture.
    by Vijayalakshmi Mohan | 7 min read
    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 Tanaya Jagtiani, Rachita Vora | 7 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.

    The image is an illustration of Devika Singh._Early childhood care
    "You can’t talk about childcare without talking about labour. About migration. About how women work long hours for low wages. About where they live, what they eat, how invisible they are to systems meant to serve them."
    Devika Singh
    9 min read
    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

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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 board game with a red and black grid, wooden pawns of different colors, and small wooden walls placed across the squares_mental health for lgbt
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Mental healthcare continues to fail queer communities
    Sexual and gender minorities in India face higher mental health risks, stigma, and limited access to inclusive, affordable care. What is the path forward?
    by Tanushree Ghosh | 8 min read
    The image is a close-up of differently-coloured umbrellas that are open and suspended in the air._Queer laws
    Rights
    Do India’s laws protect queer people from discrimination?
    Existing laws fail to protect India's queer community against systemic discrimination in housing, education, employment, and finance. Here's how this can change.
    by Jwalika Balaji, Kartavi Satyarthi, Namrata Mukherjee | 7 min read
    The image is set in a small open ground behind a building. A group of women are sitting on the ground in rows and they are looking ahead at a young man who is standing and addressing the group. Beside him, a young woman is standing. A third woman is seated on a chair to the side._Mental health
    Health
    Panchayats at the frontlines of mental healthcare
    A nonprofit’s collaboration with local governance systems in Kerala highlights how mental health services can be integrated into the public health system.
    by Chitra Venkateswaran | 8 min read

    Themes

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

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  • Advocacy & Government
  • Climate Emergency
  • Collaboration
  • COVID-19
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Ecosystem Development
  • Gender
  • Inequality
  • Philanthropy & CSR
  • Scale
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  • Social Justice
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  • Youth
    • A board game with a red and black grid, wooden pawns of different colors, and small wooden walls placed across the squares_mental health for lgbt
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Mental healthcare continues to fail queer communities
    Sexual and gender minorities in India face higher mental health risks, stigma, and limited access to inclusive, affordable care. What is the path forward?
    by Tanushree Ghosh | 8 min read
    The image is a close-up of differently-coloured umbrellas that are open and suspended in the air._Queer laws
    Rights
    Do India’s laws protect queer people from discrimination?
    Existing laws fail to protect India's queer community against systemic discrimination in housing, education, employment, and finance. Here's how this can change.
    by Jwalika Balaji, Kartavi Satyarthi, Namrata Mukherjee | 7 min read
    A group of schoolchildren sit on the floor in rows, wearing uniforms in blue and green, facing a stage area where teachers and staff stand. One student holds a microphone and speaks while others listen. The background has colorful educational wall paintings, including science formulas, yoga poses, and a large tree mural with green leaves. Several teachers sit on chairs along the wall, watching the event. The setting appears to be a school assembly or interactive session under a covered courtyard_makkala grama sabhas
    Advocacy & Government
    Giving children a real stake in local governance 
    An experiment in Karnataka shows that students can meaningfully participate in local governance. But institutionalising this requires a shift in adult mindsets.
    by Pratibha Narayanan, Vikas Ratanjee | 7 min read

    Expertise

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

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  • Board & Governance
  • Fundraising & Communications
  • Leadership & Talent
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Programme
  • Technology
    • Colourful shawls lying on top of each other--funding
    Fundraising & Communications
    How to get funding for your organisation’s core costs
    Tweaks in language and systems could persuade donors to pay for costs not directly linked to specific programmes.
    by Girish Nair | 5 min read
    a bunch of about 50 paper clips lying on a brown surface-12A 80G
    Philanthropy & CSR
    How Indian nonprofits can stay tax compliant
    Donor trust and tax benefits hinge on 12A and 80G renewals. This guide outlines key updates, renewal timelines, and compliance tips for nonprofits in India.
    by Parul Agrawal | 5 min read
    Two men inside a blue-painted shop measure and pour grain into a sack using a metal scoop, at a public distribution system ration shop._Public Distribution System PDS
    Rights
    Infrastructures of exclusion: How e-KYC impacts access to food
    With digital systems prone to failure, the e-KYC process for ration cards threatens people’s access to food under the Public Distribution System.
    by Sameet Panda, Sweta Dash | 8 min read
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