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    • The image features three women working in a field. One women holds a stack of leaves in her hand and there are rows of bound and stacked leaves laid out on the ground._Community resources
    Environment

    IDR Explains | Commons

    In just 10 minutes, learn how India’s commons power its people, ecology, and economy—through examples, their history, and challenges.
    by India Development Review | 10 min read
    On The Contrary Podcast – Social Impact

    IDR is a free resource. We will never go behind a paywall. So, if you like what you’re reading and find value in our articles, please support us by making a donation.

    Latest

    close-up shot of two women's hands holding voter ID cards--SIR
    Urban
    Helping Mumbai’s residents find their way through the SIR
    Across Mumbai, community-based organisations are helping residents understand discrepancies, trace older records, and access the support they need to navigate the SIR.
    by Derrek Xavier, Aanchal Bansal Gandhi | 6 min read
    Two men with their faces covered in nets and placing a bee hive on a small wooden squared frame- beekeeping
    Environment
    In Sikkim, a beekeeper prioritises bee health over honey production
    In Sikkim’s Zitlang village, a master bee trainer explains why beekeeping requires an understanding of the bees’ ways of life.
    by Dal Bahadur Rai | 3 min read
    A blue and white measuring tape loosely coiled on a wooden table, with measurement markings and numbers visible--performance assessment
    Leadership & Talent
    In search of a better yardstick
    How do you assess your team’s performance when outcomes depend on trust, local context, and relationships as much as numbers? SAFA’s experience offers a starting point.
    by Imam Hussain Pakkira | 6 min read
    a large crowd during a nighttime protest holding up a banner--Delhi protests
    Rights
    From college to central Delhi, what protests taught me about solidarity
    Two acts of protest, a decade in between, and a running thread of care.
    by Kaainaat | 6 min read
    A worker balancing bricks on his head at a brick kiln in Bangladesh--social sector
    Ecosystem Development
    “Will the government take this over?”
    State adoption has become the default measure of success for nonprofits in India. Here’s why that is a risk, and why the social sector must build lasting institutions.
    by Suvojit Chattopadhyay | 6 min read

    Ground Up

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    Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.
    Environment
    photo
    Pakyong, Sikkim
    In Sikkim, a beekeeper prioritises bee health over honey production
    by Dal Bahadur Rai
    Health & Well-being
    photo
    Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir
    Health schemes fail to reach women in rural Kashmir
    by Nahida Mushtaq
    Rights
    photo
    North West Delhi, Delhi
    Why is SIR disenfranchising migrant workers like us who built Delhi?
    by Sunita Rani

    Videos

    SEE ALL
    What Are Commons? India’s Shared Land, Water & Forests | IDR Explains
    What Mistake Is This Tribe Still Atoning For? | Tamil Nadu #shorts
    Majuli’s Disappearing Land Puts Mask-Making Art at Risk | Assam #shorts

    A day in the life of

    SEE ALL
    Frontline workers and first responders share their insights from working at the grassroots.
    two women sitting and talking. one of them is holding a smartphone and has a notebook on her lap_SIR deletion
    Rights
    Why is getting our names back on the voter list so hard?
    A day in the life of a field organiser in Rajasthan, trying to get her family onto the voter list after the SIR.
    by Poonam Dangi | 5 min read
    The image is set inside a home. A young women is sitting at the edge of a bed with her back turned to the camera. She is holding the hand of a person who is lying down on the bed, out of the frame.--palliative care
    Health & Well-being
    What does it mean to care for someone with a serious illness?
    A day in the life of a counsellor and nurse in Mumbai as they provide home-based palliative care, helping patients and families face illness, loss, and uncertainty with dignity.
    by Ankita Arvind Mhatre, Shruti Mukhopadhyay | 9 min read
    The image features the authors, Shakeela Banu and Nageena Banu. They are standing outdoors smiling warmly at each other while holding hands. Shakeela is wearing a bright red headscarf with a black inner layer, and Nageena is wearing a light-colored and patterned suit and dupatta . The background shows greenery and a blurred building--Beedi industry
    Rights
    ‘One day, one day, the women will go out to protest…’
    A day in the life of two union leaders fighting for fair working conditions in Karnataka’s beedi industry and for the rights of their community.
    by Nageena Banu, Shakeela Banu | 2 min read

    Failure Files

    SEE ALL
    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

    SEE ALL
    Conversations with visionaries on their life's work, and their efforts to challenge the status quo in our country.
    an illustration of anti-caste and human rights activist Martin Macwan--Dalit rights
    "Introspection is very important, which you see completely missing in the voluntary sector today. You have programmes, meetings, followed by lunch, and posts about these events on the internet. I don’t see people sitting for more than two hours to reflect on what they are doing or witnessing."
    Martin Macwan
    9 min read
    illustrated portrait of activist A Revathi against yellow background--trans rights
    "I would tell young trans people to find a way to return to studies, even if you had to drop out because you left home. The people who threw us out will one day have to accept us back as collectors, doctors, and judges."
    A Revathi
    9 min read
    a digital sketch of Dr Carmo Noronha against a pale blue background--
    "It's no use telling a child that one plus one is two… Unless you tell them how they can use that to actually improve their daily life."
    Dr Carmo Noronha
    2 min read

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    Sectors

    SEE ALL
    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 & Well-being
  • Livelihoods
  • Rights
  • Water & Sanitation
    • close-up shot of two women's hands holding voter ID cards--SIR
    Urban
    Helping Mumbai’s residents find their way through the SIR
    Across Mumbai, community-based organisations are helping residents understand discrepancies, trace older records, and access the support they need to navigate the SIR.
    by Derrek Xavier, Aanchal Bansal Gandhi | 6 min read
    a large crowd during a nighttime protest holding up a banner--Delhi protests
    Rights
    From college to central Delhi, what protests taught me about solidarity
    Two acts of protest, a decade in between, and a running thread of care.
    by Kaainaat | 6 min read
    two women sitting and talking. one of them is holding a smartphone and has a notebook on her lap_SIR deletion
    Rights
    Why is getting our names back on the voter list so hard?
    A day in the life of a field organiser in Rajasthan, trying to get her family onto the voter list after the SIR.
    by Poonam Dangi | 5 min read

    Themes

    SEE ALL
    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
    • close-up shot of two women's hands holding voter ID cards--SIR
    Urban
    Helping Mumbai’s residents find their way through the SIR
    Across Mumbai, community-based organisations are helping residents understand discrepancies, trace older records, and access the support they need to navigate the SIR.
    by Derrek Xavier, Aanchal Bansal Gandhi | 6 min read
    a large crowd during a nighttime protest holding up a banner--Delhi protests
    Rights
    From college to central Delhi, what protests taught me about solidarity
    Two acts of protest, a decade in between, and a running thread of care.
    by Kaainaat | 6 min read
    A worker balancing bricks on his head at a brick kiln in Bangladesh--social sector
    Ecosystem Development
    “Will the government take this over?”
    State adoption has become the default measure of success for nonprofits in India. Here’s why that is a risk, and why the social sector must build lasting institutions.
    by Suvojit Chattopadhyay | 6 min read

    Expertise

    SEE ALL
    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
    • A blue and white measuring tape loosely coiled on a wooden table, with measurement markings and numbers visible--performance assessment
    Leadership & Talent
    In search of a better yardstick
    How do you assess your team’s performance when outcomes depend on trust, local context, and relationships as much as numbers? SAFA’s experience offers a starting point.
    by Imam Hussain Pakkira | 6 min read
    stacks of papers browned with age--Monitoring evaluation and learning
    Monitoring & Evaluation
    The hidden cost of messy data systems
    Scattered spreadsheets, unreliable information, and poorly designed systems cost nonprofits far more than they realise. Here's how prioritising MEL can improve data tracking and usage.
    by Manije Kelkar | 7 min read
    a woman standing in a trolley handling a bright yellow fertiliser sack--fertilisers
    Agriculture
    From portal to patwari, Betul’s farmers scramble for fertilisers
    E-tokens for fertilisers sent Madhya Pradesh's farmers rushing for land records, OTPs, and faraway vendors—leading many to miss the kharif sowing window. While the system was rolled back after protests, farmers were left reeling in the aftermath.
    by Santa Nibedita | 9 min read
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