Feature image for season 5 of On the contrary by IDR_water security

Is India going to run out of water?
Ajith Radhakrishnan (senior specialist, World Bank) and Jagdeesh Rao Puppala (former CEO, FES) discuss the state of India's water crisis and why innovations at the community and policy level are crucial for a water secure future.
16 min read

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A woman standing in a metro beside a poster saying '51 percent of work done by women is unpaid'_female labour force participation

What’s going on with India’s female labour force participation?
Why India's female labour force participation rate remains low compared to global levels, and what needs to be done to change it.
Abacus rack_nonprofit humour

You do the math: Part IV
It turns out working in social impact or at nonprofits is almost as ridiculous as the math problems we used to solve in school.
A-pile-of-stones-near-the-beach_systems-change

What does systems change look like in practice?
Lessons from a nonprofit’s attempts to change systems that impact children with developmental disabilities.
A BC sakhi speaking with two other women_financial inclusion

How banks can enable women’s financial inclusion
Despite availing schemes such as the PMJDY, women from low-income households are hesitant to save formally with banks. What can help their outlook change?
by Kalpana Ajayan | 5 min read
man in a wheelchair with a dog on a flooded road--persons with disability

Weathering the storm: Disability, climate change, mental health
Advocacy to consider climate change as a human rights issue is incomplete unless interlinked with disability rights and mental health.
by Candice D'souza | 5 min read
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Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.



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


A woman shooting on a camera with people standing around her_Adivasi communities
An Adivasi journalist quits the newsroom to embrace YouTube
A day in the life of an Adivasi journalist from Chhotaudepur who uses YouTube to mainstream the voices of de-notified tribes and tackle discrimination.
A woman and four men pouring water in a tank_sustainable agriculture
A single mother paves the way for working women in her village
A day in the life of a grassroots leader in Yavatmal who is committed to helping women become self-reliant and fostering community resilience against climate change.
Bhagyashri on a bike talking to people-Adivasi

A young Adivasi sarpanch in Gadchiroli fears neither Naxalites nor the cops
A day in the life of a young Adivasi woman sarpanch who alternates between helping her community with paperwork and responding to emergencies.


Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

Aerial shot of women protestors sitting_well-being
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.
Barbed wire_nonprofits
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.
rural women take part in a boat race in west bengal-leadership
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.


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


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

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  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Livelihoods
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  • Water & Sanitation

  • Is India going to run out of water?
    Ajith Radhakrishnan (senior specialist, World Bank) and Jagdeesh Rao Puppala (former CEO, FES) discuss the state of India's water crisis and why innovations at the community and policy level are crucial for a water secure future.

    What’s going on with India’s female labour force participation?
    Why India's female labour force participation rate remains low compared to global levels, and what needs to be done to change it.

    Reversing decades of water scarcity: What it takes
    For decades Adivasi hamlets in Nashik were parched for up to eight months each year. Learn how a multi-pronged solution that responded to the local context and the unique needs of the community changed this situation.


    What’s going on with India’s female labour force participation?
    Why India's female labour force participation rate remains low compared to global levels, and what needs to be done to change it.

    What does systems change look like in practice?
    Lessons from a nonprofit’s attempts to change systems that impact children with developmental disabilities.

    How banks can enable women’s financial inclusion
    Despite availing schemes such as the PMJDY, women from low-income households are hesitant to save formally with banks. What can help their outlook change?

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

    See all coverage by topic:
  • Board & Governance
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  • Programme
  • Technology

  • How does organisational culture affect talent retention?
    A study by ISDM and Ashoka University's CSIP shows that social purpose organisations with a people-centric culture and collaborative work atmosphere are better positioned to attract and retain talent.

    Tech for nonprofits: To build or buy?
    Should nonprofits invest in building their own tech applications or buy off-the-shelf technology? Here's a quick guide.

    Leadership transition at nonprofits need not be messy
    Safeena Husain and Maharshi Vaishnav share their experience with leadership transition at Educate Girls, with tips for organisations looking to do the same.