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Latest

Economic growth vs climate security: We can have it all

Growing economies tend to believe that effective climate policy comes at the cost of economic growth. But there are ways for countries to make development less carbon-intensive and more resilient.

by Britt Groosman, Richie Ahuja | 6 min read

Fundraising & Communications

How to use your brand to achieve your goals

Branding is indispensable to the success of any organisation. Here are four tips to keep in mind as you embark on your branding journey.

by Meghna Rakshit | 3 min read

Education

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

Health

Photo

Fluoride childhoods

by Vikas Ratanjee

Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh

Water & Sanitation

Women's water woes

by Nandini Bhatia

Rajsamand district, Rajasthan

Diversity & Inclusion

New cultures of worship

by Iqra Khan

Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu

Livelihoods

"Main mazdoor hoon"

by Raghav Mehrotra

Udaipur district, Rajasthan

Perspectives

See all

Op-eds and commentary that hold a mirror up to civil society, reflect upon its evolution, and unpack key trends.

Perspectives

Is philanthropy really changing anything?

Skepticism around philanthropy is growing. Here's what philanthropists can do to ensure there is more alignment with what society wants.

by Vidya Shah | 5 min read

Perspectives

Democracy and Resistance: Two sides of a coin

What led to the crumbling of justice, liberty, and everything the country’s constitution stands for?

by Vijay Mahajan | 6 min read

Social Justice

Want social change? Give communities more agency

No external force can bring about real change in society. Only the community itself can.

by Ashif Shaikh | 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.

“It isn’t just enough to learn about the reality of the situation. You have to act on it. ”

Stan Swamy
6 min read

“A woman can die of obstructed labour only once, but if she has infertility, she dies every day because everybody blames her.”

Dr Rani Bang
7 min read

“I realised that freeing labourers amounted to little more than an academic exercise...if one batch of children was released, there was always another one to take its place. So, how could one prevent it entirely?”

Shantha Sinha
9 min read

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:

Health

India's population control approach needs women at the centre

Enforcing a coercive population control policy will place a double burden on women.

by Poonam Muttreja | 4 min read

Environment

Economic growth vs climate security: We can have it all

Growing economies tend to believe that effective climate policy comes at the cost of economic growth. But there are ways for countries to make development less carbon-intensive and more resilient.

by Britt Groosman, Richie Ahuja | 6 min read

Education

India cannot afford the National Education Policy (NEP)

The proposed changes to India’s education policy are marred by budgetary constraints and ambitious objectives that may prove impractical.

by IndiaSpend, Jyotsna Jha, Madhusudhan Rao | 6 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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Philanthropy & CSR

Tapping into individual giving in India

While data suggests that giving by ordinary citizens is growing, there is much we can do to harness its full potential.

by Saahil Kejriwal | 6 min read

paper-cranes-credit-Wachiwit-slash-Getty-Images

Social Business

This is what is holding social entrepreneurs back

Social entrepreneurs remain dedicated to their cause; they are proud of what they do. But the sector remains a work in progress. Here's what we can do to address the gaps.

by Kristine Pearson, Kyle Zimmer | 7 min read

business growth elements graphic_fundraising_vecteezy

Social Business

Building a new channel for fundraising

We have an opportunity to build a unique approach for robust and effective social stock exchanges that help social enterprises and nonprofits raise funds.

by Roopa Kudva, Raahil Rai | 3 min read

Expertise

See all

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

See all coverage by topic:

Fundraising & Communications

How to use your brand to achieve your goals

Branding is indispensable to the success of any organisation. Here are four tips to keep in mind as you embark on your branding journey.

by Meghna Rakshit | 3 min read

Programme

Making your programme design more equitable

How to use a gender lens at each stage of the programme cycle: planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

by Renuka Motihar | 4 min read

Leadership & Talent

Prioritise talent over targets

Scaling your organisation while staying true to your values, and keeping your team at the heart of what you do.

by Anshu Gupta | 6 min read

P Sainath on India's agrarian crisis

Kamla Bhasin on listening to the communities you work with

History of social action in India: From 1947 onwards

Photo of the month

Classroom learning

September 2019 | In a school in Dharwad district, Karnataka. Photo: Deepta Sunil

Fast fashion

August 2019 | Worn for ceremonies and by elders of the Toda tribe, a shawl like this takes more than three months to complete. ‘Slow fashion’—where the experience and effort that goes into making a garment is recognised and respected, is quickly losing out to fast fashion. Photo: Native Picture

Against the grain

July 2019 | Nagaland is the largest producer of maize among all the north eastern states in India—it is grown in every district of the state, and is its second most important food crop after rice. Recently, however, the crop has come under attack by the Fall Armyworm, a pest that has devastated maize fields in neighbouring states, and preliminary calculations estimate that it has affected nearly 1,70,000 hectares of maize crop across the country. Photo: Dhruvank Vaidya

The peripheries

June 2019 | The Fakhruddin Gutta hills, on the outskirts of Hyderabad are one of the few sites with rich biodiversity left in the city, but environmentalists are concerned about the quarrying taking place here. The destruction of nature to further urban development is a major concern in the midst of our climate crisis. Photo: Goutham Raj KJ

Nomadic life

April 2019 | Shivam, a blacksmith from Madhya Pradesh working in Magadi, Karnataka: “There are many blacksmiths in MP. Everyone travels to different parts of the country. We got here about a year ago and we’ll leave after Shivarathri. We plan from the time Ragi (finger millet) is ready for harvest till the end of Shivarathri.” “That’d be October to March?” “We don’t know the English calendar, we travel according to the seasons and to the festivals and that’s how we know what tools are used when.” Photo: Native Picture

Faith in water

March 2019 | Kamala, a tribal woman (Bangalpadi, Nilgiris): “Why is there a temple next to the spring?” “God is important and so is water. There is no point having a temple without water or water without a temple, both are as important. We survive because of the spring water. I’m happy that the younger generations are taking good care of the springs. People from nearby hamlets come here for water during summer months. There is no God without water and there is no water without God.” Photo: Native Picture

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India's population control approach needs women at the centre

Our solutions for education aren't working. Here's why.

How to work with boys to reduce violence against women

Research, for whom?

No-Detention: Why did a popular policy get scrapped?

P Sainath: The water crisis is not caused by drought

India's most significant innovations have roots in civil society

Latest

Economic growth vs climate security: We can have it all

How to use your brand to achieve your goals

India cannot afford the National Education Policy (NEP)

Nonprofit flow chart | Should you write that research report?

Water is more expensive for the poor than the rich

Ground Up

Fluoride childhoods

Women's water woes

New cultures of worship

"Main mazdoor hoon"

Perspectives

Is philanthropy really changing anything?

Democracy and Resistance: Two sides of a coin

Want social change? Give communities more agency

IDR Interviews

Sectors

India's population control approach needs women at the centre

Economic growth vs climate security: We can have it all

India cannot afford the National Education Policy (NEP)

Themes

Tapping into individual giving in India

This is what is holding social entrepreneurs back

Building a new channel for fundraising

Expertise

How to use your brand to achieve your goals

Making your programme design more equitable

Prioritise talent over targets

Videos

P Sainath on India's agrarian crisis

Why do you read IDR?

Kamla Bhasin on listening to the communities you work with

History of social action in India: From 1947 onwards

Dr Fernandez on urban health

Kamla Bhasin on feminism

Photo of the month

Get involved

Write for us

Give us your feedback

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