IDR Hindi
People outside a park entrance made of flower arch_cities
Urban
How do citizens engage with their cities?
Over the last decade, public participation in urban governance has evolved rapidly. Here’s how cities can effectively give citizens a stake in decision-making.
by Tarun Sharma, Yutika Vora | 7 min read

Latest

A mother with an infant on her lap and a bamboo crib hanging behind them_losing young mothers to suicide
Health
Why are so many young mothers in India dying by suicide?
Early marriage, intimate partner violence, pressure to give birth to a son, and lack of financial independence are some of the factors driving young mothers to suicide.
by Disha Shetty, The Fuller Project | 5 min read
Mugshot of a pug against a teal background_nonprofit humour
Humour
Overheard at a social impact conference
Yes, we have been eavesdropping on your conversations.
by India Development Review | 2 min read
woman carrying a vessel on her head standing near a canal-climate change
Climate Emergency
The unintended consequences of solutions to climate change
Nonprofits and communities must adopt a systems thinking approach to ensure that their solutions to climate change don't cause greater damage in the long term.
by Mihir Mathur | 6 min read
Children in a file at school-school improvement
Education
Why an ineffective school improvement programme was scaled up
A programme to improve school governance in MP was scaled up despite being ineffective. What can its perceived success teach us about improving public service delivery at scale?
by India Development Review | 5 min read
Adolescent girls in a class in Ranchi, Jharkhand
Gender
Keeping adolescent girls at the centre as we rebuild
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on adolescent girls and young women in Jharkhand. What can nonprofits and funders do to help them achieve their aspirations despite setbacks to their education, mental health, and more?
by Derrek Xavier, Smarinita Shetty | 9 min read

Ground Up

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


Education
photo
Why give a dam? A 40-year struggle for education in Jharkhand
by Smita Agarwal
Location Icon West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand
Youth
photo
Wrestling against addiction: Khomlainai helps Bodos fight alcoholism
by Mijing Narzary
Location Icon Chirang district, Assam
Health
The healthcare scare: Adivasis in Karnataka fear public hospitals
by Mahantesh S K, Susheela Kenjoor Koraga
Location Icon Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka; Udupi district, Karnataka
Diversity & Inclusion
Wild edibles for midday meal: Food diversity in Meghalaya’s schools
by Diana Kharakor, Robinstar Nongrum
Location Icon East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya

A day in the life of

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


Souvik Saha hosting a queer event-marginalised youth
Youth
“I want young people’s voices to be heard”
A day in the life of the founder of a Jamshedpur-based nonprofit that seeks to empower transgender, queer, and marginalised youth.
by Souvik Saha | 6 min read
Rina Sethi holds up a leaf plate in the manufacturing unit
Livelihoods
Building sustainable products and livelihoods
A day in the life of an eco-friendly tableware producer, who shares how her first formal job as a leaf-crushing machine operator helped her gain independence and support her family through a difficult time.
by Rina Sethi | 5 min read
Atiben working in a field-paralegal
Rights
“A piece of land can permanently secure a woman’s future”
A day in the life of a paralegal worker in Gujarat who builds awareness about the importance of women’s land rights and supports widows in claiming land ownership.
by Atiben Varsat | 7 min read

Failure Files

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Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

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
A man standing on a boat in the sea-leadership
Leadership & Talent
Having a dream is not enough
In Part I of this conversation, Dream a Dream’s co-founder Vishal Talreja and CEO Suchetha Bhat share the story of the organisation’s implosion, Vishal’s burnout, and how owning up to failure was the first step in building back differently.
by India Development Review | 10 min read
Girls in a classroom, listening to a lecture. A nonprofit learns the importance of strategy and communication when planning for scale.
Scale
Assume less, prepare more
Learning the importance of strategy and communication when planning for scale.
by Sarita Upadhyay | 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.

Illustration of Sushma Iyengar, a social activist and founder of Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), an organisation that seeks to empower women to become capable and confident decision-making partners in their village, community, and regional development initiatives. - women's empowerment
"If we do not allow ourselves to be a medium to shift the moral compass in society today, then we may regret it in the future."
Sushma Iyengar
11 min read
An illustration of Aruna Roy, social activist, driving force behind the RTI Act and MGNREGA, and Magsaysay Award winner
"Deep down we have to understand that everybody is an equal, that everybody has a right to think, to talk, to be."
Aruna Roy
11 min read
Illustration of Aloysius Fernandez-self-help groups
"When I started working at MYRADA, I discovered that even if you teach people to fish, they can’t reach the river—since there are social barriers, caste barriers, great power imbalances."
Aloysius Fernandez
10 min read

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 mother with an infant on her lap and a bamboo crib hanging behind them_losing young mothers to suicide
    Health
    Why are so many young mothers in India dying by suicide?
    Early marriage, intimate partner violence, pressure to give birth to a son, and lack of financial independence are some of the factors driving young mothers to suicide.
    by Disha Shetty, The Fuller Project | 5 min read
    Children in a file at school-school improvement
    Education
    Why an ineffective school improvement programme was scaled up
    A programme to improve school governance in MP was scaled up despite being ineffective. What can its perceived success teach us about improving public service delivery at scale?
    by India Development Review | 5 min read
    A woman manually transporting maize in Punjab-food security
    Climate Emergency
    Rising temperatures threaten India’s crop yields and food security
    Shifting weather patterns and heatwaves in India threaten income and food security. Here’s how farmers, scientists, and others are adapting.
    by Fateh Veer Singh Guram | 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
    • People outside a park entrance made of flower arch_cities
    Urban
    How do citizens engage with their cities?
    Over the last decade, public participation in urban governance has evolved rapidly. Here’s how cities can effectively give citizens a stake in decision-making.
    by Tarun Sharma, Yutika Vora | 7 min read
    A mother with an infant on her lap and a bamboo crib hanging behind them_losing young mothers to suicide
    Health
    Why are so many young mothers in India dying by suicide?
    Early marriage, intimate partner violence, pressure to give birth to a son, and lack of financial independence are some of the factors driving young mothers to suicide.
    by Disha Shetty, The Fuller Project | 5 min read
    woman carrying a vessel on her head standing near a canal-climate change
    Climate Emergency
    The unintended consequences of solutions to climate change
    Nonprofits and communities must adopt a systems thinking approach to ensure that their solutions to climate change don't cause greater damage in the long term.
    by Mihir Mathur | 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
    • Children in a file at school-school improvement
    Education
    Why an ineffective school improvement programme was scaled up
    A programme to improve school governance in MP was scaled up despite being ineffective. What can its perceived success teach us about improving public service delivery at scale?
    by India Development Review | 5 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
    A man standing on a boat in the sea-leadership
    Leadership & Talent
    Having a dream is not enough
    In Part I of this conversation, Dream a Dream’s co-founder Vishal Talreja and CEO Suchetha Bhat share the story of the organisation’s implosion, Vishal’s burnout, and how owning up to failure was the first step in building back differently.
    by India Development Review | 10 min read
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