Features

Perspectives

Op-eds and commentary that hold a mirror up to civil society in India, reflect upon its evolution, unpack key trends, and outline the way forward.

Students wearing uniforms sitting on benches next to each other writing-board exams
March 17, 2021
Reform board exams to improve learning outcomes
The Indian education system needs to move towards testing conceptual understanding rather than rote learning in its board exams.
by Doug Johnson, Suvojit Chattopadhyay | 4 min read
Two-peoples-hands-holding-empty-wallets-public-funds
January 28, 2021
Public funds have been poorly allocated
Ahead of Budget 2021, India needs to rethink its overall strategy for the investment of public funds.
by Nachiket Mor | 5 min read
November 20, 2020
Who is ‘self-improvement’ for?
There are entire industries dedicated to selling productivity and self-improvement. We need to analyse their impact on mental health.
by Sadaf Vidha | 6 min read
bat signal-pc Unsplash
October 29, 2020
We don’t need heroes
When it comes to human trafficking, we need to question the narrative around rescuing survivors.
by Roop Sen | 6 min read
coconut grove_ Aseema Charitable Trust
September 10, 2020
Why are we only assuming the worst?
The pandemic is not the first crisis that the world has seen, nor the last. We need a manifesto of possibilities if we are to rebuild lives.
by Reshma Anand | 5 min read
glass chess pieces_pixabay
September 9, 2020
We need new ideas and practices
The pandemic offers civil society the opportunity to reflect on some of its inner failings, and reframe its dynamic with the government and business.
by India Development Review | 5 min read
six matches in the sand and one is lit and burning-civil society in India
August 27, 2020
The social sector is facing an Armageddon right now
Ashish Dhawan on the long-term survival of the social sector, beyond the pandemic.
by India Development Review | 5 min read
labourers working together_civil society_flickr
July 9, 2020
Effective coalitions form bottom up, not top down
“The world needs local systems solutions to solve global problems. Therefore, all civil society actors must be good multi-stakeholder coalition builders on the ground.”
by Arun Maira | 5 min read
puzzle of the world_impact investing_covid_pixabay
June 4, 2020
Impact is the new mainstream
COVID-19 has brought an end to the ‘greed is good’ era. There will now be a new economic world order in which the only thing that will matter is an inclusive and sustainable world.
by Vineet Rai | 7 min read
road in a dark forest-civil society
May 28, 2020
Civil society’s road to irrelevance
By disengaging with politics, the development sector is relegating itself to the sidelines and marginalising itself.
by Amitabh Behar | 8 min read
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