rural India

The idea of local self-governance has been a key part of India’s political imagination. However, development has often meant centralisation, undermining communities’ rights over jal, jangal, and zameen.

ઉત્તર પ્રદેશમાં ઘણીવાર માઇક્રોફાઇનાન્સ કંપનીઓ દ્વારા લોન માટે મુસહર સમુદાયની મહિલાઓને નિશાન બનાવવામાં આવે છે. જેમ જેમ દેવું વધતું જાય છે તેમ તેમ પરિવારો ગામડાઓ છોડીને ભાગી રહ્યા છે.

The new rural jobs bill replaces several key MGNREGA provisions. Experts warn that it centralises power and weakens workers’ right to demand work.

Inconsistent stream flow is impacting hydropower in Zanskar Valley. Solar power provides little respite.

In New Lengpui, a retired couple runs an unmanned shop to see whether the trust they grew up with still defines Mizo society.

Many government schemes require e-KYC verification via OTP, but what happens when you live in an area with no network?

Women’s collectives across six Sahastradhara panchayats collect, sort, and manage waste, even as they navigate questions of dignity around waste work.

A biodiversity conservationist in Murlen village reflects on the challenge of convincing his community to let go of traditions that endanger the environment.

Led by Vinoba Bhave, Gramdan, or collective land ownership by villages, emerged as a major social movement in the 1950s and ‘60s. While more than 3,000 gramdani villages exist even today, these communities face complex challenges.

India's commons are often seized from the people who nurture them. Here's how communities are asserting their right to govern these lands.