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    Insights, best practices and the latest research on what works and what needs to change across sectors including agriculture, education, climate change, livelihoods, and public health.

    a teacher looks on as a student writes on the blackboard--social and emotional learning
    Education
    Social and emotional learning: The missing key to FLN
    Classroom environments play a major role in how successful foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) goals are. Here’s why.
    by Sreehari Ravindranath | 6 min read

    Latest

    a digital portrait of Dr Ram Punyani against a pale green background--communalism in india
    Rights
    IDR Interviews | Dr Ram Puniyani
    Author and professor Dr Ram Puniyani shares his experiences and insights on communal harmony, democratic values, pluralism, and social cohesion in India.
    by Derrek Xavier, Rakesh Swami | 2 min read
    Construction Workers Silhouetted Against Sunset--2026–27 Budget
    Livelihoods
    Budget 2026–27 fails to address the reality of employment insecurity
    The 2025–26 Revised Estimates and the 2026–27 budget show drastic cuts and unused funds across key development-related schemes. Despite a focus on skill development and the services sector, women and informal workers are still grappling with low incomes and insecure employment.
    by Nesar Ahmad | 8 min read

    Livelihoods
    Making culture stick in Mizoram, one fridge magnet at a time
    A fridge magnet artist shares why he is meticulously replicating Mizo cultural artefacts, and reflects on the marketing and workforce challenges shaping his craft.
    by Vanlalrosanga | 5 min read
    The image is an aerial shot of a rural area. There is a body of water surrounded by land, with bushes and trees growing on it. There are parcels of land that are barren while others are covered in grass. Buildings can be seen in the distance in the background._data governance
    Technology
    Can GIS strengthen the mapping of India’s commons?
    Courts, communities, and the state are turning to geospatial tools to monitor encroachments, restore commons, and land governance but challenges remain.
    by Killi Bhaskara Rao, Subrata Singh | 7 min read
    daily-wage labourers waiting at a labour chowk--Delhi labour chowks
    Livelihoods
    No shade, no security: The crisis at Delhi’s labour chowks
    Workers at Delhi’s labour chowks face age discrimination, wage theft, and a daily struggle without basic facilities. Here's how unused welfare funds could transform these spaces.
    by Harshil Sharma, Umang Kamra | 8 min read

    Ground Up

    SEE ALL
    Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.
    Livelihoods
    photo
    If loan payments are fixed, why isn’t the price of our honey?
    by Anita Dhakad
    Location Icon Morena district, Madhya Pradesh
    Ecosystem Development
    photo
    Recipe books: An unlikely trust building tool in Himachal
    by Asha
    Location Icon Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
    Youth
    photo
    In a small village in Tripura, 12-year-old Messi wants to fly
    by Hansatanu Roy
    Location Icon North Tripura district, Tripura
    Education
    photo
    Our village school in Nagaland was assigned a retired schoolteacher
    by N Apong
    Location Icon Kiphire district, Nagaland

    More Articles

    a lively market with street vendors selling cotton candy and balloons--street vendors
    Livelihoods | February 13, 2026
    Claiming a hawking corner in smart Shillong
    A street vendors’ association in Meghalaya urges the state government to include vendors in policy design, follow central law, and stop unlawful relocations.
    by Shane Thabah | 5 min read
    a large crowd being addressed by a man standing in the centre--right to water
    Rights | February 10, 2026
    Fighting for water and a voice in the heart of Mumbai
    The decades-long fight for water rights in Mumbai's informal settlements shows what it takes to sustain a social movement, and why the work doesn’t end with policy wins.
    by Sitaram Shelar | 8 min read
    Education | February 6, 2026
    Still not a butterfly: A case for citizen science in Northeast India
    Citizen science can help document Northeast's rich biodiversity and ecological knowledge, while also ensuring community participation in environmental policymaking.
    by Hansatanu Roy | 7 min read
    textile factory workers sewing in a production facility--DDU GKY scheme
    Youth | February 4, 2026
    Why are rural youth still struggling to access skill training?
    The DDU-GKY scheme was designed to bridge skilling and formal jobs for rural youth. However, low awareness, distant placements, social factors, and curriculum gaps hinder uptake.
    by Isha Gupta | 8 min read
    Young schoolchildren in light blue uniforms stand on a dirt path and clap together as a woman in a pink and yellow salwar kameez leads an activity. Other women stand nearby and smile, while green trees and flowering plants frame the lively outdoor scene--environmental studies (EVS)
    Education | February 3, 2026
    Bringing nature back to classrooms
    Environmental studies (EVS) was meant to spark students' care and curiosity about nature. However, classroom learning can often feel distant, routine, and disengaging.
    by Vena Kapoor | 9 min read
    Close-up of colourful gravel stones in sunlight--VB-G RAM G
    Rights | January 29, 2026
    Can VB-G RAM G deliver what MGNREGA couldn’t?
    Data from Kerala and Odisha shows how MGNREGA shifted in practice from a legal right to an administratively managed scheme. What must VB-G RAM G do differently?
    by Liby T Johnson, Thomas Sunil K | 6 min read
    An elderly woman wearing a sari bends down to collect waste from the ground, holding a plastic bag beside a white bucket. She is surrounded by scattered garbage in an outdoor area with sparse trees in the background--waste management
    Environment | January 28, 2026
    The case for counting rural plastic waste
    Rural India generates millions of tonnes of unmeasured plastic waste. Integrating village-level data through existing platforms can help build a truly inclusive circular economy.
    by Amaraja Kulkarni, Lakshmi Raghupathy | 6 min read
    hexagonal lattice stone windows--queer-affirmative therapy
    Health & Well-being | January 22, 2026
    Therapist training in India overlooks queer experiences
    Why is queer-affirmative mental health therapy so inaccessible and expensive? A key reason may be the absence of queer-focused pedagogies in psychology education.
    by Kanav Narayan Sahgal | 8 min read
    a paper-mache figurine of Santa Claus and a camel--paper-mache in Kashmir
    Livelihoods | January 22, 2026
    Tariffs, war, and a 600-year-old craft: Kashmir’s paper-mache artisans face uncertainty
    From intricate masks to Christmas ornaments, Kashmiri paper-mache has long served an international market. As global political and economic conflicts disrupt exports, artisans fear a loss of not just livelihoods, but identity.
    by Danish Showkat, Mehendi Mehraj | 5 min read
    a motorcyclist in an orange Swiggy shirt driving through traffic--gig workers
    Livelihoods | January 20, 2026
    What the data reveals about India’s gig workers
    Platform work is often characterised as either an opportunity or as exploitation. A study by IDInsight explains why India’s gig economy is far more complex.
    by India Development Review | 7 min read
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