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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.

    hexagonal lattice stone windows--queer-affirmative therapy
    Health & Well-being
    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

    Latest

    a paper-mache figurine of Santa Claus and a camel--paper-mache in Kashmir
    Livelihoods
    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
    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
    A woman teaching a child how to draw--social-emotional learning
    Education
    Beyond textbooks: Social-emotional learning in India’s remote regions
    Nonprofits in Bastar, Baksa, and Sonbhadra explain why they use local narratives to teach children in regions affected by caste, conflict, and climate change.
    by Debojit Dutta, Sneha Philip | 7 min read
    a person collecting trash from a pile of garbage--sanitation workers
    Water & Sanitation
    Caste, contract labour, and the crisis facing India’s sanitation workers
    As sanitation work gets privatised in urban India, it reinforces caste hierarchies, wage theft, and occupational immobility for Dalit workers.
    by Anamika Singh | 6 min read
    two men in masks wearing tshirts saying 'Save the Riparian' holding up an object--river cleaning
    Environment
    Instagram, T-shirts, and the new face of river activism in Mizoram
    A river-cleaning campaign in Mizoram uses Instagram, YouTube, local media, and snakes to unite people in removing waste from their water bodies.
    by Lal Muansanga | 7 min read

    Ground Up

    SEE ALL
    Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.
    Environment
    photo
    In Chhattisgarh, Baiga Adivasis map their food, forest, and fires
    by Chandra Pratap Singh, Premlal Baiga
    Location Icon Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district, Chhattisgarh
    Livelihoods
    photo
    Is this the last generation of the Negamam saree weavers?
    by Prasanth Shanmugasundaram
    Location Icon Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu
    Livelihoods
    photo
    Women weavers find a solar way to Eri silk in Meghalaya
    by Samme Massar
    Location Icon Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya
    Leadership & Talent
    photo
    After 30 years in the social sector, why am I being told to leave?
    by Udaysingh Makwana
    Location Icon Sabarkantha district, Gujarat

    More Articles

    a worker holding a wrench at a construction site--MGNREGA
    Rights | December 19, 2025
    VB-G RAM G replaces MGNREGA: What’s at stake
    The new rural jobs bill replaces several key MGNREGA provisions. Experts warn that it centralises power and weakens workers’ right to demand work.
    by Tabassum Barnagarwala | 4 min read
    a man on a boat fishing in a lake, with a temple and some hills in the background--
    Urban | December 19, 2025
    Poromboke: Reimagining our urban commons
    What would our cities look like if water was visible, accessible, and woven into everyday life? What becomes possible when urban water bodies are treated as commons once again?
    by Nupur Khanter | 9 min read
    two cotton farmers standing in front of a room full of picked cotton--organic cotton farming
    Agriculture | December 12, 2025
    For India’s cotton farmers, is organic cultivation worth the risk?
    Indian farmers face major barriers and risks in cultivating organic cotton, despite rising demand. Here’s how responsive policies and support can make organic farming viable.
    by Ritika Gupta, Sukriti Ojha | 8 min read
    A female worker with her face covered mixing materials to make fly ash bricks​​--fly ash
    Environment | December 11, 2025
    In Kota’s fly ash cluster, workers carry the environmental cost
    Despite being labelled an environmental success, Kota’s fly ash units do little to alleviate risks as workers are exposed to toxic dust and severe safety risks.
    by Akankasha Choudhary | 5 min read
    several stacks of rocks with a water body in the background--teacher training
    Education | December 10, 2025
    Balancing scale and context in India’s classrooms
    Resolving the tensions between designing for millions and responding to the needs of individual classrooms can be difficult. Here are lessons that can help.
    by Vaibhav Mishra, Shahanaz Afruza | 7 min read
    a house with a pond nearby, with a hill with dense tree cover in the bacground--rotational tourism
    Livelihoods | December 5, 2025
    Inside Dzuleke: How Nagaland’s rotational homestays work
    Discover how Dzuleke village’s unique ecotourism model ensures every homestay earns fairly and sustainably.
    by Keletsino Mejura, Rodingliana | 2 min read
    four women in sarees bathing in the river Ganga in Varanasi--elderly care
    Health & Well-being | December 3, 2025
    Reimagining elderly care in India
    Building community networks of caregiving can help us move away from artificial, privatised care.
    by Anushri Alva | 7 min read
    a close up shot of a barbed wire against a light pink and purple background--DPDP Rules
    Rights | December 2, 2025
    India’s new data rules put the state above citizens
    Weak safeguards and broad government exemptions in India’s data laws could threaten free expression, restrict scrutiny of those in power, and harm citizens’ rights.
    by Akhil Yadav | 8 min read
    an illustration of Rajim Ketwas, a Dalit, Adivasi, and gender rights activist from Chhattisgarh--Dalit and Adivasi rights
    Rights | November 27, 2025
    IDR Interviews | Rajim Ketwas
    Co-founder of the Dalit Adivasi Manch and a key figure in the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Rajim Ketwas reflects on her journey as a woman activist in the labour movement and where it stands today.
    by Sidharth Bhatt, Juhi Mishra | 9 min read
    a group of school children sitting on the floor. They have images spread out around them and in front and they are playing with them
    Education | November 25, 2025
    Can play improve learning in India’s classrooms? 
    Despite encouragement from the National Education Policy, play-based learning finds little space in schools. Here’s how it boosts curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking in children.
    by Shweta Chari | 4 min read
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