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    • two glass jars, with one in the front containing numbers in red and green colours and the one in the back containing letters of the alphabet in yellow and blue--foundational literacy and numeracy
    Education

    Why digital nudges alone won’t transform classrooms

    What a field experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh revealed about teacher motivation, engagement, and the limits of light-touch solutions.
    by Sneha Shashidhara | 4 min read

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    Latest

    focus group discussion with Manipuri youths at Saichang village--youth migration
    Youth
    Rural youth in Manipur return to an unfamiliar home
    Rural youth often migrate out of Manipur to work. Upon return, many find it difficult to adjust to life and traditional livelihoods, such as Jhum cultivation, back home.
    by Parthona Phukan | 2 min read
    a board with the text "do what matters" against a light background--nonprofit humour
    Humour
    A start-up that solves
    Literally everything.
    by Rakesh Swami, Salman Faheem | 2 min read
    A hi-res closeup of a green computer Motherboard- Government
    Advocacy & Government
    An inside view on working with the government  
    Embedding units across all tiers of administration can help nonprofits combine community knowledge and innovation with the government’s scale.
    by Gajanan Rauta, Karimuddin Malik | 6 min read
    a Banarasi saree weaver operating a loom--Banarasi sarees
    Livelihoods
    Pineapples offer a lifeline to traditional saree weavers in Banaras
    From costly silk to power looms, traditional weavers of Banarasi sarees have faced many challenges. As livelihood uncertainty grows, yarn made of pineapple leaves offers a viable way to revive the industry.
    by Aradhana Pandey | 3 min read
    a woman in a red blouse with her back to the camera carrying a child--maternal well-being
    Health & Well-being
    In Tamil Nadu, climate extremes are reshaping maternal well-being
    Rising temperatures and pollution in Tamil Nadu are pushing maternal mental health to the brink. Targeted state action that supports the well-being of mothers and their children is essential.
    by Saravanan Thangarajan | 5 min read

    Ground Up

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


    Youth
    photo
    Rural youth in Manipur return to an unfamiliar home
    by Parthona Phukan
    Location Icon Senapati district, Manipur ; Tamenglong district, Manipur
    Livelihoods
    photo
    Pineapples offer a lifeline to traditional saree weavers in Banaras
    by Aradhana Pandey
    Location Icon Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh
    Environment
    photo
    Lachung at a crossroads: What development means for a Sikkim village
    by Hishey Lachungpa
    Location Icon Mangan district, Sikkim
    Agriculture
    photo
    Mizoram’s iskut farmers get neither organic nor chemical fertilisers 
    by Zosangliana Tochhawng
    Location Icon Aizawl district, Mizoram

    Videos

    SEE ALL
    On The Contrary | Episode 5: Well-being in a tech-first world (Part I)
    On The Contrary | Episode 4 – Lessons on well-being in activism: Kumi Naidoo and Louisa Zondo
    How to fact-check and spot fake news?

    A day in the life of

    SEE ALL

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


    a female forest guard puts out a forest fire in Mewar Biodiversity Park, Udaipur district, Rajasthan--forest guard
    Environment
    Why conservation needs connection: Guarding Rajasthan’s forests
    A day in the life of a forest guard, who navigates gender roles, community needs, and conservation in Rajasthan.
    by Santosh Kunwar Bhati | 5 min read
    Women in a village standing in a group and talking_mental health stigma
    Health & Well-being
    From self to society: Navigating silence and stigma around mental health
    A day in the life of a community health worker in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, who tackles mental health stigma through trust and support—in her own life and for the people she serves.
    by Geeta Shakya | 6 min read
    a teacher coach observing a class in session--government school teachers
    Education
    Observing classrooms, building capacities
    A day in the life of an educator, who uses a technology-enabled approach to coach government school teachers in Palghar, Maharashtra.
    by Ketan Tambe | 8 min read

    Failure Files

    SEE ALL

    Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

    Silhouetted birds perched on bare tree_leadership failure
    Leadership & Talent
    Building team culture isn’t optional
    A nonprofit co-founder reflects on how scaling rapidly unintentionally alienated employees, which led to cracks in organisational culture.
    by Vijayalakshmi Mohan | 7 min read
    Aerial shot of women protestors sitting_well-being
    Social Justice
    Preparing for a marathon, not a sprint 
    Dalit civil rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan on why failure is an opportunity to build power, how systems of oppression affect well-being, and what healing looks like for individuals and communities.
    by India Development Review | 10 min read
    Barbed wire_nonprofits
    Leadership & Talent
    Why don’t nonprofits talk about their failures?
    A number of risks, both real and perceived, stop nonprofits from talking about failure. Here's how various stakeholders can work together to overcome them.
    by Tanaya Jagtiani, Rachita Vora | 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.

    The image is an illustration of Devika Singh._Early childhood care
    "You can’t talk about childcare without talking about labour. About migration. About how women work long hours for low wages. About where they live, what they eat, how invisible they are to systems meant to serve them."
    Devika Singh
    9 min read
    an image of Dayamani Barla against a turquoise background-adivasi
    "Activists should go to places where laws are made and also where laws are implemented. If you don’t get into politics, you won’t be able to save the country."
    Dayamani Barla
    3 min read
    Madhu mansuri hasmukh
    "I spoke of the rights of Adivasis in my songs. When the state of Jharkhand was created, we had great aspirations, and  these aspirations are also woven into my songs."
    Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh
    8 min read

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    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 & Well-being
  • Livelihoods
  • Rights
  • Water & Sanitation
    • two glass jars, with one in the front containing numbers in red and green colours and the one in the back containing letters of the alphabet in yellow and blue--foundational literacy and numeracy
    Education
    Why digital nudges alone won’t transform classrooms
    What a field experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh revealed about teacher motivation, engagement, and the limits of light-touch solutions.
    by Sneha Shashidhara | 4 min read
    a woman in a red blouse with her back to the camera carrying a child--maternal well-being
    Health & Well-being
    In Tamil Nadu, climate extremes are reshaping maternal well-being
    Rising temperatures and pollution in Tamil Nadu are pushing maternal mental health to the brink. Targeted state action that supports the well-being of mothers and their children is essential.
    by Saravanan Thangarajan | 5 min read
    a group of people queued up in front of a window at a government office--Right to Information Act--
    Rights
    The right to information in practice
    People's ability to use the RTI Act is often shaped by how state portals are designed, which can pose challenges including inaccessibility and incomplete information. Here are some tips for filing RTIs and the broad changes that are needed.
    by Pritika Malhotra | 7 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
    • A hi-res closeup of a green computer Motherboard- Government
    Advocacy & Government
    An inside view on working with the government  
    Embedding units across all tiers of administration can help nonprofits combine community knowledge and innovation with the government’s scale.
    by Gajanan Rauta, Karimuddin Malik | 6 min read
    a woman in a red blouse with her back to the camera carrying a child--maternal well-being
    Health & Well-being
    In Tamil Nadu, climate extremes are reshaping maternal well-being
    Rising temperatures and pollution in Tamil Nadu are pushing maternal mental health to the brink. Targeted state action that supports the well-being of mothers and their children is essential.
    by Saravanan Thangarajan | 5 min read
    a large group of women seated in an auditorium and focused on the front of the room--marginalised women
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Listening, by design: Centring inclusion around marginalised voices
    Marginalised communities aren't limited by skill, but by self-doubt, social messaging, and isolation. They need spaces where they can speak freely and be consistently heard.
    by Deepanjali Lahiri | 5 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
    • a large group of women seated in an auditorium and focused on the front of the room--marginalised women
    Diversity & Inclusion
    Listening, by design: Centring inclusion around marginalised voices
    Marginalised communities aren't limited by skill, but by self-doubt, social messaging, and isolation. They need spaces where they can speak freely and be consistently heard.
    by Deepanjali Lahiri | 5 min read
    a group of coffee farmers learning how coffee is roasted--start-ups in Meghalaya
    Social Business
    LinkedIn and ChatGPT: How a Meghalaya start-up drives online sales
    Brands from Northeast India can differentiate themselves online by combining smart marketing tactics with storytelling that highlights local culture.
    by Bipul Hajong | 7 min read
    Grace Clapham and Priya Goswami for On the Contrary Podcast--well-being
    Season 7
    Well-being in a tech-first world
    Two technologists, Grace Clapham and Priya Goswami, discuss what it will take to reimagine technology that values connection, care, and community over metrics and growth.
    14 min read
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