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    • a man holding the hand of a small child with a schoolbag, walking down a street with their backs towards the camera--cost of schooling
    Education

    The rising cost of learning in India

    From school fees to coaching classes, education expenses are climbing across India. Here’s what the data shows.
    by Vijay Jadhav, IndiaSpend | 4 min read
    On The Contrary Podcast – Social Impact

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    The image shows two men sitting on a footpath. They are selling flowers of different colours which are bundled together in plastic buckets and arranged in heaps on the ground.--floriculture
    Agriculture
    The fragile livelihoods of Lucknow’s flower farmers
    While flower prices soar during festive seasons, these periodic profits offer little security to marginal farmers. Changing weather, inadequate transport and storage facilities, and unstable markets continue to impact livelihoods.
    by Anamika Chaudhary | 5 min read
    handcrafted colourful clay pots and figurines displayed at an outdoor market--Dastkar
    Livelihoods
    Building real safety nets for India’s artisans
    While relief efforts after the fire at Dastkar's Nature Bazaar have been swift, they have depended largely on public charity, highlighting the absence of institutional safeguards for artisans’ livelihoods.
    by Sohini Bhattacharya | 8 min read
    colorful geometric mosaic with interlocking shapes and small stars--Akhila Sivadas
    Leadership & Talent
    Hope, practice, and the work of social change
    In conversation with a young practitioner, Akhila Sivadas, executive director at the Centre for Advocacy and Research, reflects on staying rooted in hope amid the uncertainties of working in the social sector.
    by Stuti Gupta | 7 min read
    Overhead view of a skeleton figure lying at a cluttered desk with a laptop on its chest, surrounded by sticky notes, pencils, crumpled paper, and books--nonprofit humour
    Humour
    The development worker’s manifesto
    A manifesto for development professionals everywhere—drafted between meetings, shaped by lived experience, and submitted with cautious optimism.
    by Anandhakrishnan S, Shreya Adhikari | 2 min read
    potted plants set in order of decreasing height from left to right--nonprofit humour
    Humour
    Did your April bring what you wished for?
    Appraisals don't mean the same thing for everyone.
    by Rakesh Swami, Salman Faheem | 2 min read

    Ground Up

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    Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.
    Environment
    photo
    Sustainability and convenience walk into a tea shop in Mizoram
    by Chuauzikpuia Pachuau
    Location Icon Aizawl district, Mizoram
    Livelihoods
    photo
    Kangri: Baskets of fire that keep Kashmir warm
    by Zaid Malik
    Location Icon Bandipora district, Jammu and Kashmir
    Rights
    photo
    For fieldworkers, the LPG shortage is turning into a crisis of trust
    by Rama
    Location Icon North West Delhi district, Delhi
    Rights
    photo
    A lock on identity: What happens when nomads are asked to stay
    by Astha Chaudhary
    Location Icon Nainital district, Uttarakhand

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    On our 9th birthday, pick your 9! #shorts
    A day in the life of: Union leaders organising women in Karnataka’s beedi industry
    #IDRAnswers | What information do you need to think, act and change the world?

    A day in the life of

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    Frontline workers and first responders share their insights from working at the grassroots.
    The image is set inside a home. A young women is sitting at the edge of a bed with her back turned to the camera. She is holding the hand of a person who is lying down on the bed, out of the frame.--palliative care
    Health & Well-being
    What does it mean to care for someone with a serious illness?
    A day in the life of a counsellor and nurse in Mumbai as they provide home-based palliative care, helping patients and families face illness, loss, and uncertainty with dignity.
    by Ankita Arvind Mhatre, Shruti Mukhopadhyay | 9 min read
    The image features the authors, Shakeela Banu and Nageena Banu. They are standing outdoors smiling warmly at each other while holding hands. Shakeela is wearing a bright red headscarf with a black inner layer, and Nageena is wearing a light-colored and patterned suit and dupatta . The background shows greenery and a blurred building--Beedi industry
    Rights
    ‘One day, one day, the women will go out to protest…’
    A day in the life of two union leaders fighting for fair working conditions in Karnataka’s beedi industry and for the rights of their community.
    by Nageena Banu, Shakeela Banu | 2 min read
    two women sitting on the floor in a classroom, with numbers and the kannada alphabet painted on the walls behind them--community organiser
    Gender
    The girl who refused to drop out
    A day in the life of a young field coordinator in Raichur, Karnataka, reflecting her journey of almost dropping out of school to supporting herself, her family, and her community.
    by Rubiya Begum | 7 min read

    Failure Files

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    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.
    a digital sketch of Dr Carmo Noronha against a pale blue background--
    "It's no use telling a child that one plus one is two… Unless you tell them how they can use that to actually improve their daily life."
    Dr Carmo Noronha
    2 min read
    a digital portrait of Dr Ram Punyani against a pale green background--communalism in india
    "By the time the truth puts on its shoes to step out, the lie has already travelled around the world."
    Dr Ram Puniyani
    2 min read
    an illustration of Rajim Ketwas, a Dalit, Adivasi, and gender rights activist from Chhattisgarh--Dalit and Adivasi rights
    "Even if you struggle equally, get beaten up, and go to jail, it is hard for men to accept women as leaders. They may accept a woman from an upper caste, because caste hierarchy plays a role. But it is much more difficult for an Adivasi or Dalit woman, no matter how educated or capable she is."
    Rajim Ketwas
    9 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
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    • a man holding the hand of a small child with a schoolbag, walking down a street with their backs towards the camera--cost of schooling
    Education
    The rising cost of learning in India
    From school fees to coaching classes, education expenses are climbing across India. Here’s what the data shows.
    by Vijay Jadhav, IndiaSpend | 4 min read
    The image shows two men sitting on a footpath. They are selling flowers of different colours which are bundled together in plastic buckets and arranged in heaps on the ground.--floriculture
    Agriculture
    The fragile livelihoods of Lucknow’s flower farmers
    While flower prices soar during festive seasons, these periodic profits offer little security to marginal farmers. Changing weather, inadequate transport and storage facilities, and unstable markets continue to impact livelihoods.
    by Anamika Chaudhary | 5 min read
    handcrafted colourful clay pots and figurines displayed at an outdoor market--Dastkar
    Livelihoods
    Building real safety nets for India’s artisans
    While relief efforts after the fire at Dastkar's Nature Bazaar have been swift, they have depended largely on public charity, highlighting the absence of institutional safeguards for artisans’ livelihoods.
    by Sohini Bhattacharya | 8 min read

    Themes

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    Approaches and ideas that cut across sectors and counter the dominant narratives around us.

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  • Advocacy & Government
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    • handcrafted colourful clay pots and figurines displayed at an outdoor market--Dastkar
    Livelihoods
    Building real safety nets for India’s artisans
    While relief efforts after the fire at Dastkar's Nature Bazaar have been swift, they have depended largely on public charity, highlighting the absence of institutional safeguards for artisans’ livelihoods.
    by Sohini Bhattacharya | 8 min read
    colorful geometric mosaic with interlocking shapes and small stars--Akhila Sivadas
    Leadership & Talent
    Hope, practice, and the work of social change
    In conversation with a young practitioner, Akhila Sivadas, executive director at the Centre for Advocacy and Research, reflects on staying rooted in hope amid the uncertainties of working in the social sector.
    by Stuti Gupta | 7 min read
    a man descending from a large boulder in a rocky and mountainous landscape with a river flowing on the left--conservationists
    Climate Emergency
    A mental health crisis is unfolding among conservationists
    Overworked, under-resourced, and routinely exposed to ecological loss, conservationists are navigating a mental health crisis the sector has been slow to acknowledge.
    by Tanmayi Gidh | 8 min read

    Expertise

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    Skills and functions that are core to growing programmes and organisations.

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  • Board & Governance
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    • colorful geometric mosaic with interlocking shapes and small stars--Akhila Sivadas
    Leadership & Talent
    Hope, practice, and the work of social change
    In conversation with a young practitioner, Akhila Sivadas, executive director at the Centre for Advocacy and Research, reflects on staying rooted in hope amid the uncertainties of working in the social sector.
    by Stuti Gupta | 7 min read
    a group of people standing beside a white concrete building--social justice framework
    Leadership & Talent
    Nonprofits need to change how they care for their employees
    Collective care in organisations must draw from grassroots community traditions and social justice values, not corporate HR templates or market-based solutions.
    by Deepa Pawar | 8 min read
    scrabble letters spelling the word
    Board & Governance
    FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026: How does it affect nonprofits?
    The proposed amendments put nonprofits at risk of losing assets built with foreign funds when their FCRA registration lapses or is cancelled.
    by Nivedita Krishna, Naman Khatwani | 4 min read
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