By Moin Qazi* It’s a journey that started with a few thousand rupees. That was the size of the first loan received by a remarkable woman named Vidya Khustale. Vidya invested the money into her tiny business selling locally made detergents and brooms. With the help of that initial investment and subsequent loans, Vidya’s business … Continue reading Being part of self help group provides a source of additional income, gives a sense of confidence
Which countries reduced poverty rates the most? A note prepared by World Bank experts Miyoko Asai, Daniel Mahler, Silvia Malgioglio, Ambar Narayan, Minh Cong Nguyen: One of the goals of the World Bank Group is to reduce extreme poverty—defined as living on less than $1.90 per day in 2011 PPP—to less than 3% by 2030. … Continue reading In India low rates of extreme poverty in still translate to millions of people living in deprivation: World Bank
By Sahana Ghosh* In early April 2015, as wind-borne dust particles, remnants from a major dust storm in the Gulf region, made its way towards the Indian peninsula, a group of citizen scientists and researchers strategically fanned out and placed prepared Petri dishes at vantage points in the west Indian state of Maharashtra by the Arabian Sea. … Continue reading How a dust storm transported microbes more than 2000 km across Arabian Sea from Gulf to Maharashtra
Status report on urban unemployment for Indian states by Indian Political Drama (IDP): In November, 2019, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation came out with the quarterly bulletin on Urban unemployment scenario in India for the fourth quarter (January to March, 2019) of FY 18-19. The report gave a holistic view of all the … Continue reading As we head for budget, unemployment remains a big concern area with rates over 9%
Often the struggles of rural communities challenge mainstream notions of development; however these are barely mentioned in mainstream history, if at all. Nandini Oza (Independent Researcher, India) explains how she has created a digital archive of the mass resistance against the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) on the River Narmada in Western India through the oral … Continue reading Giving voice to the marginalised online: Oral history and the Sardar Sarovar Project
By Venkatesh Nayak* Soon after the then Union Finance Minister announced the Government's plan to launch Electoral Bonds (EBs) as a method of making donations to political parties, in February 2017 I had critically analysed its implications. I had also pointed out that EBs will become the preferred method for making large-sized donations to political parties due to … Continue reading Opaque Electoral Bonds edge out transparent political party funding routes for 7 parties
By Moin Qazi* Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead A highly welcome and discernible sign on the Indian development landscape is that many bright brains from the best of universities are foregoing high salaries to commit … Continue reading Helping turn around tribal economy in Vidarbha by putting natives in charge of levers of development
