In the rain-fed rice cultivation areas of Odisha and Maharashtra, drought years are not gender-blind events. In fact, research based on national sample survey data in India, conducted by the Asia-Pacific branch of UNDP, has shown that when rainfall is poor, women farm workers earn less in terms of wages than men, specifically in rice-growing…
India is at a tipping point in terms of its development trajectory. Urbanization is happening fast, with people moving from rural to urban areas in search of economic growth. But both urban and rural areas are under threat from the consequences of climate change. The rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, floods and other climate risks…
The Numbers from Korba Earlier this week, India CSR shared a fresh, detailed update on BALCO’s Vedanta Skill School, bringing in data up to FY2025-26. Since its launch in 2011, the school has helped more than 15,000 young people leave uncertainty behind and start solid, respectable careers. Just in the last year, over 1,200 trainees…
CCL’s CSR investments in Jharkhand deliver real impact in nutrition, health, and education, but also expose deeper gaps in public investment in resource-rich regions. Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), a Coal India subsidiary working in Jharkhand’s mineral belt, recently published its CSR spending for FY2025-26. The numbers are striking. One of the headline projects: a Rs…
The 25th World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2026) in New Delhi showcased India’s progress in clean energy, agri-photovoltaics, and Himalayan innovations through Him-CONNECT, emphasizing that sustainability must be a civilizational commitment, not just a pledge. The 25th edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) concluded in New Delhi, leaving behind more than a conference…
How mushroom cultivation in Gaya ji is quietly reshaping rural livelihoods in Bihar In the fields of Gaya ji, Bihar, the post-harvest season looks different. There is no hurry to clear fields by fire. No smoke curling into the winter sky. Instead, paddy straw is being stacked. Stored. Processed. Not as waste, but as an…
Odisha’s Jharsuguda district has for long stood at the crossroads of industrial growth and rural disadvantage. While it hosts some of the biggest power and metal industries, a number of villages in the region continue to report significant gaps in education, skill development, and economic opportunities for adolescents and women. It is against this backdrop…
The conclusion of COP30 in Belém marks a decisive moment for India’s rural development sector. For the first time, global climate negotiations placed local resilience, nature-based livelihoods and community-led adaptation at the centre of the climate transition narrative. This shift creates both an opportunity and a responsibility for NGOs in India, particularly those working with…
Photo Credit: Antara Mrinal Clear Cut Livelihood DeskNew Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 13, 2025 11:16 ISTWritten By: Antara Mrinal On a brisk morning in Chakrata, a town in Uttarakhand, the answer to the sound of raindrops falling is the thumping of wooden cogs amidst the flow of a rushing river. In a humble stone structure that…
