Reporting on Poverty from India Together.https://indiatogether.org/en-inhttps://indiatogether.org/rights-not-freebies/https://indiatogether.org/rights-not-freebies/Development economist Reetika Khera has spent two decades studying India's welfare programmes from the ground up. Ashwin Mahesh spoke to her about her new book, and why the language of "freebies" obscures what public spending on food, health, education and work actually does for people's lives.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/mfi-regulate-economy/https://indiatogether.org/mfi-regulate-economy/This sector is now an important part of the way many small businesses are funded. A clear framework for governing its operations is needed, and the lenders must embrace more effective self-regulation to balance the needs of borrowers with their goals, writes Harsh Shrivastava.Sun, 31 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/ss-workers-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/ss-workers-poverty/There are several government schemes to assist those who've lost their livelihoods from informal jobs, but many eligible workers find it difficult to register for benefits, despite the attention of the higher judiciary. Kathyayini Chamaraj reports.Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/six-pandemic-women/https://indiatogether.org/six-pandemic-women/In low-income families, women have faced far more vulnerabilities than men during the covid pandemic. These priority areas for intervention could form the backbone of a new resilience for them now and in future disasters, writes Gaurav Gupta.Mon, 26 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/jkfaisla-op-ed/https://indiatogether.org/jkfaisla-op-ed/Can people themselves decide how governments should respond to their needs? A new initiative, Janta ka Faisla , takes up the pressing case of migrants, to see how different the practice of democracy would look if it began from the most vulnerable citizens. Rajesh Kasturirangan writes.Sun, 18 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/low-income-women-women/https://indiatogether.org/low-income-women-women/A survey of nearly 15,000 women in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced lockdown last year reveals specific ways in which women are particularly vulnerable to risks. This could provide valuable input for new interventions, writes Gaurav Gupta.Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/covid-adivasi-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/covid-adivasi-poverty/Scheduled Tribes were already at the margins of development even before the covid-19 virus began to spread. Now they find their situation has been made much worse. Abhijit Mohanty reports on the situation in the tribal-dominated districts of Odisha.Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/pandemic-scramble-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/pandemic-scramble-poverty/The suddenness and totality of the lockdown left poor people unable to prepare themselves, even to collect wages. To survive, they had to leave their homes in search of support, making them vulnerable not only to the virus but to much more. Tanya Jairaj recalls the early days of the Covid lockdown.Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/accidents-poor-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/accidents-poor-poverty/A study of road safety across four states clearly shows that social hierarchies and realities largely determine accident outcomes. The severity of their impact is disproportionately borne by the poor, and as a result it puts them at a further disadvantage, writes Piyush Tewari .Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/urban-poor-lack-a-roof-over-their-head-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/urban-poor-lack-a-roof-over-their-head-poverty/Looking into what’s happening in the State of Karnataka, Kathyayini Chamaraj discusses the housing needs and rights of the urban poor.Fri, 08 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/chugging-along-in-the-name-of-sustainability-government/https://indiatogether.org/chugging-along-in-the-name-of-sustainability-government/Kanchi Kohli raises questions on the Voluntary National Review report which shows India’s efforts to achieve seven of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.Sun, 12 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/weaving-harmonious-threads-of-change-women/https://indiatogether.org/weaving-harmonious-threads-of-change-women/Women of a small village in Uttar Pradesh are weaving not just colorful yarn but also communal harmony in their region. Swapna Majumdar reports.Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/in-the-aftermath-of-a-hooch-tragedy-reviews/https://indiatogether.org/in-the-aftermath-of-a-hooch-tragedy-reviews/In a terrible, but not-so-rare tragedy in rural West Bengal, 170 people lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor. But what actually happens after an incident such as this? Cholai, a well-researched black comedy, reveals the moral and social degradation that cuts across spheres, writes Shoma Chatterji.Mon, 14 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/ration-to-cash-a-harsh-transition-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/ration-to-cash-a-harsh-transition-poverty/In September 2015, the central government announced a pilot programme of providing direct cash transfers in place of food grains in an attempt to reform the Public Distribution System. Centre for Equity Studies (CES) recently conducted a survey of this pilot programme in Chandigarh. Shikha Nehra of CES reports the key findings from the survey.Mon, 01 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/why-must-only-the-poor-suffer-health/https://indiatogether.org/why-must-only-the-poor-suffer-health/In Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, people lost their sight after botched up cataract surgeries. Was it because the organizers, the medical and paramedical staff of the district hospital did not take necessary steps? Or was the quality of medication used questionable? Or, because the victims are too marginalised and too poor to protest? Asks Shoma Chatterji.Tue, 05 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/how-sustainable-are-the-sdgs-government/https://indiatogether.org/how-sustainable-are-the-sdgs-government/Can we look at ending poverty without looking at the structural reasons and dimensions of poverty and inequality? Pradeep Baisakh looks at this and at other objectives within the UN SDG framework and analyses how realistic their achievement would be.Wed, 09 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/story-of-udavum-karangal-people/https://indiatogether.org/story-of-udavum-karangal-people/With a few more Udavum Karangals, the world would probably be an ideal place! Shoma A. Chatterji chronicles the story of the Chennai-based NGO that has, through its many units, helped thousands among the destitute and underprivileged find anew a life of dignity and purpose.Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/poverty-in-rural-india-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/poverty-in-rural-india-poverty/In what appears to be a damning indictment of the Five Year Plans, launched in 1951, as well as the economic reforms process that began in 1991, the first ever socio-economic survey has painted a dismal picture of rural India, says Devinder Sharma.Wed, 22 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/conservation-cum-development-program-good-only-on-paper-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/conservation-cum-development-program-good-only-on-paper-poverty/An apparently well-intended plan to help very poor tribes in Madhya Pradesh find sustainable livelihoods bears no relation to the reality of how it is actually implemented. Money is simply distributed and disappears, but things remain unchanged. Susmita Guru reports.Sun, 05 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/need-to-rethink-food-security-hunger-and-malnutrition-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/need-to-rethink-food-security-hunger-and-malnutrition-poverty/A recent report from IFPRI indicates concrete progress by India in reducing hunger and malnutrition, while many experts continue to stress the unsatisfactory outcomes under GDP-driven growth. Prahlad Shekhawat calls for a new approach to address the real problems that lie somewhere in between.Tue, 07 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/impact-of-land-acquisition-for-odisha-indiravati-project-on-displaced-tribal-villages-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/impact-of-land-acquisition-for-odisha-indiravati-project-on-displaced-tribal-villages-poverty/Three million forest dwellers in Odisha are estimated to have been displaced since independence by various industrial and hydro-projects, among which the Upper Indiravati Hydro Project is one. Abhijit Mohanty brings us the story of three tribal settlements uprooted by it.Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/tales-of-street-dwellers-as-makers-of-the-city-citymakers-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/tales-of-street-dwellers-as-makers-of-the-city-citymakers-poverty/Homeless, vulnerable in equal measure to the vagaries of nature and human whims, and deprived of any form of social security, street dwellers often provide critical services, helping to sustain themselves and also the city. Pushpa Achanta meets some of them in Bengaluru and finds out more about their existence.Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/development-in-maharashtra-perils-of-the-beaten-track-economy/https://indiatogether.org/development-in-maharashtra-perils-of-the-beaten-track-economy/The report of a high level committee led by Vijay Kelkar to promote balanced development in Maharashtra has several important recommendations. But will it all come to nought because of its failure to avoid a few conventional pitfalls? Shripad Dharmadhikary explores.Tue, 27 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/resistance-reconstruction-development-and-rights-of-marginalised-human-rights/https://indiatogether.org/resistance-reconstruction-development-and-rights-of-marginalised-human-rights/Will the synergies between the politics of resistance and grassroots initiatives towards reconstruction of the damages wrought by ‘development’ be reaped effectively enough in the year ahead? That is what Ashish Kothari will track in his new blog.Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/malnutrition-and-poverty-in-dinesh-nagar-village-of-assam-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/malnutrition-and-poverty-in-dinesh-nagar-village-of-assam-poverty/Total Sanitation Campaign, MGNREGS and other government schemes are unheard of among villagers at Dinesh Nagar, Assam who live with a perennial lack of food, pure water, and health amenities. Nilotpal Bhattacharjee wonders if they will ever find deliverance from despair.Tue, 30 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/odisha-renewable-energy-project-for-electricity-in-kashipur-block-villages-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/odisha-renewable-energy-project-for-electricity-in-kashipur-block-villages-poverty/A renewable energy project covering three of Odisha’s most backward villages has gone beyond the immediate promise of providing electricity, bringing about perceptible and deeper changes in the quality of lives of the local people. Abhijit Mohanty reports on the project.Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/assam-boat-clinics-deliver-healthcare-to-char-residents-health/https://indiatogether.org/assam-boat-clinics-deliver-healthcare-to-char-residents-health/For the three million plus marginalised people living on the shifting riverine ‘chars’ on the Brahmaputra in Assam, ‘boat clinics’ arrive once every month with basic health supplies, services and education. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports on this innovative healthcare delivery system.Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/upa-modi-development-models-economy/https://indiatogether.org/upa-modi-development-models-economy/With Narendra Modi at the helm, the push towards market-driven development looks likely to be continued, leading to an eventual defeat of real expectations from the voter, says Pradeep Baisakh as he analyses the causes behind the UPA debacle.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/how-do-parties-define-poverty-line-op-ed/https://indiatogether.org/how-do-parties-define-poverty-line-op-ed/As the rhetoric among political parties over their commitment and promises to the people rises, Shankar Jaganathan articulates that one question that will test what they truly stand for.Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/wives-of-migrant-workers-women/https://indiatogether.org/wives-of-migrant-workers-women/Across rural India, the phenomenon of migration creates an entire class of women left behind to fend for themselves in the face of increased vulnerability to neglect, discrimination and psychological as well as physical abuse. Puja Awasthi highlights their plight.Tue, 18 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/gmdebate-agriculture/https://indiatogether.org/gmdebate-agriculture/The effect of GM crops on food, agriculture and farmers continues to be highly controversial, polarising scientists and policy-makers alike. Darryl D'Monte outlines some of the recent turns in the debate to show that the truth, perhaps, lies somewhere in between.Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/ncrbdata-rti-right-to-info/https://indiatogether.org/ncrbdata-rti-right-to-info/While researching suicide data published by the NCRB, Shambhu Ghatak files an RTI enquiry on how the Bureau identifies causes behind suicides and compiles the data across states to arrive at national figures. The response reveals the lack of clarity in the exercise.Thu, 30 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/pensions-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/pensions-poverty/A survey among beneficiaries of the National Social Assistance Programme shows that while it does provide succour for many, a lot remains to be done for it to become sufficient social security for the masses. Anindita Adhikari reports on the survey findings.Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/urbanpoor-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/urbanpoor-poverty/Generalised policies that draw up uniform plans for cities also end up marginalising millions among the urban poor. Shirish Khare emphasises the need for more inclusive and participatory development if India is to meet the huge urbanisation challenge that lies ahead.Sat, 25 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/rbivision-economy/https://indiatogether.org/rbivision-economy/The new vision for financial inclusion In India as unveiled by a committee appointed by the RBI could well be an effective catalyst for transforming the lives of the people, feels Shankar Jaganathan.Tue, 14 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/assamchar-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/assamchar-poverty/A number of families residing in the char areas of Assam have apparently staved off misfortune by taking up sugarcane cultivation, but it may require more than just that to stem the trend of migration and improve living conditions in the region. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/mdmukhand-poverty/https://indiatogether.org/mdmukhand-poverty/Most studies on mid-day meal schemes tend to focus on the obvious nutritional benefits or lack thereof. Carly E Nichols argues that the impact of these programmes extend far beyond, justifying the need to fund and monitor them more stringently.Tue, 27 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/dbt-economy/https://indiatogether.org/dbt-economy/With an eye on the electorate, the UPA government is trying to scale up its Direct Benefits Transfer scheme in a big way, linking it to the Aadhaar project. But given the low levels of financial inclusion and poor financial literacy among beneficiaries, its effectiveness remains suspect.Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/growth-opinions/https://indiatogether.org/growth-opinions/The single-track hawkish focus on reforms-driven growth with utter disregard for the environment, equity and indigenous livelihoods is not only futile, but almost an assault by a few against the majority at the grassroots, writes Ashish Kothari.Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://indiatogether.org/services-government/https://indiatogether.org/services-government/The terrible mid-day meal tragedy claiming innocent lives in Bihar recently is just one in a long line of instances that reveal the abysmal quality of services and chronic breach of trust by the government. Sakuntala Narasimhan voices the angst of the people.Sat, 20 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMT