Pradan

Pradan Along with its partners, PRADAN works with 3.4 million households.

PRADAN is a non-profit organisation working with rural communities across ten states in India to strengthen livelihoods and promote dignified, self-reliant lives. Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) works to reduce poverty, changing lives and choices for the poorest communities in rural India.

Every year, monsoon rains submerge low-lying land in Begusarai district of Bihar for 5–6 months, forming wetlands known ...
24/09/2026

Every year, monsoon rains submerge low-lying land in Begusarai district of Bihar for 5–6 months, forming wetlands known as Chaurs. These water bodies have long supported fishing livelihoods, particularly among the Sahani community.

Yet, fish farming remained limited. Farmers travelled up to 70 km to Baheri in Darbhanga district to procure Katla and Rohu spawn, often of poor quality, which they stocked directly into ponds or Chaurs. Managing tiny spawn in such large water bodies was challenging. With limited knowledge of pond management and no local nursery system, survival rates were low and growth was slow. While women participated in fishery activities, men were largely seen as the primary holders of knowledge and decision-making power.

To address these challenges and strengthen women’s strategic role in fisheries, an MoU was signed between the Department of Dairy, Fisheries and Animal Resources, Government of Bihar, and BRLPS-JEEViKA under the Bihar Aquaculture Improvement Programme (BAIP). The programme is being implemented by the department across eight selected districts, with support from the Gates Foundation and PRADAN, a consortium partner for BAIP, to develop local fish nurseries that produce quality seed closer to ponds.

Under the project, 30 fish nursery entrepreneurs, including 15 women, were selected across 10 blocks, with 14 farmers leasing Chaur land for nurseries. The entrepreneurs now raise CIFA-developed Jayanti Rohu and Amrit Catla, high-growth varieties, nurturing spawn into fingerlings. They monitor pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and ammonia fortnightly while managing feed and stocking density.

Eight entrepreneurs have already sold fingerlings, earning ₹70,000–80,000 each, while farmers can now access quality fingerlings within 15 km, significantly reducing the distance they previously travelled for seed.

Over the coming months, these nurseries are expected to supply fingerlings to nearly 750 ponds covering around 1,000 acres, creating a local seed supply system, expanding livelihood opportunities, and enabling greater participation of women across the fisheries value chain.

Story Credit: Soumyashree Roy




JEEVIKA Bihar

PRADAN, in collaboration with Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society -JEEViKA, organised two-day district-level orien...
23/09/2026

PRADAN, in collaboration with Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society -JEEViKA, organised two-day district-level orientations on the Village Prosperity and Resilience Plan (VPRP) across Banka, Jamui, Kishanganj, and Muzaffarpur districts of Bihar.

The orientations brought together around 189 participants across the four districts, including Block Programme Managers, district- and block-level functionaries, staff from the Block Project Implementation Units, and PRADAN team members from the respective districts.

The sessions aimed to build a common understanding of the VPRP process and its participatory approach, while preparing participants to take the planning process to the ground level. Discussions covered the different components of VPRP, the roles of key stakeholders, and how community priorities can move from institutions such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Village Organisations (VOs) to the Gram Panchayat.

Participants explored ways to make the planning process more inclusive and actionable, including preparing resource persons and Cluster Level Federation (CLF) leaders to support VPRP planning; using social and resource mapping to capture the priorities of left-out and vulnerable households; and prioritising activities based on resources available with Gram Panchayats.

The sessions also focused on strengthening PRI–CBO convergence and linking VPRP priorities with Panchayat plans and relevant government programmes. Participants reflected on the previous year’s planning process, discussed challenges, and identified ways to strengthen implementation this year.

Through interactive discussions, activities, experience sharing, and collective problem-solving, the teams outlined next steps to take VPRP forward as a participatory, inclusive, and resource-based planning process at the community level.

Story credit: Tulsi




Bihar

In Kalahandi district of Odisha, communities are working to address a challenge that is deeply connected to their everyd...
22/09/2026

In Kalahandi district of Odisha, communities are working to address a challenge that is deeply connected to their everyday lives: how to manage land and water in ways that strengthen livelihoods and build resilience.

Through its Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) initiative, PRADAN supported by Standard Chartered Bank is working with communities to develop village-level plans based on their own understanding of local resources. From farm ponds, dug wells and field bunding to solar-based lift irrigation and earthen dams, these plans are helping communities bring together different interventions through convergence with several government schemes.

During a recent field visit, Ms. Nilansha Tiwari, Associate Director – Programme and Partnership, Standard Chartered Bank, visited Taladamaghati, Lokanathpur, and Sargiguda villages in Kalahandi to see these efforts first-hand. She interacted with community and Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, learnt about their INRM plans, and inaugurated a Solar Lift Irrigation site in Sargiguda that now supports irrigation across 15 acres for 18 farmers.

PRADAN is implementing the INRM initiative with support from Standard Chartered Bank across six districts of Odisha, working with communities to strengthen natural resource management and livelihoods at scale.



Standard Chartered India

PRADAN joined a dialogue on Women for Water in New Delhi.Hosted by Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan, in partnership with JV...
21/09/2026

PRADAN joined a dialogue on Women for Water in New Delhi.
Hosted by Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan, in partnership with JVS, PRADAN, Viva con Agua Welthungerhilfe, WICCI Water Resources Council, the two-day National Consultation brought together grassroots leaders, policymakers, and development partners to reimagine women’s role in water governance, not just as project participants, but as decision-makers and agents of change.

Saurav Dutta, Team Coordinator, PRADAN, participated as a panellist in the session “Women and Water Security,” sharing PRADAN’s ground-rooted experiences of women-led water governance. For years, we have worked alongside women’s collectives and federations, recognising that women’s intrinsic relationship with water makes them indispensable to sustainable water management.

What made this consultation truly special?
Four women community leaders from Godda, Gumla, and West Singhbhum districts in Jharkhand namely, Charima Devgum, Darothy Soren, Ruth Murmu, and Renuka Tirkey joined the dialogue, bringing their lived experiences of water conservation, management, and supply directly into conversations. Their voices shifted the narrative from theory to lived realities.

PRADAN’s models of water governance, built through Panchayati Raj Institutions, Village Water and Sanitation Committees, and Water Users’ Associations, place women at the centre of decision-making. The consultation reinforced what we know from our work: when women lead, water systems become more reliable, accountable, and sustainable.

Small Ponds, Big Impact: Strengthening Water SecurityPRADAN, in collaboration with HDFC Bank Parivartan, is supporting t...
20/09/2026

Small Ponds, Big Impact: Strengthening Water Security
PRADAN, in collaboration with HDFC Bank Parivartan, is supporting the construction of 25 farm ponds in Tokapal block of Bastar district, Chhattisgarh.

These ponds have been planned as part of the village’s INRM plan, with the aim of harvesting and storing rainwater and extending the availability of irrigation beyond the monsoon. Each pond is designed with a stepped structure, which strengthens the embankments, reduces soil erosion and the risk of collapse, improves stability, and enhances the long-term durability of the water-harvesting structure. Wire fencing and plantation along the pond bunds provide additional protection, help stabilise the soil, and reduce siltation.

The primary objective of the farm ponds is groundwater recharge and improving water availability in the surrounding agricultural areas. Currently, 40 farmers have directly benefited from the farm pond intervention. Each farm pond can support irrigation for approximately 1–1.5 acres of agricultural land, depending on water availability, soil conditions, and cropping patterns.

The ponds are particularly valuable for small and marginal women farmers, supporting them to take up an additional crop and diversify their livelihoods. Beyond irrigation, fishery for household consumption is also being planned, adding a nutrition dimension to the intervention and contributing to LSDG 4.

Story credit: Nikhil Giri Goswami




HDFC Bank

PRADAN organised a field visit for Shri Deepak Prakash, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Bi...
18/09/2026

PRADAN organised a field visit for Shri Deepak Prakash, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Bihar, along with Shri Puran Lal Tudu, Hon’ble Member of Legislative Assembly, Katoria; Shri Nilesh Kumar, Assistant District Panchayati Raj Officer, Katoria; Shri Devashish Kumar, Block Development Officer, Katoria; and Shri Upendra Kumar, Block Panchayati Raj Officer, Katoria.

The visit, organised in Gharchappa village, focused on community-led water conservation and natural resource management initiatives being planned and implemented in collaboration with women’s collectives.

Community members also presented Village Development Plan (VDP) prototypes developed in collaboration with PRADAN, explaining how women actively participate in the Gram Sabha and independently submit development plans based on the needs and priorities of their villages.

The delegation also visited various water-harvesting structures and plantation sites developed in the village, witnessing first-hand the community’s efforts towards strengthening water security and improving local natural resources.

A key highlight of the visit was the Solar Lift Irrigation prototype, which demonstrated how clean energy-based irrigation solutions can support farmers and strengthen livelihood opportunities at the village level.

The delegation appreciated PRADAN’s work, particularly the VDP planning, submission and implementation prototype and the Solar Lift Irrigation model, and encouraged the team to take these innovative models forward.

Story credit: Riya

Development Plan

Panchayati Raj Department, Government of Bihar Prakash

We are pleased to share that our ArcGIS StoryMap, “Reviving Landscapes, Empowering Lives: A Story of Community Governanc...
18/09/2026

We are pleased to share that our ArcGIS StoryMap, “Reviving Landscapes, Empowering Lives: A Story of Community Governance, Local Leadership, and Livelihood Transformation,” has secured 4th position in the Esri India StoryMaps Challenge 2026.

The StoryMap captures the transformation of local landscapes in Begusarai and Banka districts of Bihar, with women from community institutions leading the process of change. From
identifying challenges in their landscapes and prioritising local needs to participating in planning and placing their priorities before the Gram Sabha, women are helping shape the direction of
development in their communities.

The two districts face very different challenges. In Begusarai, recurring floods and waterlogging in the Chaur areas have long affected agricultural productivity and livelihoods. Through
community-led planning, initiatives around agri-fisheries, scientific fish nursery management, livestock, and other agricultural livelihoods are creating new ways to make better use of these
landscapes.

In Banka, irregular rainfall, soil erosion, surface runoff and degraded land have made farming increasingly difficult. Through women-led Ward Development Planning (WDP), these local concerns are brought into the planning process, with priorities around Integrated Natural Resource Management, water conservation and land development being taken forward to restore natural resources and strengthen livelihoods.

To read the full story, click here:
https://storymaps.esri.in/portal/apps/storymaps/stories/b18ce6515b26404bb6de39ee69878bba

Story credit: Taraknath Maity

- requesting all interested candidates to read the job description and eligibility criteria carefully before apply...
17/09/2026

- requesting all interested candidates to read the job description and eligibility criteria carefully before applying by scanning the QR code.

PRADAN is delighted to share that two entrepreneurs supported by PRADAN have been successfully selected for incubation u...
16/09/2026

PRADAN is delighted to share that two entrepreneurs supported by PRADAN have been successfully selected for incubation under XCITE Cohort 1, a joint incubation initiative of XLRI Jamshedpur and NABARD, designed to nurture individual entrepreneurs and, going forward, FPOs as well.

Out of the 338 applications received from 12 Eastern and North-Eastern states, 51 ventures were finally recommended for incubation under XCITE Cohort 1. This includes the ventures of Sugiya Devi and Mamta Kumari from Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand, who run a polyhouse nursery and a turmeric processing unit, respectively under the programme.

PRADAN provided continuous guidance and support to the entrepreneurs throughout the application process, helping them successfully navigate the selection process and secure a place in the incubation programme.

This achievement highlights the importance of grassroots support in connecting rural women entrepreneurs to mainstream incubation platforms, particularly those linked to the FPO ecosystem, opening up further opportunities for market access, enterprise development and growth.

Congratulations to Sugiya Devi and Mamta Kumari on this achievement! We look forward to seeing their enterprises grow and contribute meaningfully to rural development and women’s entrepreneurship.

Story credit: Saurav

Three Development Apprentices. Three starting points. One shared journey.From Odisha, Bihar and Chhattisgarh, three Deve...
15/09/2026

Three Development Apprentices. Three starting points. One shared journey.

From Odisha, Bihar and Chhattisgarh, three Development Apprentices came together in Jharkhand, each carrying a different background, perspective and story.

Their village stays may have taken them to different communities, but the journey brought them closer to a shared understanding.

Different beginnings. Similar journeys. Shared learnings.

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#3, Community Shopping Centre, Neeti Bagh
Delhi
110049

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+911141630455

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