India Development Review

22/08/2026

What does economic independence look like when work itself is becoming more insecure?

More people are studying and entering the workforce, and women’s participation has increased. But stable salaried jobs remain difficult to find, access to higher-paying fields is unequal, and incomes have fallen for most groups.

🗨️ Is having a job enough to ensure economic independence? Tell us in the comments.

👉 Swipe to learn more.

🔗 Read the articles this post is based on: https://idronline.org/article/livelihoods/the-changing-nature-of-work-in-india/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm

-‘The changing nature of work in India’ by the IDR team

-‘Budget 2026–27 fails to address the reality of employment insecurity’ by Nesar Ahmad: https://idronline.org/article/livelihoods/budget-2026-27-fails-to-address-the-reality-of-employment-insecurity/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm
Post 6 of 6 | As part of our series on economic independence, we look at how changing patterns of work, income, and employment shape people’s ability to build secure livelihoods. Read more on IDR.

21/08/2026

In Khweng village, Meghalaya, the headman was once chosen by a voice vote; whoever got the loudest shouts won. Women were neither part of this meeting nor did they have a say.

Iohnam Syiem and Redian Syiem decided to change that.

Watch the full video by Banteilang Syiem to learn how women pushed their village council to include them in local governance.

https://idronline.org/article/gender/how-women-in-meghalayas-khweng-village-got-their-right-to-vote/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm

20/08/2026

Art, identity, kinship, and the long work of fighting for your community, A Revathi has spent decades at the centre of all four.

An actor, writer, and trans rights activist from Tamil Nadu, Revathi has been working with sexual and gender minorities since the late 1990s.

In this interview with IDR, she talks about embracing her identity, finding kinship in the jamaats, and working for her community from within and outside the development sector.

Read the interview by Anandhakrishnan S, Debojit Dutta, Subhash Sundaravadivelu

A Revathi is a writer, actor, and trans rights activist based in Tamil Nadu. She has worked with civil society organisations (CSOs) that serve sexual and

20/08/2026

What if the biggest barrier to a scholarship isn’t eligibility, but finding it in the first place?

Across India, scholarships exist, but many students who need them most struggle to access them.

🗨️ What do you think is the biggest gap in access to scholarships today?

Information is scattered across portals and institutions, and application processes can be hard to navigate. Many students only hear about opportunities through teachers, peers, or informal networks.

The real question is not whether scholarships exist, but whether students can access and act on them when they need support. If students don’t know an opportunity exists, can we really call it accessible?

👉 Swipe to learn more.
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🔗 Read the articles this post is based on:

-‘Why many marginalised students can’t access scholarships' by Riya Kumar and Shweta Bhandari: https://idronline.org/article/education/why-many-marginalised-students-cant-access-scholarships/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm

-‘Can lived experiences shape scholarship programmes?’ by Manzer: https://idronline.org/article/education/can-lived-experiences-shape-scholarship-programmes/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm
Post 5 of 6 | As part of our Independence Day series, we look at how rights, governance, and public systems shape everyday life. Read more on IDR.

19/08/2026

In April 2026, nearly 8,000 teachers in Jharkhand taught in classrooms while fasting in protest, after the state halted funding for 223 of its 523 non-aided institutions. That same month, the government delayed the Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test, an exam that has not been held in the state for a decade.

The shortage stands at at least 60,000 teachers at the primary level. More than 9,827 schools, are single-teacher schools serving over four lakh students. A High Court order to recruit 26,000 teachers in 2025 remains unfulfilled.

But the crisis begins even before teachers reach the classroom. Of the 139 Teacher Education Institutes registered in Jharkhand, only five are publicly funded, offering just 500 seats.

144 years after Mahatma Phule called for primary schools to be conducted by trained and certified teachers, the state of teacher education paints a grim picture.

Read the article by Shishu Ranjan () to learn more.

Scarce public institutes, poor infrastructure, and high costs have made teacher education inaccessible in Jharkhand. There is need for urgent reform and investment.

18/08/2026

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are switching to sustainable cultivation methods, but delayed payments and shrinking subsidies threaten their commitment to carbon farming.

Read the article by Aishwarya Tripathi, originally published on ISignal

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are switching to sustainable cultivation methods, but delayed payments and shrinking subsidies threaten their commitment to carbon farming.

18/08/2026

Support flood-affected communities in Assam.

Grassroots organisations are raising funds to support relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. Organisations currently raising funds include:

- Sunbird Trust
- Akam Foundation
- Humane World For Animals

Use the QR codes to make your contribution.

Share and amplify this post to help these fundraising efforts to reach more people.

17/08/2026

Across India’s social impact sector, the knowledge needed to answer a question often already exists. The challenge is finding it, and connecting the dots across reports, research papers, case studies, policy briefs, and expert insights.

When knowledge stays fragmented, teams spend more time researching, repeat work, and can miss opportunities to make better-informed decisions.

IDR Answers is a free, AI-powered research assistant built on IDR’s social sector knowledge library. It synthesises trusted sources, gives India-specific answers, shows the sources behind each response, and helps reduce hours of research.

🗨️ What social sector question are you trying to answer? Tell us in the comments.

🔄 Share this with someone who spends too much time searching for the right evidence.

Start exploring: idranswers.idronline.org

17/08/2026

If you don't see yourself in any of these, congratulations! Or look harder maybe.

Read the full piece by WokeOnPaper:

Not everyone gets the credit they deserve.