Experiments with truth

Innovative science teaching scheme relegated to supplementary status

Whither freedom

Post independence, governments expanded squeezing village republics out of existence

Streamlining autonomy

Panchayati raj ministry suggests amendments to local governance in north-eastern states

Whither freedom?

Post independence, governments expanded squeezing village republics out of existence

Centre fund for rural development mismanaged

The god of ecological things

Snatching someone's baby

Villagers in Rajasthan have revived a dried up river in the region with help of a NGO. Now, their fight is with the state government, which has …

How one Gram Panchayat in Himachal built a waste-free, water-surplus village

Pappla village constructed water-harvesting structures, soak pits and a plastic waste processing plant to transform itself

8 years and Rs 228 crore later, Maharashtra fails to make even one village sustainable

The state’s scheme, aimed at creating environmentally sustainable villages, saw only up to 6% funds being used for green projects

78% MPs yet to identify villages for development under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

With just nine months to go, Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, a scheme that is low on priority of the Lok Sabha and Rajya MPs, is way off the target …

THE FOUNTAINHEAD DONGRIPARA, DHAMTARI DISTRICT, CHATTISGARH

Spark came from non-recognition as a village • Integrated management of forest and water • Sees self-governance as a matter of …

THE SECOND INDEPENDENCE

Tiny forgotten villages teach India a firsthand lesson in governance. Down To Earth reporters and photographers fan out to six states to discover …

A memo to the government

To be a truly participatory republic, India must take tutorials from these tiny republics

In Birsa's Land: Horomocho (Hazaribagh, Jharkhand)

A coal mine to own and manage • Sustainability not profit as a principle • Revival of an ancient Santhal system of governance

Unshakable: Nimalapedu (Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh)

Reminded India of its constitutional mandate for village autonomy • Fought bauxite companies for not getting gram sabha consent • Has …

A Republican Paradise: Mendha (Gadchirolli, Maharashtra)

Defied the Forest Act ÔÇó Every resident contributes part of annual income for community works ÔÇó If somebody bribes a …

Walk the village talk

After raising the political profile of village councils, government wants to downsize them

A million opportunities lost

The ruling alliance’s flagship rural employment programme took unprecedented strides in creating water conservation structures across the …

Another world is possible

Optimism is a great friend but a bad guide. The Asian Social Forum meeting in Hyderabad, India, deliberately avoided this truism while …

Aaj Ka Roadshow

Liberalisation in India has not only affected humdrum life, but also popular cultural forms. This is palpable in the changing dynamics of the big …

A watershed plan

Recurrent droughts and floods coupled with mass poverty, chronic unemployment and pervasive malnutrition are the major challenges before India. …