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    • local governance

    A hi-res closeup of a green computer Motherboard- Government
    October 24, 2025
    An inside view on working with the government  
    Embedding units across all tiers of administration can help nonprofits combine community knowledge and innovation with the government’s scale.
    by Gajanan Rauta, Karimuddin Malik | 6 min read
    A group of schoolchildren sit on the floor in rows, wearing uniforms in blue and green, facing a stage area where teachers and staff stand. One student holds a microphone and speaks while others listen. The background has colorful educational wall paintings, including science formulas, yoga poses, and a large tree mural with green leaves. Several teachers sit on chairs along the wall, watching the event. The setting appears to be a school assembly or interactive session under a covered courtyard_makkala grama sabhas
    August 21, 2025
    Giving children a real stake in local governance 
    An experiment in Karnataka shows that students can meaningfully participate in local governance. But institutionalising this requires a shift in adult mindsets.
    by Pratibha Narayanan, Vikas Ratanjee | 7 min read
    a gram sabha meeting with a panel sitting behind a table, and women in colourful chunnis sitting on the ground as participants-panchayati raj
    July 18, 2025
    The state of India’s Panchayati Raj system
    From legal frameworks to finances and functions, the Panchayat Devolution Index 2024 evaluates how states transfer power to local governments for a stronger democracy.
    by India Development Review | 7 min read
    A group of Adivasi women walk in a line along a lush forest path, carrying saplings and soil in metal basins on their heads. Men in the background are digging and working on the hillside. Mist-covered hills and dense greenery form the backdrop_DAJGUA
    July 16, 2025
    How a central scheme allows private agencies to influence FRA
    One of the key aims of the Forest Rights Act has been to decentralise forest governance by conferring powers on the gram sabha. DAJGUA, a new umbrella scheme for forest-dwelling communities in India, may upend this.
    by Sukriti Vats | 8 min read
    a woman drinking from an earthen matka-water atms
    June 18, 2025
    Reclaiming the right to water at Delhi’s labour chowks 
    Informal workers in Delhi spend hours in the sun every day. Low-cost water ATMs protect people from heat exposure and uphold the basic right to water.
    by Sheikh Akbar Ali | 3 min read
    Residents queue for water from tanker_water infrastructure
    June 5, 2025
    What’s behind the drying taps in urban India?
    Worsening climate stress and infrastructural issues are exacerbating the water crisis across India's cities. How can these barriers be addressed?
    by Tarun Sharma, Rohit Bhatt, Anita Sharma | 8 min read
    A group of people sitting on chairs in a meeting being conducted in an Indian village_data and policy
    May 29, 2025
    Why administrative data matters
    Unreliable data continues to weaken policy implementation and forces officials to rely on guesswork. Here's how accurate administrative data enables effective governance.
    by Ganesh Rao, Parul Agarwal | 7 min read
    The image features three women working in a field. One women holds a stack of leaves in her hand and there are rows of bound and stacked leaves laid out on the ground._Community resources
    May 2, 2025
    IDR Explains | Commons
    In just 10 minutes, learn how India’s commons power its people, ecology, and economy—through examples, their history, and challenges.
    by India Development Review | 10 min read
    A sea shoreline with people and boats on the beach_coastal mapping
    October 23, 2024
    Making their mark: Coastal women and community mapping
    Women in Tamil Nadu are bringing new shared spaces to light and participating in local governance through an exercise in coastal commons mapping.
    by Nayana Udayashankar | 8 min read
    tibbi nagar palika rajasthan--local government rajasthan
    June 13, 2024
    Is it a village? Is it a city? It’s Tibbi municipality in Rajasthan
    Tibbi’s upgrade from a village to a municipality has been characterised by bureaucratic inefficiencies and more water and sanitation issues.
    by Amarpal Singh Verma | 2 min read
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