Sanju’s Tryst With Beekeeping

Sanju’s Tryst With Beekeeping

Beekeeping, apart from helping improve crop produce and sustainability, can also provide a viable source of income for many in rural India. An account of how the practice has helped a high-school dropout rediscover his purpose in life, thanks to proper training and...

Poverty : My 1st Lesson In The Social Sector

How long has it been since you had your last meal? 17 hours for me, out of which 13 went by sleeping in an air-conditioned compartment of a train. My head is aching and I’m sipping water slowly but here’s why I’m tolerating hunger: Can’t leave the luggage unattended...

Saving The World : One Stupa At A Time

Saving The World : One Stupa At A Time

Everyone agrees the planet is getting warmer. What do we do about it? How do we adapt to it? More than two decades ago, Chewang Norphel, also known as the Ice Man of Ladakh, hit upon an ingenious idea. What if he could somehow store all the water that goes waste in...

Of A Medicine Degree, Ethical Dilemmas And An Opportunity

Of A Medicine Degree, Ethical Dilemmas And An Opportunity

Written by Anupama Pain - India Fellow alumni, in the fellowship program team and Tushar's friend. “Do the doctors or the nurses scold if you are crying or screaming due to labor pain in the hospital?” I listened to the exchange with some amusement. Tushar, 25, to my...

Humans Of Demonetization : A Digital Campaign

Humans Of Demonetization : A Digital Campaign

To read the whole story click here Just a few minutes before the official announcement, different corners of this nation had different things to worry about: the capital region wouldn’t stop ranting about the smog, people down-south were worried about a chief minister...

From Chennai To Ladakh

From Chennai To Ladakh

Written by Anupama Pain - India Fellow alumni, fellowship program team member and Surya's friend. 30th August 2016, while the rest of the country was experiencing the customary monsoon, the Sikkim bureaucracy was worried. They awaited the arrival of the delegation...

Voices Behind Statistics : The Faces Of The City

I had evidently become curious about every passing human – co-passengers in the metro, rickshaw pullers in the neighbourhood, friends, co workers and the like. No one in my vicinity seemed to belong here. They seemed to have travelled from faraway places in the...

Of Disturbing Instances, Gender Disparities And Taking Charge

It was just another day in one of the villages of South Madhya Pradesh. A colleague and I were passing through the half-broken muddy roads, to reach our destination. As part of our project, the agenda was to talk to women collectively and motivate them to save a...

The Butterfly Effect

A butterfly flutters its wings on one side of the world and causes a hurricane on the other side. This concept knows as 'The butterfly effect', which was initially used with weather predictions (Lorenz's Chaos Theory), gradually gained popularity among theorists to...

Boating In A Cricket Ground

The title may sound a little weird but this is talk of the town in Mhaswad for the last month. When the fellowship journey started, field visits were usual and I had chance to visit nearby places and get familiarized with the surroundings. The town is gifted (not sure...

Freedom Of Expression – The Oxymoron

Freedom Of Expression – The Oxymoron

The idea of “Freedom of Expression” sounds so much like an oxymoron to me these days. Two contrasting ideas nestled together so beautifully. Apparently the term freedom and expression do hardly ever go together. At least in the current context of our society. The...

Deconstructing Dating Amidst A Deity

Deconstructing Dating Amidst A Deity

It’s been a month since I’ve started working in the rural areas of Bihar and my new buddies here are very eager to set me up on a date with their friends. “Dishooja Ji, meri ek dost hai. Baayis saal ki ho gayi hai, aur shadi ki umr bhi hai. Dilli ke bank mein naukri...

In Praise Of The Shower In The Night

In Praise Of The Shower In The Night

Of the many cultural differences between my upbringing and rural parts of the north of the country, the one that I am reminded  of everyday is when I have to shower in the morning; to not repel the children from the school where I work. I am obliged to keep up...

The City Of Dead Dogs And Hearts

The City Of Dead Dogs And Hearts

Ages and ages before Adam Smith came up with his theory that revolutionized how humans produce things together on a mass scale through industries, and also the act of production to become super-boring for the individuals involved, humans were already using the concept...