Anuradha Raman
Anuradha Raman is a senior journalist with more than three decades of experience in the media. She worked as an Associate Editor with The Hindu, where she edited Ground Zero, a page featuring ground reportage from the remote corners of India. She worked as senior Associate Editor with the Outlook magazine, focusing on analysing and reporting on news media, social policies, with special focus on education and caste.
Bijoy Basant Patro
Bijoy is a journalist, writer and communications specialist with 35 years of experience, including over 20 years with development agencies. He has also worked with the development sector across South Asia in various capacities. More recently he has been associated with the international media and convergence network OneWorld as a Director. Bijoy also edits the development news portal, OneWorldSouthAsia.
Biraj Patnaik
Biraj Patnaik heads the National Foundation for India. He was the South Asia Director of Amnesty International. Biraj was formerly the Principal Adviser of the Commissioners of the Indian Supreme Court in the landmark ‘right to food’ case. Biraj co-founded the ‘Mitanin’ community health worker program in Chhattisgarh which served as the template for the nation-wide ASHA program. He has spent close to three decades working on public policy and programming. Biraj has been active in the right to food campaign since its inception and was actively involved in the National Food Security Act. He has published widely in the popular media and has been a public commentator.
 

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Issues in Agriculture and Allied Sectors
1. Navigating Climate Change: A Rural Dilemma Observed in Villages of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand by Bhavika Arya
2. A Beacon of Hope: Livestock Support for Families Left Struggling Post Pandemic by Amgoth Mahalakshmi
3. The Role of Farmer Producer Organisations in Bridging the Gap Between Markets and Small Farmers in Koraput, Odisha by Mukkera Arun Kumar
Forest-dependent Livelihoods and Forest Rights
4. Rooted in Rights: The Kolam Tribe’s Journey Towards Sustainable Farming by Aditya
5. Sustainable Growth and Ecological Conservation by the People of Jaganathpura, Udaipur, Rajasthan by Ayush Murmu
6. Linking Land Rights to Cultural Practices of Tribal Communities in Harda, Madhya Pradesh by Ritika Patel
Women's Participation in Rural Economy and Society
7. Women Farmers: Bridging the Gender Divide in Agriculture in Kalahandi, Odisha by Jyoti
8. The Other Half Holds the World: Case Study on Women Community Leaders in Keonjhar, Odisha by Shivani Rastogi and Bhawna Kumari
9. How Do Women Vote: Looking Beyond the Ballot Paper in Bhilwara and Sirohi Districts of Rajasthan by Sneha Vankudothu
Aspects of Rural-Urban Migration
10. Migration and Transformation in Southern Rajasthan: A Study of Banoda Panchayat by Yogeshwar Gupta
11. Left Behind: The Untold Struggles of the Elderly Amid Rural Exodus – Challenges and Resilience in Bolangir, Odisha by Jayasurya R
Village Commons and Resource Management
12. Linkage of Commons to Agriculture and Livestock, and its Impact on Village GDP: Lessons from Rawaliya Kalan, Udaipur, Rajasthan by Mona Sisodiya
13. The Restoration of Commons in Khakhra Khuna, Rajasthan: A Vision for Change by Ebrahim Nazir
14. Subsistence, Ecology, and Resource Management: A Case Study from Banspal Village, Odisha by Yashaswini Dev
15. A Watershed Moment in Raigadh, Chhattisgarh by Shikha Jaiswal
Development Outcomes and Government Policy
16. Ayushman Bharat a Path Towards Universal Healthcare in India: Challenges Observed in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand by Bhumi Bharti
17. The Vicious Trap of Tuberculosis and Poverty in Rengali Block, Sambalpur, Odisha by Amina Shaikh
18. A Demographic Abandoned by the State: Study on Childhood Diseases in Rural Nashik by Sophiya Ghatte
19. Why are Secondary School Students Dropping Out in Raipur, Chhattisgarh? by Manya Pandey
Rural Infrastructure and Policy
20. MGNREGA Much More Than an Employment Guarantee Programme: Evidence from Nagbhid, Maharashtra by Mohd Ali Siddiqi
21. Microfinance in Nagbhid, Maharashtra: A Lifeline and a Cycle by Hardik Kumar Satvedi
22. Tribal Villages of Keonjhar, Odisha Struggling to Emerge from the Shadows by Tanu Priya
Marginalised Identities Navigating Rural India
23. Persons with Disabilities and the Challenges to Livelihood: A Case Study from Rural Maharashtra and Odisha by Vinay Kumar and Saswati Sahoo
24. Perceptions of Masculinities in Rural India: Narratives from Panchmahal, Gujarat by Ansh Sharma
25. Analysing Food Practices and Perceptions of Tribal People in Gajapati District, Odisha by Kekhriesino Meyase
About the Authors About the Editors ASRI Advisory Committee
 

Anuradha Raman
Anuradha Raman is a senior journalist with more than three decades of experience in the media. She worked as an Associate Editor with The Hindu, where she edited Ground Zero, a page featuring ground reportage from the remote corners of India. She worked as senior Associate Editor with the Outlook magazine, focusing on analysing and reporting on news media, social policies, with special focus on education and caste.
Bhuvaneshwari Subramanian
Bhuvaneshwari Subramanian submitted her PhD thesis to the School of Development Studies, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) in December 2024. Her academic journey has been driven by a deep interest in interdisciplinarity and her doctoral research focused primarily on the education of the urban poor, integrating the fields of education, sociology, economics, development studies, and urban studies to address complex questions related to the domain of urban poverty.
Bijoy Basant Patro
Bijoy is a journalist, writer and communications specialist with 35 years of experience, including over 20 years with development agencies. He has also worked with the development sector across South Asia in various capacities. More recently he has been associated with the international media and convergence network OneWorld as a Director. Bijoy also edits the development news portal, OneWorldSouthAsia.
Biraj Patnaik
Biraj Patnaik heads the National Foundation for India. He was the South Asia Director of Amnesty International. Biraj was formerly the Principal Adviser of the Commissioners of the Indian Supreme Court in the landmark ‘right to food’ case. Biraj co-founded the ‘Mitanin’ community health worker program in Chhattisgarh which served as the template for the nation-wide ASHA program. He has spent close to three decades working on public policy and programming. Biraj has been active in the right to food campaign since its inception and was actively involved in the National Food Security Act. He has published widely in the popular media and has been a public commentator.  

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Non-farm Livelihoods and Income Diversification
1. Labour Rights and Experiences of Women under MGNREGA in Nashik, Maharashtra by Sumedha Kacchap
2. Socio-Economic Conditions of Rice Mill Workers: A Study of Rural Industrialisation in Surguja, Chhatisgarh by Uzma Sadmani
3. Rural Livelihood Diversification and Resilience in Desert Regions of Bikaner, Rajasthan by Abhishek Singh
Forest Conservation, Livelihoods, and Forest Rights
4.4. Protecting Wildlife, Supporting Livelihoods: The Challenges of Ecological Conservation in Amravati, Maharashtra by Sushanta Majhi
5. The Leaf Story: Tracing Business Channels and Policy Gaps in Tendu Procurement in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda, Odisha by Anusua Podder
6. Forest Rights and Lived Realities: Uneven Implementation of the FRA in Yavatmal and Nagpur, Maharashtra by Niharika
On Aspects of Rural-Urban Migration
7. Skin Clinging to Bones: Resilience Amidst Exploitation of Seasonal Women Migrants in Nashik, Maharashtra by Vijayalaxmi Shinde
8. Lives in Transit: Women Migrants Navigating Strenuous Conditions of Work in Dungarpur, Rajasthan by Sneha Pillewan
9. Between the Sea and the City: Migration Among Fishing Communities in Ganjam, Odisha by Faizi Amaan
10. Holding Families Together: Women in Migration-Affected Villages in Deoghar, Jharkhand by Prachujya Pegu
Village Commons and Resource Management
11. Managing Common Resources for Rural Resilience and Sustainability in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, by Darshna Kaur
12. Power, Caste, and the Unequal Flow of Water in Sonepur, Odisha by Sneha Deb Barman
13. Groundwater Depletion and its Economic Impact on Farmers in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan by Somil Solanki
Marginalised Groups Navigating Rural India
14. Transgender Rights in Crisis: Challenges and Hardships in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh by Danish Aslam
15. Unequal Access: Gender, Caste, and Food in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand by Nashra Fatima
16. Caste-based Variability in Climate Vulnerability in Rajasamand, Rajasthan by Pavithra SR
Development Outcomes and Government Policy
17. Right to Education in Practice: Ground Realities in Latehar, Jharkhand by Aditya Raj 18. Assessing the Contribution of Self-Help Groups to Women’s Mobility and Empowerment in Gajapati, Odisha by Jasmimayee Kalo
19. Bridging the Gap: Tribal Welfare and Systemic Gaps in Nashik, Maharashtra by Bhakti Shivaji Pitalewad
20. The Hidden Costs of Thermal Power: Health, Livelihoods, and the Environment in Koderma, Jharkhand by Disha

About the Authors About the Editors ASRI Advisory Committee