Ideas

Focusing on the Humans of Fieldwork Can Produce Better Quality Data

Data collection and surveys form the backbone of India’s social and development sectors. At a time when primary research on development issues is a...

The Genius of Market Fundamentalism

The genius of modern neo-liberal economics is that its ideas have been sold to us by those in power over the last few decades...

Valuing a Hidden Octopus Fishery in Lakshadweep

“Kadikidamaale balichittum,  Kirikidamaaya kachayum ketti, Appal irrikum kalline noki chirichu thudangi, Ayal, bismiyum cholli irangiya neeram Appalu kuthi.”   “Ready with a strong grip, In the shallow waters, wearing a...

Dialogues: Dr. K.S. Chalam on the Political Economy of Caste in India

"The characterization of caste as division of labourers does not fully explain the discriminatory and unpaid labour of untouchables and artisan castes in the...

What if We Could Pay Farmers to Grow and Protect Forests?

COVID-19 is a global tragedy. However, what is of greater concern is that the pandemic is merely a symptom of a much larger problem:...

Environment as a Journalism Beat, In Post-Independence India

There is a photograph from 1973, that I consider to be an iconic image. Taken in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal, it depicts four women, facing the...

The Politics of Transnational Education: Of Global Hierarchies and Aspirations

“Growing up, I remember the emphasis our teachers and parents placed on ‘good English’ skills for a successful future. The students in British and...

On The Road: Unravelling the Legacy of Migration from Fishing Villages Amidst COVID-19

When asking a non-migrant fisherman in Odisha’s Nua Golabandha about why so many fishers choose to migrate across the country, this is what he...

African Swine Fever, COVID-19, & Floods: How NGOs & Volunteers Are Organising Relief During...

While the country tackles the pandemic, in Assam, COVID-19 is just one amongst three disasters the state has faced this year.  Early in February, Assam...

Disease Surveillance in India: From SARS-CoV to COVID 19

Amid COVID-19, disease surveillance and early warning detection mechanisms have gained importance across the world.  In India, the role of tracing the outbreak of diseases...