India is in the grip of the second COVID19 wave recording 234,692 new cases in the last 24 hours. In COVID19 infections, about 10-15% patients require oxygen support. Amidst surging cases, an acute shortage of medical-grade oxygen cylinders is being felt leading to jacking up of prices. Rural India may face the heat soon, warn experts.
In the last two weeks, states including Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, have reported COVID19 vaccine shortage. Now, primary health centres in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts of Tamil Nadu are being forced to turn away villagers due to stock-out of vaccine doses. But, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today emphasised “no shortage of vaccine” in India.
About 4,300 women in Dungarpur and Banswara districts of Rajasthan have gone on to set up their own enterprises after undergoing skill development training offered by the Dungarpur Municipal Council and local non-profits.
The Central Avian Research Institute in Bareilly has carried out experiments to boost egg production in guinea fowls. Birds that laid 90 to 110 eggs a year are now laying 180-200. Also, birds now lay eggs in 21 weeks against the earlier 36 weeks.
Rajasthan’s suposhan vatika scheme of creating gardens to grow fruits and vegetables as a means of tackling malnutrition can also play an important role in the central government’s programme to eradicate TB by 2025.
The glorious muslin that brought fame and fortune to the Indian subcontinent in ancient times was woven out of a short stapled indigenous cotton. Sadly, that cotton is lost to the world. But, a project in Tamil Nadu is reviving another variety of the short staple cotton.
Farmers in Beed, Satara and Pune districts report crop losses as heavy rainfall and hailstorm on April 14 damage their crops. Last month on March 21, orchards of grapes, mango, and banana had also suffered heavy damages due to hailstorms in the state.
For Maithili New Year, Jur Sital, which falls today, April 14, people in the Mithila region give the kitchen much-needed rest, indulge in some kite-flying, play a version of Holi with silt from water bodies, and sprinkle water on each other to beat the summer heat.
Gujarat Attorney General told the High Court that the planning for the COVID19 pandemic was in place, but in the middle of the pandemic, testing reduced and everyone thought situation was better. “But now it has worsened exponentially,” he said.
Gaon Connection’s 45-day campaign called Hands of India, supported by Flipkart, the e-commerce company, presents stories of creators, sellers and customers. The aim of the series is to create empathy and a sense of pride for the people who help build India. Read the first of the series about Ramsingh Pawar who delivers cargo, and believes that along with every precious parcel, he delivers great joy, too.
Chief Minister YogiAdityanath and the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have tested positive for COVID19. Yesterday, on April 13, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest-ever single-day spike of 18,021 coronavirus cases and 85 deaths.
Amid the rising coronavirus cases in India, millions of devotees gather at Haridwar in Uttarakhand, on the banks of the holy Ganges for the month long Kumbh Mela. State government claims it is putting in place measures to minimise the risks.
The COVID19 tally in Uttar Pradesh rose to 705,619 today, April 12, with 13,685 new cases and 72 deaths in the last 24 hours. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ruled out lockdown and said private hospitals will be taken over if needed.
Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh have written to the central government asking to be supplied more doses of COVID-19 vaccine as these states have limited stock to last them a couple of days only. Which state has demanded how many doses? Read.
51% of the MSMEs are in rural India and they engage 49.8 million workers. Supplying adequate, affordable and reliable uninterrupted electricity will help increase the efficiency of this crucial micro-enterprise sector.
Indian women are overcoming barriers to chart out glorious journeys to success. They are also the major driving force behind agriculture. However, in any discourse of women, rural women, especially agricultural labourers — the group that is the most significant contributor to the country’s progress — is left out.
The Aadhaar card is indispensable to claim benefits from government welfare schemes. But, due to incorrect linking of the cards to bank accounts, Aadhaar card holders in rural areas, especially vulnerable women, are running from pillar to post, often for months on end, to rectify the mistakes.
High fluoride content in water sources can lead to debilitating health problems in the old and young. There are 66 million people in the country affected by fluorosis. A village in Madhya Pradesh has worked hard for 10 years to combat it.
Implementing the Central government’s proposal to privatise district hospitals could be disastrous for India’s poor. The government should learn from successful initiatives in some of the most conflict-affected districts that have strengthened their district hospitals.
Rising obesity among rural inhabitants is playing out alongside the alarming story of under-nutrition in the country. The National Family Health Survey-5 figures released in December 2020 show a big spike in obesity in the villages of India.
87% of government schools in India are in rural areas. It is time authorities and educators take a deep look at what ails them, and take steps to make education in village schools relevant, contextual and meaningful.
Close to 85 million people in India stare at poverty. But, social safety schemes haven't received their due. The current MGNREGA allocation of Rs 73,000 crores is nearly 34% less than the actual expenditure in fiscal 2020-21. The budget for the food subsidy bill is Rs 243,000 crores, much less than what was spent in fiscal 2020-21.
Never has the need been more urgent to focus on climate change in the land, and a lot hinges on Budget 2021 to boost, consolidate and ensure better use of the funds set aside for it.
It is not that the NFHS-5 is all doom and gloom. But the nutrition and anaemia indicators are a wake-up call. Anaemia has worsened in several states since 2015-2016. Worryingly, this slide-back happened before the onset of the pandemic, which suggests the current situation is probably worse.
Archana Shukla, a biology teacher in a government school in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, teaches her students academics and the need to conserve house sparrows. She has helped build more than 200 wooden sparrow boxes.
A skill upgradation training programme initiated by the Central government in prime minister Narendra Modi’s constituency at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is preparing 200 women to enter the business of wooden toy making.
The Grain Bank is an initiative that began in 2016, with the objective of benefitting farmers with small land holdings, but during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, it has turned into a movement to battle starvation and empower women in rural areas Uttar Pradesh.
Ever since the nation-wide lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was announced in March, last year, Poonam Tiwari has been coaching athletes that hail from villages in and around Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh. The coaching is free of cost and many of these rural girls have bagged medals at national and state levels.
Five women Indian Forest Service officers share their experience of running a zoo, the bonds they formed with animals and the unique perspectives they brought to the job.
Farmers in Kashmir are taking up rainbow trout farming, tempted by high returns. Fish farms in many states get lakhs of eyed ova of rainbow trout from Kokernag fisheries farm in J&K, and make a neat profit from selling the grown fish. Why has trout farming become so popular?
Trained ASHA workers go from door to door in Odisha’s Malkangiri, a hotbed of malaria, monitoring use of treated mosquito nets and checking villagers for fever. Last June, the Malaria-free Malkangiri Campaign was launched by converging 14 line departments. Malaria cases have since seen a decline.
Goat rearing in Maharashtra gets a fillip as a goat bank in Akola district offers a unique scheme where people can borrow a pregnant goat from a bank and repay the loan in kind with four baby goats, within 40 months.
Community forest resource rights under the Forest Rights Act helped Rahu and Payvihir villages earn money. Banking on this income, they helped villagers financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Rahu, 175 homes received Rs 10,000 each and 20 villagers got interest-free loans in Payvihir.
Over 43% of the rural respondents said the coronavirus vaccine should be administered first to the doctors and nurses. Thirty five per cent said frontline workers like ASHAs should be given first priority.
A Gaon Connection Survey of 6,040 rural respondents across the country revealed that more than half of them had consciously changed their eating habits. Seventy per cent had stopped eating out and 30 per cent said they had increased their intake of fruits and vegetables.
The first survey of its kind on ‘COVID-19 Vaccine and Rural India’ by Gaon Connection Insights finds the various perceptions people in rural India have towards the coronavirus disease. Almost 20% call it ‘an act of God’ whereas another one-fifth think coronavirus is no more.
Gaon Connection’s ‘COVID-19 Vaccine and Rural India’ survey across 16 states showed that 76% of rural respondent households in the southern states had a member test positive for COVID. In the north zone, it was 12%.
Two-third of those who are willing to pay for the vaccine want its price not to exceed Rs 500. Another one-fourth would like to pay between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 for two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Whereas, around eight per cent are willing to pay between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 for two doses of the vaccine.
The first survey of its kind on ‘COVID-19 Vaccine and Rural India’ by Gaon Connection Insights surveyed 6,040 rural citizens across 16 states and one union territory. Read the exclusive findings here.
Chywanprash, Giloy, Kaadha, Tulsi, turmeric milk… rural Indians have increased their consumption of immunity boosting items to protect themselves from the coronavirus. Many have stopped eating out whereas several rural households have reduced their non-veg food consumption.
The ongoing protest at the outskirts of Delhi, by farmers of Haryana and Punjab, has brought together people across differing ideologies, political leanings and age groups to fight for a common cause - the roll back of the three agri laws.
In the Malwa region of Punjab, villages wear a deserted look as large groups of farmers are in Delhi protesting against the three agri laws. Hundreds of women back in these villages have taken over farming activities, as their menfolk are away in Delhi, they say, ‘fighting’ for their rights.
While emotions still run high, there is a toning down of rhetoric and cautious optimism in some quarters, as the fifth round of talks between the central government and the protesting farmers is scheduled for tomorrow, December 5. Meanwhile, Delhi continues to be locked in.
The fourth meeting between protesting farmers and the Central government is at present underway. Meanwhile, the mood is revolutionary at Tikri and Singhu on Delhi-Haryana border where thousands of farmers are preparing to stay on. Who will blink first?
The second round of talks between farmer leaders and the central government yesterday was inconclusive. Will the third round tomorrow on December 3 find a way out of the agri laws crisis?
Camping out in the open, breaking through police barriers, facing tear gas and water cannons...thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have made it to Delhi. A ground report of the three days from Arvind Shukla and Daya Sagar.
Today is the third day of the farmers’ agitation. A large number of farmers have reached the Nirankari maidan in Delhi’s Burari while some farmers are still camped on the Haryana-Delhi border. What are then the demands of these farmers?
Women farmers, whose contribution to economic growth is largely undocumented, have kept the protests against the three new agri laws going. They cook by the roadside and march alongside the men, determined to be heard.
Protesting farmers, young and old, surged towards the national capital despite barricades. They filled the trenches dug up on the highway near Sonipat to stop their march against the three agri laws passed two months ago. They fear the laws are detrimental to them.
The farmers join millions of workers in the all-India strike tomorrow, November 26. Haryana has sealed its border with Punjab. Punjab farmers’ warn they would block roads if stopped from entering Delhi.
A rapid survey by Gaon Connection found 59% respondent farmers demanding a mandatory MSP law in the country, while 33% feared the new central agri laws would end the MSP system.
In the Gaon Connection’s recent rapid survey, 39% fear the minimum support price will be abolished due to the farm laws, whereas another 39% believe the mandi system will be done away with.
Gaon Connection’s ‘The Rural Report 2: The Indian Farmer’s Perception of the New Agri Laws’, shows that farmers’ opinion on the new agri laws is divided. On both the sides — 52% opposing or 35% supporting these laws — many are unaware of the details of the acts.
Of the 49 per cent farmers who are aware of the new contract farming law, over 46 per cent said the law was in favour of the farmers, while 40 per cent did not think so.
With highest awareness about the new farm laws among the farmers in the west zone (82%) of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, slightly more than half the respondent farmers support the new central agri acts.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown, millions of rural residents in the northeastern states struggled to keep their families afloat. For 82% rural households in Assam, making ends meet was ‘extremely’ or ‘quite’ difficult.
The COVID19 outbreak has added to the water woes of hundreds of rural women. The government and health agencies recommend frequent handwashing to avoid the spread of coronavirus, but where will this water come from?
After travelling hundreds of kilometres, braving heat and hunger, migrant workers reached their villages, majority were quarantined. Many centres lacked power, toilets, and food facilities.
Unprecedented COVID19-led reverse migration has wreaked havoc in the lives of millions of men and women who now face unemployment and despair back in their villages.
The recent lockdown created unforeseen havoc affecting millions of Indians. Every class of worker was hit hard – farmers, shopkeepers, weavers, cottage industry workers and the salaried class.
In a first of its kind survey, Gaon Connection delves into the depths of the agony suffered by rural India, especially its farmers, during the lockdown.
Gaon Connection’s national rural survey found that nine out of 10 rural citizens faced some sort of financial difficulty during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Pregnant women’s healthcare suffered in the lockdown. In West Bengal, only 29% households with pregnant women confirmed checkups and vaccination; Rajasthan reported the highest at 87%.
On Neelesh Misra’s The Slow Cafe, the celebrated stand-up comedian on his early years, how grief led to humour and why he wants to gift laughter.
In The Slow Cafe with Neelesh Misra, the writer-actor-director-producer on her childhood influences, her lived experiences and why it is important to tell a story...
During the course of 40 minutes, the ace actor speaks about his quest to return home, the concept of home, and why the COVID-19 lockdown is a life-defining period.
Neelesh Misra nudges Raina to speak about the little things that got left behind, his inspirations in life, and gets him to sing too, in this two-hour film that comes close to a real-life conversation.
In this 'slow' interview, folk singer Malini Awasthi, a Padma Shri, talks about women, folk music, and the intricacies of marriage, and how her husband motivated her to start singing again
He feels the quality of persistence in him comes from his village upbringing, and many of the characters that he has played are inspired by some of the people he has met in his village
Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been impressing us with his acting abilities, but these days netizens can't stop raving about Ganesh Gaitonde – the character he plays in Netflix series Sacred Games
Son of a farmer, Manoj says buying vegetables helps him connect with the outside world and that keeps him rooted. He is someone who likes to keep it simple and he loves to laugh at himself
Ayushman Khurana, who calls himself an old-soul, said he was an extremely laid-back. It was his father who made him ambitious. But what he is today is because of his mother and his wife
There are separate rules for girls set by others. Like, they must wear 'proper' clothes, sit cross-legged and look down while walking, said Taapsee and added she has started questioning these rules
Every day 27 children with thalassemia are born in India. This genetic blood disorder requires regular blood transfusion for lifetime. Since the lockdown, blood banks are facing an acute blood shortage
Over 40 families in Hobjapara village at Kolkata’s outskirts have lost both their homes and livelihoods due to the double whammy of COVID-19 lockdown and Cyclone Amphan.
Many urban poor women are the sole bread winners for their families. Due to the lockdown, they have lost their livelihoods. Now they are under acute mental stress to feed their children
Due to the stigma attached to the disease, life is tough for the leprosy patients. But, those living in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, said they haven’t got adequate medical help ever since the lockdown
The tea industry in Assam, reeling under adverse effects of climate change, suffered more this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The small tea growers are the worst affected.
The Supreme Court of India had directed the States and UTs to ensure children get mid-day meals. Despite that, children in Bihar's Gaya were eating only roti-onion, or rice-pickle, or starch rice.
Baaja is the soul of every pahadi wedding. With the COVID-19 lockdown, bajantris have lost their only source of income. Some are looking to work in apple orchards, others as MGNREGA labourers.
Himachal's Rs 4,000-crore apple industry is heavily dependent on the Gurkha labourers from Nepal. But the recent tension between India and Nepal is hampering their availability.
While teachers and students in urban areas have resorted to distance learning, children in rural areas have missed out on education as they don’t have the luxury of attending online classes
After facing crop losses due to locust attack and unseasonal rains, jeera farmers in Rajasthan complain they are unable to transport their harvested produce to Unjha mandi in Gujarat. State officials claim no such restrictions. Come monsoon rains and the cumin seed produce may go waste
Broadly, seven communities in Rajasthan are categorised as traditional folk musicians. Dholi community is associated with nagara, the traditional drums, whereas the Bhand community members sing to entertain. All these musicians have lost their traditional source of income and now looking for other daily wage works.
Three natural calamities -- COVID-19 crisis, Cyclone Amphan and now, the heavy rains, have struck traditional artisans who make idols for Durga Puja. At least 2.5 lakh artisans affected in Kolkata alone. Financial losses run into several lakh rupees.
If people aren’t leaving their houses, a puppeteer wouldn’t have audiences. That’s what happened with Raees Ahmed, a puppeteer who has been telling stories of, and through, Gulabo and Sitabo, his two puppets, when lockdown was imposed in the country.
Four decades ago, Baburhat had over 4,000 handlooms and all villagers were engaged in weaving traditional costumes. Now its last handloom mill is struggling to keep the weavers engaged, as orders are cancelled and there is no sale due to the COVID19 lockdown.
The artistic toys and utensils made from red clay here are famous not only in India, but also among the foreign tourists who come to visit Rajasthan. About 200 families here survive on the pottery trade
Their earnings were never consistent. Once the lockdown ends, they won’t immediately start getting orders as people would prefer to save and not buy expensive Madhubani paintings
For generations, the inhabitants of Raghurajpur village are narrating mythological stories through their world-famous paintings — pattachitra — and palm leaf engravings. Gaon Connection travelled to this heritage village in Puri district of Odisha and caught up with the artisans
A visual treat to anyone who lays his/her eyes on it, Phad is a form of scroll painting which has, over the centuries, narrated stories to people in village gatherings. Now, Kalyan Joshi, a veteran of the Phad art form, is using his scrolls to narrate stories about the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown
Mandana art form, passed on from mothers to daughters unlike other art forms, is now practiced only by a few. If we don’t preserve it, Mandana will vanish, much like the mud houses it once adorned.
An initiative to preserve Gondi, the language a large section of tribal communities in India, by teaching it in primary classes using computers has begun in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker.
Tribal women in a hamlet in Thane are earning a living by selling eggs during COVID-19 crisis. They are also addressing malnutrition among women and children.
In the heart of eastern India, teenagers of the Santhal tribe begin to chronicle stories of their ancient cultural heritage using modern tools – DSLR cameras and the Internet.
Minor forest produce, such as mahua, tendu patta, chironjee, sustains the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh for six months a year. But, this year, due to excess pre-monsoon season rainfall, a large chunk of the forest produce was lost. The lockdown has further aggravated woes of forest-dependent communities
These tribes living in small hamlets not very far from Pune are at the mercy of the housing society nearby for drinking water. They often buy discarded vegetables – their only meal
Laws enacted to protect the rights of tribal and forest dwelling communities have failed to deliver. Poor, marginalised tribal communities residing in resource rich districts face maximum land conflicts
Since time immemorial, tribals have resided in forests, thereby conserving it. But they are the ones who have been subjected to social exclusion and are also called ‘destroyers of the environment’
Bangladesh is a country that's bearing the brunt of climate change. With cyclones and monsoon floods, the coastal villages in the country see many climate refugees.
The Manta community of Bangladesh has been living on boats for over 100 years. They spend all their lives – from birth to death – on boats. These people live the most unusual life.
Delay in warning and lack of communication lead to hundreds of fishers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to go missing in Ockhi cyclone. Bodies of some dead fishers were found. Many are still 'missing'.
The story of how women are facing the impact of climate change in the Sundarbans. Alone.
People of Uppada, a village in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, are facing nature's wrath. The village has had to move multiple times due to coastal erosion
India’s captive-reared vulture release programme, a first-of-its-kind initiative to study the massive decline in vulture population, has been delayed. Again.
In its final order on the multimillion-dollar wedding extravaganza in eco-fragile Auli meadow last June, the high court has termed the state government’s decision to allow the mega event of Gupta brothers a ‘grave error’.
Between 2014-15 and 2018-19, the human-elephant conflict killed 2,361 people and 510 pachyderms in India. In the last three months of the lockdown, a series of elephant deaths have rocked the country. But the Union environment ministry is clearing projects in the key elephant habitats
The Bishnois have been around even before the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. For them, the need to save nature arises from an inherent understanding of knowing that we exist because of nature
Plants and trees are the accurate indicators of the presence of pollutants. We should study plants to know about the presence of pollutants and use this as an effective tool in pollution monitoring
Honey collection is a major source of livelihood for many. But changing farm practices, reducing forest cover, increasing use of pesticides and growing cell phone penetration are killing honeybees
Conservationists attribute the decline in the population of house sparrows to the unfriendly architecture of our homes, chemical fertilizers in our crops and noise pollution
In the past few decades, the aquatic life has been adversely affected due to human intervention. Agricultural use of pesticides is the leading cause of death among amphibians like frogs
Many of us have cherished memories of spotting and catching fireflies that twinkled as if stars. But kids of today may not grow up with similar memories. That’s because fireflies are disappearing
With the change in season, many areas in the country witness the arrival of migratory birds. However, factors like the pastures being robbed off their greenery and destroying of the traditional water resources have made the advent of these migratory birds increasingly difficult
Home-birth enthusiasts are rooting for the practice to be made mainstream by integrating traditional midwives, and midwifery in general, to the Indian health infrastructure.
Sex workers in Maharashtra are struggling to make ends meet, but not risking contracting COVID-19. They are certain sex trade will not stop, and have devised new methods to 'stay safe'
Over 1,000 women in villages along the southwest coast of Bangladesh, adjoining the Sundarbans mangrove forest, are ostracised because their husbands were killed by Bengal tigers.
Women associated with self-help groups in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district provided employment to about 70 male migrant workers who returned from cities and were jobless. The acknowledgement has motivated more women to come forward.
Koli fisherwomen in Mumbai have not earned a penny in the last almost three months. Fishing ban in June and July, with no monetary compensation, may tip them over the edge
India has an estimated 1.2 million sex workers who have no clear legal standing, thus making these marginalised women ‘criminals'. To break the coronavirus chain, social distancing and isolation are crucial. But, how are women sex workers coping in such a scenario? A Gaon Connection report from Hanuman Tekdi, a red-light area in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra
Women’s empowerment will not have any meaning without tackling anaemia. While the governments are working to deal with this, there is a need for greater awareness to tackle this problem
A girl living in Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh was raped when she was 19. It has been two years since the incidence. Now she feels she will not get justice. The police for long said they can’t do much against the accused for ‘misbehviour’ because the girl did not use the word rape in the FIR
The percentage of those in the 18-24 age group enrolling for higher education has more than doubled since 2005-06. The government has set a target of 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio by 2030
Members of the third gender are invited to celebrate a birth or a wedding. They say they would rather prefer a normal existence than the special treatment they get only on some days
Residents of 36 villages in Kusheshwar Asthan Purbi of Darbhanga are displaced due to floods for more than a month now. Over 200 families here are living under tarpaulins on Kosi’s embankment.
In this photoblog, Abhay Kanvinde looks at the most polluted and populated stretch of Mutha River in Pune and astounds us with the life that abounds here.
An intricate network of rivers and beels (wetlands) forms the natural drainage system of Guwahati city on the banks of the Brahmaputra river. Last few decades, these water bodies have been encroached upon, thereby contributing towards an increased incidence of urban flooding
Apart from being illegal, such a facility is an environmental disaster. The Yamuna river floodplain should not be made a sacrificial goat at the altar of short-sighted developmental needs
The Bahini-Bharalu, Guwahati's main river, carries a large chunk of untreated sewage and empties it into the Brahmaputra river. Polluted sewage also flows into a bird sanctuary. The sewage generation is expected to go up ...
With ambitious solar power plant projects, India may be charging towards its 100 GW solar power capacity goal but, tackling solar waste will be key to safeguarding the environment.
In spite of lightning sensors, alerts through mobile apps, over 2,500 people die annually due to lightning strikes in the country. The state governments need to bridge the last-mile communication challenge to reduce these preventable deaths.
Mining and combustion of coal, a fossil fuel, is linked to both environmental pollution and climate change. India’s first climate change assessment report warns of an average temperature increase of 4.4°C by the end of the century, along with an increase in heatwaves, droughts, and intense cyclones
An artificial reef has helped restore a part of the Puducherry beach. But, more interventions are needed to complete this pilot project that can guide beach restoration along India’s coastline
Both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon cyclonic activities are on the rise in the Arabian Sea. Climate scientists blame this on the rapid warming of the ocean
Cyclone Amphan intensified from a category-1 cyclone to category-5 within 18 hours. Meteorologists attribute this to record high sea-surface temperatures and ocean heat content. As oceans heat up, intense cyclone formations are expected
Every year, about 300,000 tons of human hair is treated as waste. Its accumulation in waste streams poses serious environmental problem. Scientists have fixed this problem
With Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerji, and Michael Kremer winning the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, there is renewed interest and discourse around randomised controlled trials
The year 2019 will be remembered for breaking several previous records of extreme weather events be it the cold wave, large-scale rainfall anomalies, or the number of cyclones
In the fourth part of our series ‘Corona Heroes’, meet Prashant Gade. He has been making affordable prosthetic arms, but he recently designed a ventilator that costs just Rs 30-35,000
Experts blame road widening projects and hill cutting works for causing widespread landslides in the state, as villages are cut-off and standing crops destroyed.
As Oil India Limited struggles to douse the fire at its Baghjan Oilfield in Assam’s Tunsukia district, an expert committee report before National Green Tribunal finds many faults with its operations.
Bangladesh is no stranger to monsoon flooding, but the flooding this year has been the longest since the floods of 1988. One-third of the country has been submerged.
At least three breaches reported in the embankments of river Gandak in north Bihar leading to inundation of hundreds of villages in Gopalganj and East Champaran districts.
About two months back, on May 20, Super Cyclone Amphan crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts causing extensive damages. Two months later, poor in coastal Bangladesh continue to suffer the cyclone’s impacts. A Gaon Connection photo feature.
Every year during the monsoon, Assam faces floods. But this year the crisis has magnified, as the state is handling multiple disasters while the COVID-19 cases are also on the rise. The oil well at Tinsukia is on fire since June 9.
Small and marginal farmers in seven villages of Soegaon taluka in Aurangabad have suffered losses worth Rs 40 lakh as one night’s heavy rainfall has destroyed their cotton and ginger crops. Panchnamas still not done; farmers have no money for second sowing
The Met department has issued flood warning in Bihar due to continuous heavy rainfall expected over the region for the next two to three days. Meanwhile, several families displaced due to last year’s flash floods are still living under tarpaulins with no basic facilities
A joint survey by the National Fishworkers’ Forum and Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti has recorded extensive damages in the coastal districts of Raigad and Ratnagiri due to the Cyclone Nisarga. But, timely warning and evacuation helped save lives
Almost a month after the Cyclone Amphan made a landfall in the Sundarbans, power supply is restored in Sagar Island. But, no source of income as both farmlands and fishing ponds are destroyed
For generations, the inhabitants of Raghurajpur village in Puri district of Odisha have been narrating mythological stories through their world-famous paintings — pattachitra — and palm leaf engravings
The earliest evidence of kite flying can be seen in Mughal paintings. From being a stress-busters for the Mughals in India, to being used in military operations in China, the kite has come a long way
Gurpreet Singh, who lives in Punjab, is an engineer by profession. He has this unique habit of collecting old, discarded stuff. He creates something useful out of those things that are considered to be useless
Sugar production involves two operations -- processing cane into raw sugar and processing the raw sugar into refined sugar. Watch to understand the process of making sugar from cane
In Dumaria village in Purnia district in Bihar, farmers have taken up marigold farming, which fetches them more than maize and paddy. They sell these flowers across India and Nepal
These weavers work long hours but don't get paid enough. They want to take up other jobs but most of them don’t have any other skillset. The next generation is already moving out
The animal husbandry ministry provided biogas plants to houses having milch animals and bought the slurry in return. The ministry claims it has increased the farmers’ income by three times
The small-scale traditional fishers in India are facing many challenges. T Peter, secretary, National Fishworkers' Forum, believes the government should give some subsidy to the fisher folk
Amul belongs to 36 lakh farmer families of Gujarat, said its managing director RS Sodhi. The best thing about Amul is that the profit from value addition goes directly to the accounts of farmers
In an interview with Gaon Connection, Uttar Pradesh Rural Development Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh spoke about gram panchayat elections, the housing scheme, MGNREGA and lot more ...
It’s white, soft, sweet & fluffy … it simply melts in your mouth! Malai Makkhan is a dessert that truly has a nawabi touch. It is believed that the Mughals used to polish this delicacy off in minutes. Head to Old Lucknow to have the best malai makkhan
Meticulously measured ingredients and a practiced technique makes the perfect biryani. The evolution of biryani spans many centuries, many cultures, many ingredients and many cooking styles. Head to Lalla’s in Old Lucknow for some yummy biryani
A hole in the wall shop in Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh, just 60 kms from state capital Lucknow, has been selling finger-licking kachoris for years now. Head to the shop — fondly known as Tandon jee kachori wala — for some yummy kachoris
The pride of Bundelkhand, these are songs of the battlefield, songs of bravery from a bygone era. Sung in Veer rasa, Aalha songs are sung by sword-wielding men and women in very powerful voices
If you are in Rajasthan, chances are that you will find many folk artists playing this instrument, commonly known as the Ravanhatha. There are not many artists who play the instrument now, but its melodious tune will attract you to the folk artists instantly
Jhumar is a folk-dance form from Bihar. It is said women express their joy and happiness through Jhumar when their husbands, who have been away from them, return home after a long time