PolicyDhara

What does development mean for a place like Lakshadweep? On paper, the islands do considerably better than most of India on development parameters such as literacy and women’s land rights. It is also largely a middle-class society. But this picture sits alongside a set of ecological and economic shifts that are reshaping how people live.  Since the 1960s, the primary source of livelihood for the islands has been pole-and-line fishing for tuna, a practice that is low-volume and inherently su

DoRD and PFRDA have signed an MoU to deploy 'Pension Sakhis' who will expand pension awareness and enrolment in rural India. The initiative leverages the DAY-NRLM network to reach Self Help Group members and underserved rural households.

A TransUnion CIBIL report shows India's credit-eligible population taking credit at least once more than doubled to 74% between 2017 and 2026. Growth was led by women, younger borrowers and non-metro states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

**Archita Garg and Trayambak Pathak INTRODUCTION The 21st century has seen many advancements in gender diversity in all sectors. In the corporate sector in particular, diverse leadership is proven to give outperforming results and higher profitability because it creates a sense of inclusivity in the organisational structure. McKinsey’s report on gender diversity demonstrates how inclusive […] The post Redefining Representation appeared first on Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

Mr. Piyush Goyal called on BRICS countries to expand opportunities for women-led enterprises through better credit access, market platforms and predictable trade rules.

“I understand my village,” a woman sarpanch in Sehore district told us. “But whenever the discussion turns to budgets, rules, or government procedures, I have to depend on the [village] secretary.” Her statement captures one of the central dilemmas of the panchayati raj today. The sarpanch was not inexperienced. She was the only woman in her community to have studied up to Class XII. For more than a decade, she had managed the mid-day meal programme through her self-help group (SHG). She had str

Tamil Nadu and Telangana have built some of India’s most generous schemes for women: cash for education, cash for marriage, and cash for motherhood. The money is reaching them. Equality isn’t. That gap is the real test of SDG 5 […] The post From Global Targets to Local Triumphs: Evaluating SDG 5 Localisation in Tamil Nadu and Telangana appeared first on Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR).

GeM and the Textiles Committee have signed an MoU to promote recycled and upcycled textile products through public procurement. The initiative aims to build a circular economy ecosystem benefiting women, MSMEs and local recyclers.

Women's leadership in India's development sector presents a paradox. There's plenty of scaffolding—mentoring circles, workshops, leadership academies, networking dinners—built with genuine intention and care. Women climb it. They lean in, network, build credentials, and do the quiet work of becoming legible to power. And yet numbers and conversations are not as promising as they should be. According to a study published in 2025, women hold 67 percent of leadership in small social sector organisa

https://youtu.be/oc--hkMyeBI?si=motUDovr6UBWVYtB In Meghalaya’s Khweng village, the headman was once chosen by a voice vote at a village meeting. Whoever got the most voice votes and the loudest shouts was chosen. Women were neither part of this meeting nor did they have a say. Iohnam Syiem, secretary of the Village Employment Council, and Redian Syiem, former secretary of the women’s group Seng Kynthei, pushed the village council to change this.  Watch this video where Iohnam, Redian, and

A Revathi is a writer, actor, and trans rights activist based in Tamil Nadu. She has worked with civil society organisations (CSOs) that serve sexual and gender minorities since the late 1990s She has authored and been the subject of books including Our Lives, Our Words (2006), The Truth About Me (2010), and A Life in Trans Activism (2016). She has written and performed Vellai Mozhi, her solo play based on her life, across several places in India and abroad, and now runs a theatre group called N

India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem is gaining global scale, with exports reaching Rs. 4.24 lakh crore in FY26, mobile phone exports expanding sharply and rising female participation supporting employment and domestic manufacturing.

MSME procurement through GeM reached US$ 26.84 billion in FY2025-26, with the platform strengthening participation of startups, women entrepreneurs and SHGs.

Practical knowledge is key when it comes to being employed today or starting something of your own. For women across...