This report traces the journey of Panchayat computerisation in India popularly known as e‑Panchayat from the Round Table Conferences of 2004 through the design and rollout of the Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES), to its consolidation into e‑Gram Swaraj (2020 onward). 

The paper provides a detailed insight into the vast MFP (Minor Forest Produce) economy of India, a sector crucial to the livelihoods of about 100 million tribal and forest-dwelling people. This big paradox of the MFP economy - huge natural wealth and traditional ecological knowledge coming into existence side by side with continued economic marginalization of its bottom-most collectors -…

Panchayati Raj in India is as old as Indian civilisation. Its history goes back to the Vedic times, and according to some, even pre-Vedic times. To understand Indian polity and Indian culture, one has to understand the nature and functions of Village Panchayats.

This chapter examines the integration of key schemes/programs/approaches such as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

This chapter outlines strategies to bridge the India–Bharat divide through inclusive, innovative financing of rural enterprises. It covers difficulties faced by first-generation entrepreneurs, advances in alternative credit scoring powered by fintech, and the role of community institutions like Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs). 

A revolutionary strategy for creating inclusive and fact-based rural policy frameworks is Data for Development (D4D). Policymakers are now better able to plan, carry out, and oversee rural development projects by leveraging technology advancements and real-time data collection technologies. 

Skilling is the motherboard of development in the 21st century. The motherboard needs to be calibrated well to improve quantity and quality in jobs. Navigating employability in rural India requires proper differentiation between existing skills and skills in demand.

Rapid rural transformation is crucial for achieving equitable and sustainable development, particularly in countries like India, where rural areas comprise nearly 65% of the population and form the backbone of the national economy.

This chapter analyzes the different aspects of women entrepreneurs in rural India. The chapter covers many key issues, including the sources of funding, the critical importance of social capital, overcoming barriers to entry in the market, and many others.

The transformation of rural livelihoods is not just an economic imperative but a socio-political one. A rural economy that provides dignified, diversified, and sustainable employment is central to inclusive development. 

Last one decade has witnessed unprecedented coverage of micro enterprises and workers from rural areas under specific schemes and facilitation.

This paper traces the typology of historical reforms at grass root level in the state and specific reforms initiated by the State Board of Revenue. These reforms gave due cognizance to a series of legal aid and empowerment initiatives of the government of India (‘Pro bono legal services, Tele law service and Nyaya Mitra Scheme) on judicial reforms.

Rural India accommodating, sixty five percent of national population living in 6.65 lakh villages among 2.68 lakh Gram Panchayats and rural local bodies, assume pivotal role in making India a developed nation @ 2047. 

21वीं सदी में कौशल विकास को विकास का मदरबोर्ड माना जाता है। इस मदरबोर्ड को सही ढंग से समायोजित करना आवश्यक है ताकि नौकरियों की मात्रा और गुणवत्ता दोनों में सुधार किया जा सके। 

तेज़ ग्रामीण परिवर्तन, न्यायसंगत और सतत विकास प्राप्त करने के लिए अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण है, विशेषकर भारत जैसे देशों में, जहाँ ग्रामीण क्षेत्र लगभग 65% आबादी का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं और राष्ट्रीय अर्थव्यवस्था की रीढ़ हैं।

यह अध्याय ग्रामीण भारत में महिला उद्यमियों के विभिन्न पहलुओं का विश्लेषण करता है। इसमें कई महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दों को शामिल किया गया है, जैसे वित्तपोषण के स्रोत, सामाजिक पूंजी का महत्व, बाज़ार में प्रवेश की बाधाओं को पार करना और अन्य अनेक पहलू। 

ग्रामीण आजीविकाओं का रूपांतरण केवल एक आर्थिक आवश्यकता ही नहीं, बल्कि सामाजिक-राजनीतिक आवश्यकता भी है।

पिछले एक दशक में ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों की सूक्ष्म उद्यम इकाइयों और श्रमिकों को विभिन्न योजनाओं और सुगमता उपायों के अंतर्गत अभूतपूर्व रूप से सम्मिलित किया गया है। 

यह शोधपत्र राज्य स्तर पर जमीनी स्तर के ऐतिहासिक सुधारोंकी प्रकार्य-विधा तथा राज्य राजस्व मंडल द्वारा आरंभ किए गए विशिष्ट सुधारों का विवेचन करता है।

This working paper explores the transformative potential of Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) as a crucial strategy for addressing urban environmental challenges, particularly in the face of rapid urbanization and climate change.

This document scans the applicability and incidence of 4IR (Fourth Industrial Revolution) among cities and towns for citizen centric urban governance in India.

Urban areas, as elsewhere, are emerging as nerve centres of economic growth in India. Urban India, contributing nearly two-thirds of the national income and hosting an overwhelming concentration of the non-farm sector within and around cities, has assumed a special role in our national vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.

The Vachathi case, a brutal incident of state violence against a marginalized tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India, exemplifies the intersectionality of caste, gender, and state power.

Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being. Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere.

Identifying all, genuine deprived households is a social development challenge; everyone wants to be classified as poor. 

State capability and effective governance have been the focus of a few recentbooks (Somanathan; Muralidharan). The map is never the territory and it is always better to learn from what has been attempted so far. 

In the era of sustainable development, the United Nations has established the Sutainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which is the eradication of poverty by 2030. Poverty is a multifaceted issue that extends beyond mere economic deprivation, encompassing social exclusion and heightened vulnerability to various adversities, including disasters and diseases. According to World Bank, poverty is pronounced as deprivation in…