Researchers Publication

The crucial role of microfinance in bridging the credit gap for low-income households, who are often excluded from the formal banking system, is widely acknowledged. By providing small, collateral-free loans, microfinance empowers individuals, particularly women, to initiate or grow income-generating activities, thereby strengthening household finances, creating local employment, and enhancing overall community resilience.

The productivity crisis is no longer a theoretical risk; it is a mechanical and biological reality crippling India’s industrial heartlands India is currently winning the global trade shuffle. As political instability rocks traditional hubs such as Bangladesh, international buyers are pivoting toward Indian textile clusters. But as factories in Tiruppur and Bengaluru take on these...   Read More

In a warming world, the value of irrigation lies not only in what it produces, but in the uncertainty it removes. In a canal-irrigated village in eastern India, farmers increasingly speak not just about yields, but about certainty. “Earlier, we waited for rain,” one cultivator observed. “Now we plan.” That shift—from dependence on rainfall to...   Read More

Recent reports suggest the central government may be considering a way around the delimitation deadlock on women’s reservation. The proposal, if it advances, would expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats, with 273 of the new seats reserved for women and allocated using 2011 Census data rather than waiting for a fresh Census....   Read More

Stable fiscal ratios, high growth and low inflation portray India as a haven of stability and calm in a very turbulent world. However, this may well be a calm before the storm. The stable fiscal ratios notwithstanding, fiscal space is shrinking, which handicaps the country in coping with the economic shock, which is expected in...   Read More

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The IHDS Forum is a monthly update of socio-economic developments in India by the IHDS research community, based on the India Human Development Survey, jointly conducted by NCAER and the University of Maryland. While two earlier rounds of the survey were completed in 2004-05 and 2011-12, respectively. Fieldwork for the third round was undertaken in...   Read More

The Union Cabinet’s approval of the Small Hydro Power Development Scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 is a sensible intervention. With an outlay of ₹2,584.6 crore, including ₹2,532 crore for project implementation, the scheme aims to add 1,500 MW of capacity through projects of 1-25 MW. That focus matters. Small hydro power remains one of India’s...   Read More

Urbanisation, migration, and changing aspirations often leave older adults to navigate their later years with greater independence but also, at times, greater isolation. India stands at a quiet but significant turning point in how it understands ageing. For generations, the joint family system served as the backbone of elderly care, offering not just physical support...   Read More

Its role in rural development goes beyond crop output benefits to enhancing infrastructure, service delivery, local economic activity Summary Watershed development is emerging as a crucial strategy for India's rural climate resilience. It enhances soil moisture and groundwater recharge, and also supports overal rural transformation. Increased public investment and community participation in watershed projects can...   Read More

Women may enter the workforce in large numbers, but evidence from multiple sectors shows that participation does not automatically translate into leadership or economic power. Cooking, caregiving, grooming, sewing, teaching. These are still seen as “women’s work” across societies. After all, women do these tasks routinely within households and communities, often without pay or recognition....   Read More