Living will, ICU care, and what death with dignity means in India
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal8h ago
Kumar,* a 68-year-old man with stomach cancer, began treatment at a tertiary-care centre in Bengaluru in December 2025.
India Development Review
idronline.orgadded August 2026
top 74%What does courage actually require?
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal12h ago
In her recent article on July 27, 2026 titled ‘What does courage cost us?’, Smarinita Shetty, CEO and co-founder of IDR, posed a critical challenge to India’s civil society, urging organisations to...
User in the loop: Build AI that works for people
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal1d ago
What does it take to design an AI tool that people use? For nonprofits, the answer may have less to do with the sophistication of the underlying technology and more to do with how well it...
Rethinking technology funding for nonprofits
India Development Reviewby Keletsino Mejura2d ago
In 2025, two nonprofits asked their funders for a technology grant. One was told no. The other was told yes, and it spent more than a year building a tool that the team did not adopt because the...
Where women entrepreneurs find their niche
India Development Reviewby Keletsino Mejura13d ago
CEDA’s previous analysis of India’s informal manufacturing sector showed that while women account for the majority of enterprise owners, they are concentrated in just four industries and a narrow...
Can you measure the social return on community-driven change?
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal14d ago
Community-driven change can be difficult to measure. Organisations working closely with communities often work towards change and impact in areas such as agency, confidence, collective...
Who has the power to shape social change?
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal15d ago
Social issues can be complex, deep-rooted, and difficult to solve. Whether we look at the climate crisis, economic insecurity, or inequities in education, many systems and stakeholders—who...
Why nonprofits' legal aid models fail survivors of gender-based violence
India Development Reviewby Anandhakrishnan S16d ago
Pooja,* a 50-year-old daily wage labourer in Delhi, endured physical, verbal, and sexual violence from her husband for 30 years.
In Lakshadweep without an exit plan
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal20d ago
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.
Big problems need all hands on deck
India Development Reviewby Keletsino Mejura21d ago
If there is one thing we have learned from our several decades of experience in the social sector, it is that complex problems require different actors to come together.
A CSR Rule that needs to go
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal21d ago
We, the people behind Zerodha, have been actively investing not just in start-ups but also in social enterprises and nonprofits that create a positive impact in society.
How is India’s Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 tracking?
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal22d ago
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (MHCA), which came into force in 2018, marked a significant shift in India’s approach to mental healthcare.
Will Sikkim's eco-restoration drive repeat old mistakes?
India Development Reviewby Keletsino Mejura27d ago
In January 2026, the forest department began felling dhupi (Cryptomeria japonica) across the rain shadow ridges of Gupti and Mungrang in the Sadam Hills of Namchi District, southern Sikkim, along...
IDR Interview | Martin Macwan
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal28d ago
Martin Macwan is a human rights activist from Gujarat, India, and the founder of Navsarjan Trust, Dalit Shakti Kendra, and Dalit Foundation. The recipient of the Robert F.
How AI is changing what nonprofits can deliver
India Development Reviewby Anandhakrishnan S28d ago
For two nonprofits working at very different ends of the climate change spectrum, AI has changed what they can credibly offer the people they serve.
From grants to debt: Rethinking how social enterprises are financed
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal29d ago
In 2023, SNRas Systems, a social enterprise, came to Villgro, a support organisation for social enterprises, with a problem that had nothing to do with their business model.
Training the sarpanch alone won’t fix India’s panchayats
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal8 Sept 2026
“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.”...
How gram panchayats can foster a culture of palliative care
India Development Reviewby Keletsino Mejura4 Sept 2026
Health researchers argue that factors such as where we are, who we are with, and how we feel play a crucial role in our experience of pain, which therefore has a direct impact on our well-being.
Making government AI accountable
India Development Reviewby Anandhakrishnan S3 Sept 2026
Artificial intelligence is beginning to move from pilot projects and chatbots into the everyday machinery of urban governance. Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s 2026–27 budget reflects this shift.
Everyone a fundraiser
India Development Reviewby Jasmine Bal3 Sept 2026
Fundraising is often spoken about as a specialised function, as a job that’s done by the founder, CEO, or a dedicated fundraising team.