Institutions and Society

Assessing the Benefits of Early Stage Design Research of Rural Bop-Focused Energy Solutions in Urban Settings

Selvan Thandapani, Richard Woodbridge

The benefits of user-centered design in design and testing for Base-of Pyramid (BoP) related products have been generally established. However, conducting extensive field tests in rural villages can be daunting. Besides the expense of conducting multiple field visits in remote … Read More

Developmental Benefits from a Low Carbon Pathway

Sudhir Chella Rajan, Sujatha Byravan

India is in a position to reap enormous benefits from a low-carbon developmental pathway. This publication shows that a focus on inclusivity in India’s economic growth can result in large benefits. In fact, there are four economic reasons to adopt … Read More

A Civil Action: The Role of Indian Civil Society in the Climate Arena

Ambuj Sagar, Sujatha Byravan, Sudhir Chella Rajan

In this report, the authors present an overview of the science of climate change and its impacts in South Asia, examine India‟s climate emissions profile and the range of impacts that may result from a changed climate, and discuss possible … Read More

India Pollution Map – A Backgrounder for Users

Rajesh Rangarajan

The Pollution Map developed at the Centre for Development Finance (CDF) endeavours to support more meaningful tracking of environmental change by creating a repository of pollution monitoring data to capture and disseminate information to civil society in asystematic and user-friendly … Read More

The REDD Path to Forest Conservation

Snehashis Sarkar

Forest conservation through REDD projects can achieve a measure of success by giving ownership rights and economic incentives to indigenous communities. This brief examines the policy and implementation framework for such an approach, provides recommendations for the way forward.

Empowering Villages: A Comparative Analysis of Desi Power and Husk Power Systems

Santosh Singh

With nearly 70% of India’s population living in rural areas, many households still do not have access to affordable and reliable sources of electricity. This lack of access hampers households income generation capacity as well as their ability to use … Read More

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – Scheme Brief

Satyarupa Shekhar

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a comprehensive plan to provide free education to all children in the age group 6-14 years. It was launched in 2001 with an initial outlay of Rs.7000 crore. This brief presents the salient features of … Read More

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY): Scheme Brief

Satyarupa Shekhar

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) is an employment generation programme that provides income-generating assets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. In 1999, SGSY replaced Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), the government’s flagship programme on rural development, integrated … Read More

Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY): Scheme Brief

Satyarupa Shekhar

Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) provided wage employment and food security, by undertaking labour-intensive work in rural areas and contributes to the creation of durable community assets. Wages were paid as a combination of foodgrains and cash. In 2008, the … Read More

NRHM Scheme Brief

Satyarupa Shekhar

The National Rural Health Mission, launched in 2005, is the largest primary healthcare programme run in the world and reflects the Government of India’s commitment to increase public spending on health to 2-3 percent of GDP. It aims provide effective … Read More