Pickers’ pick
The lives of waste pickers in Pune changed after they formed a union, through which they not only fight for better wages but also ensure that their children go to school, says Suchismita Pai
Big goals
A set of young girls in a sleepy hamlet in Assam stuck to their passion, playing soccer, despite societal disapproval. Today, many of them have brought fame to their village, says Abdul Gani
From home
A new breed of home-makers are supplementing family incomes by making use of their talents like cooking, candle-making and dress designing. Azera Parveen Rahman checks out on a few of them
Beyond Taj
Agra has more than Taj Mahal and historic monuments - a composite culture evolved over five centuries. It will now be showcased to visitors, driven in electric rickshaws, says Brij Khandelwal
Life’s gift
The wife of a porter, 38-year-old Sanuja Rajan, has won Rs. 1 crore in a TV reality show in Kerala. Life has come full circle for the woman, who has endured many hardships, says Sanu George
Rural tours
Village Ways, launched by Manisha and Himanshu Pande on the principle of responsible tourism, helps urbanites have a real feel of rural life. Not a ‘home stay’ kind, the enterprise ropes in the locals as partners, says Kavita Kanan Chandra
Social call
Call centres changed the job market and lifestyle of urban youth in India. That was long ago. Now, they help underprivileged children, says Shudip Talukdar, citing the case of Teleperformance
Eve’s haven
Mexico City has been able to bring down crime rate after it provided equal opportunities for women and went for a more women-friendly approach, the city’s former Mayor tells Pamela Philipose
Farmers’ call
Many women, left to tend farms as the husbands moved out of the villages in search of jobs, turned prosperous by calling a helpline number. Renu Agal explains what LifeLines India service is
Post history
As the iconic Mumbai GPO building turned 100, Quaid Najmi looked back to find the edifice standing as a sentinel watching the growth and development of communication in the metropolitan city
A whiff of air
Pointing out that dingy environment is a cause for physical and psychological problems in people, Disha Singh stresses the importance of going for natural ventilation, which can perk up life
Clamour women
A group of women are averting trouble in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, which is riddled with internecine clashes. The peacekeepers beat iron poles with sticks to alert others of a trouble
A real Utopia
Gangadevipalli is a model village for India. Visitors to the hamlet are charged Rs 1,600 for conducted tours, explaining how it achieved the ideal social-economic parameters, says Anurag Dey
Women on top
Jharkhand is under the grip of women. In panchayat elections, 56 per cent of the seats went to women, who have got together to demand bigger roles for them in policy-making, says Saadia Azim
Class transport system
An academic analysis of the much hyped bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Ahmedabad reveals that it has not lived up to its expectations on many fronts. Particularly it is not for the poor
