Social protection schemes face significant delivery gaps across the country. At a local level, disproportionate dissemination of information means well-connected areas are often the first to receive benefits. Remote areas, on the other hand, often see low enrolment across schemes, leading to underutilisation of the …

According to the Swiss Re Institute World Insurance Report India is one of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world.1Insurance penetration (defined as the ratio of total insurance premiums to annual Gross Domestic Product) in India has increased from 2.71 in 2001-02 to 4.2 in …

4% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is attributed to Central and State Government subsidies and transfers1. For years, the administration has struggled to deliver social protection benefits because of basic challenges like identifying and targeting the correct beneficiaries. This translates to delays in delivery …

In a country, one might think of individuals as falling into two categories — they are either recognized citizens of a particular country, or they are stateless. However, the complexity of reality surpasses this binary classification. There are a substantial number of people who, in …

Vinod (40), from Lalitpur, UP, has been a construction worker for years. By carrying and transporting materials like cement and bricks, he has been able to support his family of 4. He applied for the BOCW Card in 2021 and thought this meant that he …

Located in the heart of Maharashtra, the Palghar District is known for its lush forests and winding rivers, and is home to the Warli tribe. When operating in the area, our team identified a widespread issue — the lack of Caste Certificates held by members …

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) citizens living in rural areas are entitled to 100 days of guaranteed wage employment annually. The aim of the Act is to enhance livelihood security for adults in rural households who are willing to engage …

In the heartlands of rural India, where communities rely on the ebb and flow of agricultural seasons for their income, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)1 aims to provide livelihood security to rural households, thereby bolstering their economic well-being. Intended to be …

Since 1967, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) has provided skill-based training to citizens in rural India. They now have 304 centres across the country. In 2021, Haqdarshak partnered with JSS centres in Maharashtra and Rajasthan to provide support to JSS trainees to enrol for documentation, register …

In response to the mass migration of workers, triggered by the announcement of the first COVID-19 lockdown, in August 2021, the government launched the e-Shram portal. It is designed to gather data on workers’ occupations, earnings, household details, qualifications, and other relevant information, to simplify …

Claudia Goldin, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, identified two critical phenomena that contribute to the gender wage gap. The first is occupational segregation, which highlights how women are concentrated in specific jobs and industries that are economically undervalued. The second is the hours gap, which states …

Manual scavenging has a deeply entrenched history in India, existing at the crossroads of caste-based discrimination and economic deprivation. Described by the Supreme Court as a practice which is ‘squarely rooted in the concept of the caste system and untouchability’,1 it is the hazardous practice …

India is ageing. Nearly 12.5% of its population comprises elderly citizens, and the numbers are expected to surge significantly. Findings from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) 2020, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the elderly population will more than …

Prehlad Sahu, a farmer from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, with 2.5 acres of land, eagerly enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme initiated in 2019. With the additional financial aid provided under the scheme, he could buy agricultural farm inputs such as seeds, medicines, …

In the digital age, identity verification, access to welfare programmes, and data accuracy have become essential for a country’s progress. India’s Aadhaar system was introduced as a solution to these challenges, promising a unique identity to every resident of India. While Aadhaar has its benefits, …

Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, contributing 20% to the national gross domestic product and providing livelihoods to almost two-thirds of its population. Unfortunately, agriculture in India has also become more greenhouse gas-intensive due to the use of climate-unfriendly inputs such as mineral fertilisers, …

India’s gig and platform economy have seen significant growth in recent years — 56% of the new employment generated is via white-collar and blue-collar gig jobs. A 2021 report1 estimates that one million new jobs would be created by the Indian gig economy in the …

Like many other trans people, Mariam* decided to leave her family in her teens. “There was a lot of abuse from family and society, and no one understood me. At the time I left home, I hardly knew about the outside world. I only knew …

India is home to around 138 crore people, 80% of whom reside in climate-vulnerable districts. They are vulnerable to many risks, including displacement and an increased risk of serious physical and psychological ailments. Women and children are the most marginalised when it comes to the …

My name is Yapangsangla, and I am a Senior Coordinator with Haqdarshak’s Nagaland team. I work together with our team of fellows and Haqdarshikas to spread awareness among entrepreneurial citizens about government schemes that can help their businesses grow, and weather the challenges that small …