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Currently the archives are available for the following months and years.

September 2007

PACS Programme CSOs provide relief for Bihar’s flood affected
PACS Programme CSOs in Bihar are involved in relief operations, following record floods in the state in August 2007.

August 2007

Maharashtra drought forum emerges as broadbased network
A drought forum initiated under the PACS Programme in Maharashtra has emerged as a broadbased civil society initiative with significant presence in 11 drought-prone districts of the state.

June 2007

Digital stories from MP available on the World Wide Web
A number of digital stories created by PACS Programme CSOs in Madhya Pradesh are now available on the web.

PACS Programme joins hands with Bharat Nirman in Chhattisgarh
A five-day programme in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, to provide information about various government schemes witnessed lively interaction between officials and participants on the right to information.

May 2007

MP disability network formed
CSOs working for the disabled in Madhya Pradesh have formed a network to strengthen the disability movement in the state.

MP CSOs trained in use of new media
Several PACS Programme partners in Madhya Pradesh learnt about possibilities and techniques of communication through use of new media, at a five-day workshop conducted in February 2007

April 2007

Massive gathering of women panchayat members in Bihar
In a unique show of solidarity, more than 1,000 women panchayat representatives from 22 districts in Bihar participated in a convention held in April 2007 by the PACS Programme.

March 2007

Fortifying villages by making people aware
A PACS Programme CSO in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, uses the concept behind a traditional festival to increase awareness and make joint forest management more effective.

Drought forum to create cadre of 400 ‘drought warriors’
The Maharashtra drought forum has put into operation a detailed work plan for 2007. It aims to cover 2,000 villages through a cadre of 400 ‘drought warriors’.

February 2007

Using RTI in urban slums
Women in Ranchi’s slums are using the Right To Information (RTI) to ensure better civic amenities and Public Distribution System (PDS) entitlements.

January 2007

PACS Programme 2007 advocacy initiatives
Several initiatives have been launched to consolidate gains and successes made under the PACS Programme, so that the momentum of change continues to grow after the formal closure of the programme

Creating awareness about drought in Tikamgarh
PACS Programme CSOs and the programme’s communication agency for MP have forced the administration to take notice of drought in Tikamgarh district and order relief measures.

Taking RTI to villages
The PACS Programme has launched an important action research project in UP to motivate people in villages to use the Right to Information (RTI) Act

Forging linkages for livelihoods promotion in Marathwada
At a two-day workshop in Pune, PACS Programme CSOs and financial institutions discussed ways of working together to promote sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor.

A systematic drive to make women functionally literate
A PACS Programme-supported project in the Chambal region is a fine example of a well-conceived and well-managed effort to empower illiterate rural women through a tailor-made literacy programme.

PACS Programme works closely with Bihar government
The PACS Programme’s involvement in an induction programme for District Development Commissioners (DDCs) in Bihar is an example of growing cooperation between the programme and the state’s department for rural development.

The challenges of fair planning
A symposium on ‘11th Five-Year Plan: Social and Economic Challenges’ was organised in Nagpur on December 9, 2006, with support from the PACS Programme.

December 2006

Memorandum submitted to prime minister
On December 6, 2006, the National Confederation of Dalit Organisations, in association with PACS Programme and World Dignity Forum, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calling for political, economic and social empowerment of dalits and other marginalised people.

Consultations on Draft National Rural Housing and Habitat Policy
The PACS Programme organised a series of consultations in August and September 2006 to get inputs on the draft National Rural Housing and Habitat Policy from various stakeholders.

November 2006

A helping hand for the elderly poor
Associations of elderly people, or vridha sanghs help the elderly poor get social welfare benefits in Jharkhand.

Tradition of giving needs to be revived and redirected: Dr Khosla
Indian society has an ancient tradition of giving that needs to be revived and redirected, urged Dr Ashok Khosla, President, Development Alternatives, at a seminar on philanthropy organised at the India Social Forum, in New Delhi.

Taking information to the people
The PACS Programme was part of an innovative information campaign organised by the Press Information Bureau in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh

Women from poorest areas speak out at ISF
Scores of women from many of the poorest areas of the country got a rare opportunity to speak with experts, policymakers and policy-influencers at the India Social Forum (ISF)

NREGA needs to be improved: K R Venugopal
Several kinds of irregularities and problems experienced in 13 states were highlighted at state and national NREGA tribunals held at the India Social Forum in New Delhi

Marginalised need an alternative cultural symbol: Amit Bhaduri
Oppression can be fought only by using alternative cultural symbols, said noted economist Amit Bhaduri at the ‘Assembly of Poor and Discriminated’, at the India Social Forum, New Delhi

NREGS faces major hurdles in Bhojpur
A long history of armed clashes and caste-based discrimination has severely affected the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Bihar’s Bhojpur district

Non-tribals, tribals join hands to save forests and ensure livelihoods
A PACS Programme partner in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district is trying to get tribal and non-tribal people to work together on an environment conservation programme that should ensure self-sustaining livelihoods.

Rozgar adhikar yatras in MP, Jharkhand
On the eve of the India Social Forum, the PACS Programme, in association with other organisations, held a number of rozgar adhikar yatras to create mass awareness about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), and conduct social audits.

October 2006

Status of NREGS in Jharkhand
Lack of information among applicants and officials, absence of panchayati raj institutions, and poor data-collection dogs the NREGS in Jharkhand.

Status of NREGS in Bihar
Less than 7% of eligible rural households have demanded work under the NREGS in Bihar, indicating extremely low levels of awareness.

Status of NREGS in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
People seeking work under the NREGS face numerous problems related to payments. Further, the Chhattisgarh government has framed rules that violate the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Status of NREGS in Uttar Pradesh
Lack of political will and the required administrative machinery have hampered the implementation of the NREGS in 22 districts of Uttar Pradesh

Status of NREGS in Maharashtra
The NREGS in Maharashtra is going the way of the state’s employment guarantee scheme, which has been around for 30 years and yet has failed to deliver the expected results

September 2006

Nidhuwa’s Doms get ‘human’ status, after generations
For the first time in the history of their community, people belonging to the outcaste Dom community in a village in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, have received the attention of upper castes and government officials.

Livelihood challenges in Gadchiroli
Diminishing natural resources and skewed official policies pose major livelihood problems among the Madias, Raj Gonds, Parshans and other tribes inhabiting the dry and thickly forested district of Gadchiroli in the eastern corner of Maharashtra.

CSO-government initiative for flood-affected Nanded
A PACS Programme partner coordinated a government-CSO initiative to help people affected by devastating floods in Nanded, Maharashtra.

New techniques lead to enhanced income from NTFP
Two PACS Programme partners working in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh have successfully introduced new practices for generating higher income from non-timber forest produce (NTFP) like honey and mahua

August 2006

CSO ensures issue of proper job cards in Bihar
In Pim panchayat in Darbhanga, Bihar, job cards under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme were issued without photographs or registration numbers. A PACS Programme CSO ensured that this malpractice stopped.

Contractors infiltrate NREGS in Jharkhand
Although the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act explicitly forbids the use of contractors, the experience of PACS Programme partners in Jharkhand reveals otherwise.

Gutsy Bebitai shows the way in Gadchiroli
Overcoming tremendous personal odds, Bebitai, a widow from a tribal village in eastern Maharashtra, has led one of the most successful livelihood initiatives recorded under the PACS Programme by a women’s self-help group.

Innovative techniques help farmers cope with floods
An innovative seed germination technique and diversified cultivation help farmers of Basuari village in Bihar’s Madhubani district reduce losses caused by annual flooding.

July 2006

From polio-affected recluse to community leader
The story of Kailash Yadav shows how confidence and capacity building programmes can transform the lives of people with disability

New voices of assertion in Bihar’s panchayats
Several hundred candidates supported by community organisations have been elected to panchayats across the PACS Programme area in Bihar. This is a major development in a state where all elections are marked by use of money power, caste considerations and violence

PACS Programme raises awareness about NREGS in 6 states
Hundreds of different types of events were held in the six PACS Programme states as part of an `NREGS week’.

UP govt. urged to formulate rural employment guarantee scheme
The Lucknow declaration adopted at the end of the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra in 22 districts of UP emphasises the need for concerted action to ensure the success of the NREGS

Several problems in NREGS implementation in MP
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) week launched by the PACS Programme on July 2, 2006 has revealed several problems in the implementation of the scheme in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

Massive yatra in UP to demand right to work
Over 300 CSOs in UP, including PACS Programme partners in 13 districts, mobilised thousands of people to demand work under the NREGA. The campaign culminated in a public meeting and adoption of a declaration at Lucknow on July 3, 2006.

Disabled secure NREGS job cards in MP
A PACS programme partner in Barwani, MP, has successfully lobbied for work to people with disability under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)

Dismantling caste barriers, bit by bit
A PACS-Programme-supported CSO uses peaceful methods to demolish caste barriers in the Raisen, Betul and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh. Women play a key role in this effort.

A village cleans up its act
From being the dirtiest village in Bahraich, UP, Shahpur Jot Yusuf has won an award for being the cleanest village in the district

June 2006

A valiant struggle against corruption
A PACS-Programme-supported CSO in Mahoba, UP, successfully motivated a community of weavers to fight against a powerful politician who deprived them of their livelihood.

Chingari Sanghatans at crossroads
Village level community organisations called Chingari Sanghatans have successfully fought against many instances of denial of rights and justice in Bundelkhand. The challenge now is to develop the strength and vision for a long-term struggle.

An empowered gram sabha shows the way in Rajnandgaon
An active and aware gram sabha in the remote Chauki block of Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh has stopped exploitative quarrying in the area and received work under the Food for Work programme.

Training CSOs in diverse communication building strategies
Workshops held in Ranchi and Bhopal exposed PACS Programme CSOs to use of alternative media such as wall newspapers, comics and digital media

Crippled by a lethargic administration
One or two persons in almost each of the 100 Dalit families in a village in Nawada, Bihar, suffers from physical disability due to high fluoride content in groundwater. A PACS Programme CSO is helping the people shift to a new location. But the process has been long and irreversible damage has been done

Monitoring PDS through community organisations
Community based organisations initiated by PACS Programme partners in MP and UP are playing an effective role in ensuring that the public distribution system (PDS) delivers

Bonded labour, by another name
Women’s self help groups in Raisen district of MP have helped combat a form of bonded labour that enjoys social acceptance.

May 2006

UP tribal groups ignored by policy-makers
Constituting less than one per cent of the state’s population, UP’s tribal groups have been treated indifferently by policy-makers and political parties.

Padyatra highlights need to increase awareness about NREGS
A padyatra organised recently by a PACS Programme partner in Tikamgarh, MP revealed that people have many basic misconceptions about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Small steps to big change
Case studies from self help groups initiated by PACS Programme partners in Uttar Pradesh show that small business initiatives can lead to major changes in the lives of poor women and their families.

Kali’s tale of woe
Assessment teams of the Maharashtra drought padyatra found systemic failures in almost all the villages it crossed. The village of Kali in Yavatmal district is just one example.

Combating trafficking in Marathwada
A PACS Programme partner is implementing a large project to combat deeply entrenched and growing trafficking in women and girls in four drought-prone districts of Maharashtra.

Training women journalists to write on development issues
A Jharkhand based communication agency for the PACS Programme has held two workshops to train women journalists to write on development issues.

Poor information and credit channels lead to agricultural crisis in Vidarbha
The odds are against Vidarbha farmers -- low productivity, low prices and inadequate credit. No wonder some give up hope of ever breaking out of the vicious cycle of indebtedness.

Addressing gender inequity in the NGO sector
At a special session of the PACS Programme’s sixth Madhya Pradesh peer learning workshop, participants discussed in detail the problems faced by women employees of civil society organisations.

April 2006

SHGs field over 5000 candidates for Bihar panchayat polls
Hundreds of self help groups initiated under the PACS Programme are closely involved in the panchayat polls to be held in Bihar in May 2006.

Changes suggested in Jharkhand’s employment guarantee scheme
PACS Programme partners in Jharkhand have suggested some important changes in the scheme framed by the state government under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Some changes have already been made.

March 2006

Drought padyatra: Long-term action plan emerges
At the end of the two-month-long padyatra through drought-affected regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha, a long-term action plan to work in selected villages has emerged.

Bringing Musahars into the development mainstream
Living on the brink of starvation, shunned by other communities, cheated by landlords and considered criminals by the police, the Musahars of eastern Uttar Pradesh have slowly begun moving into the mainstream of development due to the efforts of a PACS Programme partner.

A ray of light in Bihar’s darkness
The success of non-formal education centres started in Bihar by a PACS Programme partner shows that illiteracy in the state is linked more to the absence of properly run schools than to lack of awareness.

Women unite to protect forests
Women of six villages in Jharkhand’s Hazaribaug district have successfully initiated a joint forest protection programme to prevent illegal tree-felling and grazing.

‘Jhatpatwa’ seeds bring relief to eastern UP farmers
A PACS Programme partner in Siddharthnagar has demonstrated how an early-growing variety of paddy can help farmers whose kharif crop is frequently destroyed by floods.

Campaign to ensure correct BPL list in MP
Due to lack of awareness and corruption, BPL lists are often incorrect. PACS Programme partners and other CSOs in Madhya Pradesh are working to remedy the situation

February 2006

Padyatra highlights need for social audit
The Maharashtra drought padyatra has found little evidence of various rural uplift schemes benefitting the targeted population.

Panchayat poll awareness campaign on in Bihar
With panchayati raj elections in Bihar just around the corner, the PACS Programme gears up to spreading awareness among voters in an effort to ensure that capable candidates are elected.

PACS Programme to focus on NREGS
The income-generation potential of the recently launched National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the PACS Programme villages is enormous. Assuming an average of 50 households in the 9,000-odd programme villages covered by the NREGS, the total number of households that could benefit from this scheme is over 4.50 lakhs.

Livelihoods forum for persons with disabilities
Disability is one of the main issues being stressed by the PACS Programme that has organised a series of meetings on the promotion of livelihoods for persons with disability. The last of these meets was held in Bhopal on February 7, 2006.

Dalit unity: A necessary but formidable goal in Bihar
Many Dalits in 60 villages of Bihar’s Nalanda district have united to form an organisation to act as a pressure group and fight against corruption in social welfare schemes. The Dalit Sangarsh Morcha’s efforts have had several concrete effects. But the organisation faces major challenges.

Children help other children stay in school
Special groups of children (bal panchayats) help spread awareness about child rights, gender issues and the importance of education, in 260 villages of five districts in Maharashtra.

Women SHG members battle problems at multiple levels
Women’s voice of assertion is often resented by males and vested interests. As they strive to work for social goals, women also frequently face serious problems at home and SHGs are compelled to intervene in domestic issues

January 2006

Drought padyatra leads to social action
In its first 15 days, the Maharashtra drought padyatra led to discussions with around 5000 people in several villages. Several instances of gross mismanagement and injustice have been revealed. The padyatra has also impelled villagers into collective action.

Padyatra uncovers multiple dimensions of drought
At the start of a two-month padyatra through drought-prone parts of Maharashtra, participants come face to face with large scale migration and gross mismanagement of water

Women’s groups empowered by bank finance
Eleven members of the Nalanda self-help group in Parbhani district, Maharashtra, have borrowed from a local bank to set up income-generating activities. One has bought a buffalo, another a welding machine, a third is trying her hand at vermiculture

Farmers gain from eco-friendly agriculture
Farmers in the Chindwara belt of Madhya Pradesh are participating in a major initiative to stop using terminal hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers and return to the use of indigenous seeds and bio-fertilisers

November 2005

A primitive tribe learns to earn from its craft
The Malhars, a primitive tribe living on the fringes of rural Jharkhand, are being trained to adapt their traditional metal-casting skills to the demands of modern-day markets

Insurance for the poor
Several poor people in seven districts of Bihar are benefiting from low-cost insurance policies that require them to pay a premium of as little as Rs 100.

Graduate worker makes a difference in a remote MP village
Ramesh Uikey, a commerce graduate, refused to leave his village to get a job. He wanted to make a difference in Bhamodi itself, through education. And he has.

‘DFID proud to be PACS Programme partner’
At a three-day livelihoods conference in Delhi, around 700 participants exchanged ideas and debated issues of women’s empowerment, marginalisation, disability, self-help initiatives and governance.

October 2005

CSOs make a difference in UP panchayat elections
A large Pre-Election Voter Awareness Campaign (PEVAC) had a positive impact on the UP panchayat elections held in August 2005. Hundreds of candidates selected by community organisations got the people’s mandate; several women and dalits got elected from unreserved seats.

Back to school
By involving community groups in the quality of primary education, a PACS Programme project in Parbhani district, Maharashtra, is ensuring that dropouts go back to school and child labour is reduced

September 2005

Training CSOs in Bihar in livelihoods promotion
Sixty-six operating managers of PACS Programme CSOs in Bihar have received training in strengthening SHGs and building linkages with microfinance institutions

Fighting a way out of the liquor trap
Two years ago Parbatabai Dhurve ran a thriving liquor business. Now she is an activist fighting its consumption. She and her small band of women have managed to completely stop the sale of liquor in Satnur village in Chindwara, M.P.

Tribal communities initiate change
Community-based tribal organisations in the Chindwara and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh are spearheading important changes in their villages, from setting up grain and seed banks to getting roads built

EGS fails to stem migration from Maharashtra’s drought-hit regions
Around 20% of the population from some of Marathwada’s drought-hit villages has migrated to the cities this year, as the Employment Guarantee Scheme fails to provide relief when they need it most

Maharashtra’s drought warriors formulate action plan
The Maharashtra Drought Forum charts out an action plan, including a padayatra by hundreds of drought warriors across 60 villages

August 2005

Computer brings multiple benefits to Mahtodih village
A standard desktop computer loaded with special software can offer a number of important benefits to people living in backward areas

Drought forces small farmers into vicious debt trap
With the monsoons arriving late this year, the kharif crop in Marathwada is doomed to fail again. The small farmers of Latur and Osmanabad districts recount their woes.

July 2005

Poor battle caste and class politics to get water
Much of the advocacy efforts and stirs of PACS Programme partners in the chronically drought-hit Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra focus on the equal distribution of water.

Self-help for assured water
Aurangabad's drought-prone villages are recharging wells, desilting ponds and putting their own watershed management practices in place.

Women’s federations demand rights with might
Federations of women’s self help groups in Jharkhand have secured important rights through systematic campaigns and in the face of a frequently uncooperative local administration

Who will take care of Susheela?
Thanks to a PACS Programme partner, Susheela of Bhaisonda gram panchayat in Chitrakoot district of UP, will get a disability pension of Rs 150 per month. Ironically, that will make her the sole breadwinner in her household. There are 40 other disabled people in this panchayat alone, and absolutely no health or support system

June 2005

TB widows struggle to survive
The Mahila Jagruti Mandal working in the slums of Sitapur in Chitrakoot district of UP is trying to help women who have lost their husbands to TB. It is an uphill task.

Women work towards food security in Santhal Pargana
A group of NGOs supported by the PACS Programme is adopting a three-pronged strategy to combat chronic food insecurity in the tribal-dominated Santhal Pargana districts of Jharkharnd

Surrogates no more
For years, women panchayat members in Uttar Pradesh and other states have been mere figureheads, operating at the dictates of their men. Now, armed with training and knowledge, they are getting development works sanctioned, ensuring enrolment in schools and wielding the stick with errant officials.

May 2005

Twelve-month transition from BPL to APL
Tumdi Kisko’s family income went from Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000 in a year, as Vikalp and NEEDS helped her and other Santhal tribals in Jharkhand expand their livelihood options

PDS fraud highlights need to implement SC orders
For over four years, a ration shop owner in Kazipur, Banda district, UP, had been siphoning off foodgrain and kerosene meant for 500 poor families. A PACS Programme partner has exposed the racket and brought relief to the poor.

April 2005

An entrepreneur, activist and source of inspiration
Following entrepreneurship training, Devki is extending her cycle repair business in Chindwara to motorbikes, is installing a welding machine, and helping other villagers set up micro-enterprises

Gramdhoots, messengers of change in southern MP
A growing band of gramdhoots or village volunteers are galvanising the people of southern Madhya Pradesh to assert their rights and work towards true self-governance

Kabutaras seek a fundamental change in their lives
The Kabutaras, a denotified tribe, make a precarious living manufacturing and selling country liquor. A PACS-Programme-supported CSO in a small town of Mahoba district (UP) has taken initiatives to help them change their lives.

March 2005

For the Kols, by the Kols
A PACS Programme partner in Bundelkhand has helped over 3,000 Kol tribal families get land rights. Today the Kols have their own educated and trained cadre of teachers and grassroots workers.

Nukkads and nataks to strengthen panchayati raj
Using wall paintings, videos, streetplays and awareness campaigns, CSOs in Uttar Pradesh are hoping to make the forthcoming panchayat elections a more meaningful exercise

Chikan work for empowerment
Without economic empowerment there can be no social uplift. Around 1,000 women in Uttar Pradesh are being trained in the traditional art of chikan embroidery and getting economically empowered

Combating inertia in Uttar Pradesh
Pressure groups called Chingari Sangathans are holding local administrations in Bundelkhand accountable for incomplete development work.

Fear is the key in Bundelkhand
In Bundelkhand, dalits and landless labourers have never dared to confront gun-toting upper-caste strongmen. But CSOs are helping them learn the language of rights.

February 2005

A glimmer of hope for the Sahariyas
“We used to eat chappatis made only from grass seeds. Now we mix the flour of wheat with the powder of grass seeds,” says Sheelrani, a Sahariya from Madawara block in UP. It’s a small change, but for one of India’s poorest communities, an important one.

Maharashtra’s drought warriors
Over 200 field workers of civil society organisations working with the PACS Programme are being trained to strengthen drought mitigation measures in around 1000 villages of Marathwada and Vidharbha

January 2005

From sarpanch to MLA?
Phooleshwari Devi of Darima village in Chhattisgarh is the model sarpanch. The PACS Programme helped her come to grips with the legal systems and procedures of panchayati raj.

Panchayati raj helps a tribal village save its land
Tribal villagers in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, unwittingly signed away their land. A PACS Programme partner helped the villagers get a just settlement from the forest department.

December 2004

Rising awareness leads to rising frustration
A committed sarpanch in Chhattisgarh finds himself up against corruption on the one hand, and unrealistic and uninformed community demands on the other

Dam refugees build their own dam
The lives of the Koltas of Chhattisgarh were completely disrupted by a big dam. Now the displaced have built, through voluntary labour, their own check dam to serve their water needs

Collective action to combat drought in Maharashtra
PACS Programme partners in Maharashtra have initiated immediate and long-term plans to tackle the problem of chronic drought in a large part of the state.

November 2004

A return to traditional knowledge
The tribals of Bada and Chota Pidha in Kalamb taluka of Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, have discovered that their knowledge of traditional forest produce and medicine has a value, and a market, in the outside world

Mahodhari conquers its fears
How one PACS Programme partner made inroads into a small, feudal Maharashtrian village, and persuaded the villagers to voice their opinions, form self-help groups, and plan for a different future

Youth take the lead in a remote tribal village
Dhandapur discovers the power of collective action and voluntary labour

Empowerment meets a dead end
The people of Bhadrapara in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, are aware of their rights, and seek change in their lives. But empowerment can only go so far in the face of insensitive local leadership and limited legal status

How Uday Raj got his promised land…
Uday Raj had a piece of paper with the rights to a small piece of land. But he could not read it so he stashed it away in a metal trunk. Then the local samiti stepped in and recovered his land for him.

Ram Ajor reclaims his land and his dignity
Ram Ajor used to work as a landless labourer and was compensated only in grain. Now he tills his own land, grows paddy and is master of his destiny.

October 2004

Women are taking centrestage in UP panchayats
In rural Uttar Pradesh, women are taking centrestage in local panchayats, making significant impact.

Latur’s women learn about their entitlements and take charge of their lives
The women of Latur and Osmanabad have a newfound confidence today thanks to the efforts of Sahayog Nirmitee, which offers training and information on government schemes and laws relating to women.

Community participation in social restructuring
The dalits of Manvat town near Pathri in Parbhani district of Maharashtra have succeeded in asserting their rights to basic amenities like sanitation and clean drinking water.

Foodgrain and kerosene: Women finally know their dues
Women of Latur and Osmanabad districts in Maharashtra are now empowered with the knowledge to get their rightful dues under the public distribution system

September 2004

Helping the landless become farmers
Civil society groups like Sankalp Manav Vikas Sanstha are helping beneficiaries of gairan land in Maharashtra’s Marathwada districts to develop their land and benefit from government schemes

‘The Employment Guarantee Scheme is our right’
Many women in Ausa tehsil of Latur district (Maharashtra) have learnt how to demand their rights under the state government’s employment guarantee scheme

Rebni Devi starts a fish farm
New livelihoods developed through self-help groups have turned shy village women like Rebni Devi in Kajoli block of North Bihar into confident and aware citizens

August 2004

Korku women take on corrupt village functionaries
In Gholai Khurd village of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh, a group of women are fighting corruption in government and financing institutions, with success.

Demanding drought relief in Maharashtra
PACS Programme partners have successfully fought for the proper implementation of the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in some drought-hit areas of Marathwada.

June 2004

A tiny hamlet wakes up to its rights and entitlements
The people of Balkacher dhana, a hamlet in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, identified a road and water as their most critical needs. This is a report on how they went about organising both.

Corruption eats into entitlements in Hirri Pathar
In a small hamlet in Madhya Pradesh pensions and wages are misappropriated, and wages are not paid. The formation of a village collective has given people a forum to expose the corruption and register their protest.

Chitrakoot’s widows find a voice
A survey by a PACS Programme partner in Chitrakoot district, UP, underlines the extreme vulnerability of poor widows, 95% of whom receive no state support. This year, 400 poor and widowed women marched to the district collector to demand their entitlements.

Using the media to move the government
A PACS Programme partner in Bundelkhand has systematically used the media to expose starvation and state corruption. Quick action by an embarrassed district administration has followed.

Fishing for development
In five months, a group of women in Beed district, Maharashtra, transform a breeding ground for mosquitoes into a profitable fish farm.

Stitching a new future
Lucknow's famous chikan and jardozi forms of embroidery work could help scores of poor women earn more money and improve their lives. A PACS-Programme-supported partner has shown how this could be possible in a village about 70 km from Lucknow. The initiative can be easily expanded.

Gita Verma’s step into a new world of business
Gita Verma is the first person—male or female—to become an insurance agent in the PACS programme village of Jharihapurva in Sitapur district of central Uttar Pradesh.

April 2004

The first step towards local self-governance
Jharkhand has not held panchayat elections since the state was formed in 2000. The PACS Programme is mobilising villagers to hold gram sabhas.

‘The books are full of entries, but our homes are empty of foodgrain’
No schools, no electricity, no work, no money to buy foodgrain even at subsidised prices. What does poverty really mean in India’s poorest states? A report from Palamu district, Jharkhand.

Wild rumours of Sitapur
Illiterate and poor people become easy prey for all kinds of fraudsters. A report from UP.

Restoring the dignity of the Musahars in rural Bihar
The Musahars, the lowest rung of the dalits, in East Champaran district of Bihar are a maligned community. A network of CSOs working under the PACS Programme have helped them regain some of their lost dignity. The road hasn’t been easy.

Women win battle against alcoholism
The women of Pirwadi in the Jalna district of Maharashtra have successfully stopped the sale of liquor in their impoverished village.

Surviving on a weed boiled in water: Food (in)security in Jharkhand
Acute poverty, lack of employment and a complete failure of the public distribution system. This is the situation in rural Jharkhand.

Self-help groups get off the ground in Jharkhand
Many NGOs working in Jharkhand on the PACS Programme see self-help groups (SHGs) as a means of organising women and men in villages in some of the poorest areas of the country. It isn’t easy.

•	Backgrounders & Discussion Papers
•	Programme in Action