Simplification, transparency, avoidance of unnecessary meddling bureaucracy, the speed of response and very quick and huge reach are some of the key advantages of the IT-enabled services offered to society at large. Central Government has mandated Digital Inclusion platform to promote the above. This session would present the current situation of Digital Inclusion in its complexity in different parts of the country.

Consumption is considered as a primary indicator for the well-being of the households, and the household income and expenditure revolves around it. The focus of this theme is to explore the changes that are happening in the consumption basket of the rural households and their socio-economic impact. This session aims at a synthesis of findings from multi-location studies.

Post liberalisation, India witnessed an increase in the rural-urban inequality in terms of income, living conditions, access to various facilities, etc. This session aims to explore the gaps in opportunities related to education and livelihood among rural youth vis-à-vis their urban counterparts.

Water harvesting structures (WHS) are often proposed as a miracle strategy to solve the problems of water scarcity. Central as well as the state governments have promoted their use by providing subsidies, by collaborating with local NGOs and by implementing them through MGNREGA. This session tries to assess the impact of various WHS built in different regions of the country.

Women’s collective organisations take many forms: SHG’s, “Mahila mandal”, co-operatives for undertaking or supporting an economic activity, Nari Sangh for advocating gender justice. While membership entails attendance in periodic meetings and participation in collective activities, leadership role entails much more significant investment of time and energy. This session aims at presenting research on incentives and motivations which drives individuals to take leadership in collectives.

In rural India, women are seen carrying heavy loads and doing other domestic chores, primarily due to lack of basic amenities. There is little data available on the impact of these practices on their health. This session discusses these impacts.

In the recent decade, social enterprises (SEs) have emerged as new actors in development arena, globally. SEs are mission-focussed organisations run on enterprise principles thus aiming to promote both public and private good. The focus of this theme is to discuss the growth and management challenges of SEs engaged in the agricultural sector. The session would comprise of reflections of practitioners and presentation of case studies.

Severe population pressure, small land holdings, perennial vulnerability to floods, abundant yet inadequately utilised water resources and potential for sizeable incremental production from unused resources are some key features of Eastern India. This session aims to present a synthesis of the research studies undertaken by VAF and others in building a comprehensive understanding of the eastern states of India.