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When I was in highschool, my parents and I, both, almost assumed that I would proceed to some post-secondary educational programme. The dominant careers then had essentially three routes: a) prepare for civil service; b) become an engineer; c) or a doctor.Professional institutions for the latter two, and a university degree for the former were the primary educational routes available and sought.
There was no distance education; polytechnics were considered good for those who couldnât make it in engineering colleges; if you couldnât qualify for civil service, then you would become a âmasterâ (teacher). If there was no route to post-secondary education left, then you could open a shop or join in the family business.
Insights from participatory research across Kochi, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad reveal that disability-inclusive mobility demands far more than infrastructure compliance. It requires recognising the diversity of disabilities, the intersecting barriers of gender and class, and the wisdom that communities hold in identifying practical solutions.
This blog, written by our intern Kush Rastogi, a B.A. English (Hons) student at Amity University, Noida, reflects on Dr. Rajesh Tandon’s podcast 'Reimagining Civil Society'. It captures powerful stories of literacy movements in India, highlighting civil society’s role in empowerment, innovation, and inclusive education.
India’s Gram Panchayats today govern at a time of profound transition. Climate change is intensifying floods, droughts, and heat stress, public health risks such as water-borne diseases are becoming more frequent, rural youth migration is hollowing out local economies and digital systems are expanding faster than local capacities to use them meaningfully.
