Street vendors and hawkers that dot city pavements often lend to cities unique identities even as they remain largely informal, facing multiple challenges to earn their living. Namrata Raju

India has seen a major rise in extreme weather events, recording heat waves, cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides in 2024. Watch a recap of the year's climate disasters and steps that can be taken for a safer future. Mansi Bhaktwani  Scientists suggest 2024 will be the warmest year yet, with global temperatures from January to August exceeding the 1991-2020 average by 0.70°C. The 2023–24 El Niño, fuelled by human-induced climate change, inte

Thousands of people have migrated from Ghoramara in the eco-fragile Sundarbans _ the world’s largest mangrove vegetation _ as the island has shrunk to a fourth of its original size Ritwika Mitra Deekshith R Pai

Labour unions and worker rights' campaigners called for protection of livelihoods and preparing people for the future of work at the recently concluded COP29 in Baku Roli Srivastava  Green skilling the workforce was a talking point at COP29 with many discussions on the subject. Labour unions and worker rights' campaigners called for protection of livelihoods and preparing people for the future of work. A green transition could fuel migration making it important to ensure the

The construction industry is one of India's biggest employers but how well do we understand labourers?  Namrata Raju The construction industry in India is one of the country's biggest employers. But how well do we understand labourers who build homes and cities. This explainer is a deep dive into understanding the 'labourer' in our midst, the difference in "us and them" in the way we access infrastructure, common areas and facilities around us, and the ideal way forward to sa

Prakhar Dobhal Swara Garge Delhi's pollution has cast a shadow on the earnings of migrant workers who travel to the city every year during the festival season to sell bamboo Ravan effigies. However, this year, many effigies remain unsold owing to rising pollution in the capital and restrictions on burning effigies. This means, the workers can't go back home as they have not made enough money during the festivities.

The recent festival rush in trains is reflective of the challenges migrant workers face through the year on these journeys Deekshith Pai Mansi Bhaktwani Over 3,000 special festival trains have been added by the Northern Railway this year to help ease the rush between October 1 and November 30. To facilitate travel for those heading home for Diwali and Chhath Puja, 195 special trains were run between 26 Oct to 7 Nov this year compared to 138 last year during the same period. A

Nagarik Sahayta Kendras, a collaboration between civil society organisations and the government, were launched to help villagers get jobs under MGNREGA and access dues. Today, they have expanded beyond their brief to play an invaluable role in rural Jharkhand. Esha Roy

In the second part of the 'L is for Labour' series, a look at the precarity of gig workers and their often overlooked importance in urban living  Namrata Raju

In the migrant neighbourhoods of New Delhi, workers don the role of characters from the Ramayana, enthralling audiences with their performances at the annual Ramleela. Workers and their families come together for a cultural experience resonant of life back home Prakhar Dobhal Swara Garge

The readymade garment sector provides financial stability to women workers, largely migrants, but they often face harsh targets and poor...

Mansi Bhaktwani The One Nation, One Ration Card is a Central Government scheme launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. It aims to provide food security for all, particularly migrant workers by allowing them to access subsidised food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across India.   On September 2, 2024, the Supreme Court sought a response from the government on how far had its directions on granting ration cards to migrant workers

Prakhar Dobhal Swara Garge The Transport Department of the Delhi government is impounding and dismantling unregistered e-rickshaws in the Indian capital. This move has led to confusion and uncertainty in the migrant community who largely operate these rickshaws, a key mode of public transport for many. Swara Garge and Prakhar Dobhal capture the dilemma of the migrant drivers.

No offer letter, no fixed salary, no fixed hours, or fixed monthly leaves. This form of informality of labour is all around us, even inside our homes. Namrata Raju   Welcome to 'L is for Labour' with labour policy researcher Namrata Raju. This brand new series will in each episode unpack the complexities of India's world of work. Our first episode demystifies domestic work. Namrata is a labour and public policy researcher. She spent nearly two decades as a South Asian in West

As brick kilns close for cleaner air, a race for jobs

Migrant workers are entitled to public health care services but a lack of identity cards is causing issues.

Jharkhand's Barkha Kumari migrated to Punjab like many do from her Adivasi community, to earn a living.

Arunopol Seal, Vikesh Kumar, Rahul Kumar and Anwesha Konar Video credit:  Harshika Tripathi Rajesh Ravidas migrated from Jharkhand to Pune as a teenager to work in a fellow villager’s garage. Then 15, he picked up skills of denting and painting cars, eventually excelling at the job. But in the Pune garage, there were no wages paid, only food and shelter provided in return for the hard work Ravidas was doing. ​ Eight years later, he returned home. ​ Ravidas’s journey was captu

Tune in to the story of Hemant Kalindi who managed to scale social, caste and financial barriers   In the third episode of the Montages...

Bhasker Tripathi, journalist, talks about his reporting on farmers in a Indian village protesting against a biofuel plant