Saadia Azim

Women-led panchayats (village councils) in many parts of Jharkhand are proving to be a very successful model of governance, with the women leaders taking charge to address local and long-ignored issues like sustainable employment and equal pay for women, corruption in government schemes, women's property rights, irrigation and water supply, among others. Could this be an example for the rest of the country?

A nondescript village in Bihar is showing the way with its innovative way of celebrating the birth of a girl child - by planting at least 10 fruit trees! They are tackling declining sex ratios, global warming and climate change - all at once!