Halima Zoha Ansari

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Articles

Reliable data facilitates better policy implementation

1 week ago | idronline.org | Ganesh Rao |Parul Agarwal |Halima Zoha Ansari

Unreliable data continues to weaken policy implementation and forces officials to rely on guesswork. Here's how accurate administrative data enables effective governance. Across India, state government departments are at the forefront of improving human capabilities through education, health, and nutrition programmes. Their ability to do so effectively depends on administrative (or admin) data1 collected and maintained by their staff.
Why are NT-DNT tribes struggling to establish their identity?

Dec 20, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

The Criminal Tribes Act, introduced by the British in 1871, labelled several nomadic, semi-nomadic, and denotified (NT-DNT) communities in India as ‘habitual offenders’, forcing them to regularly report at police stations. Although the act was repealed in 1952, its stigma persists. For example, many police training manuals still identify certain communities as suspects in crimes by default.
Why are NT-DNT communities still excluded from education?

Dec 19, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

The lack of documentation, social discrimination, policy failures, and government neglect are some of the barriers that NT-DNTs face in accessing education. Nomadic tribes (NT) and denotified tribes (DNT) represent some of the most remote, marginalised, and historically oppressed communities in India.
Why nonprofits should work with state governments

Dec 18, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

India is home to more than 31 lakh registered nonprofits, making it one of the largest ecosystems of nonprofit organisations in the world. This figure is more than double the number of all government schools and more than 80 times the number of all public health facilities in the nation. Such an extensive nonprofit presence in India highlights their critical role in filling service delivery gaps, supporting under-resourced communities, and driving grassroots change.
The extent of diversity on panels

Dec 16, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

Saba Kohli Dave is an editorial associate at IDR, where she is responsible for writing, editing, sourcing, and publishing content. She has a degree in anthropology and is interested in development and education from a ground-up perspective. She has worked with the Social Work and Research Centre, Barefoot College, and the School for Democracy. Saba’s experience includes building models for rural community libraries and making curriculums on democratic and constitutional values.
Photo Essay | Hamal workers struggle for labour rights

Dec 12, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

In cities across India, most informal work is mediated and actively sought through labour nakas—places where workers gather to look for work. One such naka is in Mumbai’s Kurla, near the Saki Naka area, one of the largest manufacturing and recycling hubs in the city. The locality has a diverse range of manufacturing and processing units, mostly dealing with metal, chemical, and garment production. Another significant industry in this cluster is of waste collection and processing.
How India punishes: Rethinking the use of criminal law

Nov 12, 2024 | idronline.org | Ayushi Sharma |Halima Zoha Ansari |Naveed Ahmad

Despite claims of reform, India’s criminal laws still rely on arbitrary punishments, criminalising civil matters, and echoing colonial penal codes. Imagine this scenario: Ramu, a farmer from a small village in central India, discovers a few old, valuable coins while ploughing his fields. Delighted, he sells the coins for a paltry sum of INR 1,500.
Six climate change terms, explained

Nov 6, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

As the climate crisis continues to affect our daily lives—through extreme heat, erratic rainfall, and disasters such as floods and landslides—understanding the language of climate change is more important than ever. However, complex terminology and scientific jargon can often make these discussions difficult to follow. In this video, we break down key climate terms to help you become better informed and prepared to navigate the climate conversation.
Whose well-being are we talking about?

Oct 28, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

Currently trying to figure out how we should attend every mental health focused weekend long conference, the pre-event dinners, the post event networking sessions, plan follow ups with everyone we meet there, do our other work well, and find time to focus on our mental health and well-being. 😐
Life as a social sector employee

Oct 7, 2024 | idronline.org | Halima Zoha Ansari

When you love naps because at least in your dreams you’re actually changing the world. When you’re writing the vf_5 draft of an impact report, and trying to convince yourself that this one will be the last. When you actually have to show up to the weekend networking event you signed up for in a 10 minute enthusiasm spurt on a Tuesday. When you have been in the sector for five years and can no longer be bothered to pretend to ‘just nibble’ on conference food.