The Power of the Local: Why Panchayats are the Missing Link in India’s FPO Success Story
India’s agricultural landscape is powered by its smallholder farmers, who make up nearly 86% of the country’s farming households. While Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have emerged as a highly successful model for driving economic growth, boosting bargaining power, and fostering rural livelihood development , they frequently hit a wall after the initial registration phase.
Women workers continue to bear the lion’s share of domestic and care responsibilities, and to the extent that this work is shared, it is often shared not with spouses but with girl children. A report by Shankar Gopalakrishnan (Project Director, Institute of Social Sciences) and Smita Gupta Lead Researchers: MS Selvaraj (Tamil Nadu), Vinod Badoni,…
ISS prepared an exploratory research report on Risks, Vulnerabilities and Aspirations of Seasonal Migrant labourers. (Updated December 2025.) Access the Report here
India’s Panchayati Raj system comprising over 2.55 lakh Gram Panchayats (village-level elected councils) serving nearly 65 per cent of the population stands at the threshold of a technological transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI). This report examines the wide-ranging relationship between AI and decentralised local governance in India. It traces how AI tools are being…
Policy Brief and Report on our recent study on the Role of Panchayats in Climate Resilience in North-eastern India (August 2025) POLICY BRIEF Beyond Blueprints: Strengthening Gram Panchayats for Localised Climate Adaptation in Northeast India Report: Role of Panchayats in Climate Resilience in Northeast India, by Sana Khan
Survey Finds Many Working Class Families Not Being Reached By Welfare Schemes, Facing Significant Challenges In Accessing Entitlements In February and March 2023, a survey of 2,114 working class families across four regions – Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal, both in Uttarakhand; Delhi; and the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu – was carried out by the…
The Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) is expanding its pool of consultants for upcoming short-term and long-term assignments across India.
We invite applications from motivated junior and mid-level professionals who are passionate about development practice and public systems.
