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ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24                                                                   TRANSFORM RURAL INDIA





          TRI’s Societal Engagement towards catalysing Public Support and
 TRI Adjacencies  Compassion for Transformation of ‘Stranded India’



          Village Square                                       Development Intelligence Unit,
          (www.villagesquare.in)                               (www.developmentintelligenceunit.in/)
                                                               Joint initiative of TRI and Sambodhi
          Village Square blossomed into a vibrant hub,
          enhancing its digital footprint with captivating     Over the past year, the Development Intelligence
          stories from rural India while hosting diverse       Unit (DIU) has made meaningful progress in
          events. Committed to uplifting rural narratives,     supporting data-driven insights and policy
          the organization has broadened its impact            formulation for rural India. DIU’s primary initiative,
          through collaborations with civil society groups,    the Mission Antyodaya Survey Round 5,
          fostering a more inclusive narrative of rural life.  highlighted its capacity to handle extensive data
                                                               collection and analysis. DIU worked diligently to
          The inaugural Village Square Fellowship program      design, field-test, and finalize the survey
          was a resounding success, producing the "Many        questionnaire. In collaboration with the National
          Corners of Village Square" coffee table book and      Informatics Centre (NIC), DIU developed a reliable
          continuing with a second cohort of fellows           data capturing application and validation
          dedicated to rural storytelling. Village Square      protocols. Comprehensive training sessions were
          also expanded its event offerings, including a        conducted for state Nodal officers and master
          notable session at New Delhi’s Dili Haat with        trainers across all states and Union Territories.
          filmmaker Muzaffar Ali on rural depictions in          Through careful data validation and detailed
          Indian media and concerts by regional music          analytics, DIU provided valuable insights for the
          groups, drawing large crowds.                        Ministry of Rural Development.


          The annual Village Vibe Photo Competition was        The Rural Quality of Life Index 2.0 project
          rescheduled to February to utilize the pleasant      provided a comprehensive measure of rural
          spring weather, culminating in an exhibition at      well-being, covering 69 district-level parameters
          Delhi’s Sunder Nursery park and a concert by         across 715 rural districts. This index, available
          Meghalayan folk band Mookhuri, marking their         through DIU’s dynamic dashboard, enabled
          debut in Delhi.                                      objective benchmarking and policy analysis,
                                                               helping inform decision-making processes.
          Furthermore, the organization conducted a
          communications training with 25 participants,        DIU’s work centered on public data analytics,
          including NGO representatives, led by experts        thematic rural insights, and enhancing state
          like Pia Desia and Suman Shrivastava. The school     capabilities. DIU supported Central Ministries by
          immersion program was enhanced, deepening            improving their statistical capabilities and
          community ties with organizations like D.A and       embedding data fellows within state and district
          Jagori to further bridge the urban-rural divide.     administrations.

          Recently, Village Square successfully incubated      Thematic surveys and frequent data collection
          and transitioned into a registered private limited   efforts were crucial in addressing current rural
          company, a significant milestone in its journey to    challenges.
          connect urbanites with the rich narratives of rural
 “Many Corners of Village Square" coffee table   India, fostering understanding and connections.
 book and continuing with a second cohort of
 fellows dedicated to rural storytelling.






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