OUR WORK · FIELD RESEARCH

Research rooted in real community needs.

Since 2023, Pragyan Technology & Social Policy Action Foundation has undertaken field studies across Champawat, Uttarakhand, to understand the priorities of rural households, young people, farmers and local institutions.

OUR FIELD JOURNEY SINCE 2023

We study before we build.

Our completed work begins with listening. Across Lohaghat, Pati and Barakot blocks of Champawat district, our studies have examined local development needs, employment and skill gaps, household living conditions, agricultural markets and crop losses caused by wild animals.

The findings have helped identify practical priorities for education, healthcare, livelihoods and climate-resilient agriculture. Each study has contributed evidence to guide programme design and engagement with communities and local institutions.

COMPLETED FIELD STUDIES

Evidence from the field.

Five studies examining the challenges, resources and opportunities that shape everyday life in rural Champawat.

What Do These Villages Actually Need?

A first-hand development needs study across Lohaghat, Pati and Barakot blocks, carried out in consultation with Gram Pradhans and local communities.

Why We Did It

Champawat is overwhelmingly rural and heavily forested. Population growth has been slower than in the rest of Uttarakhand, reflecting concerns around migration and limited local opportunities. Rather than designing a programme from an office, Pragyan began by listening to people and understanding their needs at the village level.

What We Found

68% of households reported crop losses caused by wild animals.

57% had a household member working outside the district.

41% had left some agricultural land fallow.

7 in 10 young people lacked training or career guidance.

The study found that farming was generally small-scale and rain-fed, often combined with wage work and remittances. While primary schools were relatively accessible, access to secondary education, English and digital learning was more limited. Specialist healthcare was located at block and district headquarters, often hours away. Women performed much of the agricultural work but had less access to markets, credit and training.

WHAT CHANGED

The findings were compiled into a block-wise needs profile, identifying four priorities: youth skills, school education, primary healthcare, and agriculture protected from wild animals and better connected to markets.

The Jobs Are Here. The Training Is Not.

A skill-gap study comparing young people's career preparation with the skills and capabilities local employers need.

Why We Did It

The initial development needs study showed that many young people had little or no access to career guidance. Champawat has a polytechnic, three Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and a Krishi Vigyan Kendra, yet many young people were preparing for government jobs without clear information about other career pathways. The study aimed to identify the specific skills missing between local jobseekers and employers.

What We Found

72% had never received career guidance.

64% were preparing for government jobs.

3 in 4 employers could not find suitably trained local staff.

70% identified spoken English as a leading skill gap.

Employers reported demand across tourism and hospitality, agri-processing, healthcare support, digital services and construction trades. Digital skills were cited by 62% of employers and customer service by 55%. The findings suggested that young people were not short of ability; they lacked access to career information and practical, job-relevant training.

WHAT CHANGED

The study recommended career guidance in schools, block-level employability centres and residential hospitality training at Lohaghat. These recommendations became the foundation for Project Unnati, Pragyan's integrated career-guidance and skilling programme for Champawat.

One Village, Every Household

A census-style socio-economic survey of Kanwad Gram Panchayat to understand household conditions and strengthen village-level development planning.

Why We Did It

Block-level averages can hide significant differences between villages and households. To understand how broader development patterns affected one community, and to examine what effective village-level planning requires, Pragyan undertook a detailed survey of every household in Kanwad Gram Panchayat.

What We Found

0.2 ha Average landholding, approximately 10 nali.

82% Overall literacy, compared with 72% among women.

54% Of households held Ayushman Bharat cards.

61% Of farming households received PM-KISAN.

78% Of households had piped water.

96% Of households had toilets.

Families combined farming and livestock with wage labour, services and small businesses. Nearly half of households depended partly on a member working outside the area. Despite existing welfare and basic-service coverage, many eligible families were still missing entitlements for which they qualified.

WHAT CHANGED

The survey results were compiled into a village development profile and shared with the Gram Panchayat to support its Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and help connect eligible families with relevant schemes. The study also highlighted the need for a village-level service centre serving a cluster of Gram Panchayats, along with support for Gram Pradhans to prepare stronger development plans.

Why Hill Farming Earns So Little

A study of farming economics and market access carried out with Batuli Krishak Utpadak Sangathan (Batuli FPO).

Why We Did It

Farming is central to life in the study villages but generates limited cash income for many households. Pragyan worked to understand where farmers were losing value: in the amount of produce they could sell, the markets they could reach, or the prices they received. The study focused on the practical barriers that prevent smallholder farmers from earning more from their produce.

What We Found

22% Of produce was sold; the remainder was consumed at home.

78% Of sellers depended on middlemen.

25–30% Prices were below mandi rates.

12% Of farmland was irrigated.

The average farming household cultivated around 0.4 hectare spread across six to eight separate plots. Mandua, jhangora, pulses, spices and fruit had growing demand in urban and tourist markets, but farmers lacked reliable routes to those buyers. Produce was commonly sold individually, without grading or packaging, limiting bargaining power. Women performed much of the farm work but had limited influence over decisions within the FPO.

WHAT CHANGED

Pragyan moved from research to action with Batuli FPO. Efforts included aggregating, grading and packing produce; collective sales to identified buyers; and farmer training in improved seeds, natural farming, micro-irrigation and soil health. Farmers involved in these efforts reported prices 10–15% above local rates. The work informed the wider approach to farmer organisation and market access under Project Agri-Utthaan.

When the Fields Are Not Safe, the Village Empties

A season-long study of crop damage caused by wild animals and the practical options available to farming communities.

Why We Did It

Crop damage caused by wild animals emerged as one of the most frequently reported problems in Pragyan's initial needs study. It can make cultivation financially uncertain, discourage families from farming and contribute to migration. The study aimed to measure crop losses across the project area and identify realistic measures that communities could test in the field.

What We Found

82% Of households reported crop damage.

30–35% Of expected harvest was lost.

44% Had left land fallow because of wild animals.

4% Had ever claimed compensation.

The animals reported included wild boar, monkeys and langurs, porcupines and barking deer. Maize, potato, wheat, paddy and vegetables were among the crops most affected. Damage was especially severe near forests and village edges, around sowing and shortly before harvest. Night guarding, stone walls, noise and dogs placed a heavy burden on farmers, particularly in households where men had migrated for work. Crop losses discouraged cultivation, leaving land idle and increasing pressure on household livelihoods.

WHAT CHANGED

Bio-fencing, community guarding, deterrents and less-vulnerable crops were demonstrated at four sites covering approximately 2.5 hectares. Farmers reported 30–40% less crop damage at demonstration sites, and roughly 1.5 hectares of previously fallow land returned to cultivation. The findings strengthened the case for practical crop-protection measures alongside support for climate-resilient hill farming.

FROM EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Research creates a stronger foundation for change.

These five studies inform Pragyan's work on career guidance, reading and education, mobile healthcare, farmer livelihoods and climate-resilient agriculture. We welcome partnerships that help translate evidence into community-led action.

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