In an era dominated by 24-hour news cycles and algorithmic outrage, stories that provoke anxiety, division or instant controversy invariably rise to the top. By June 2019, Indian television panels were consumed with political slugfests following the general election, while social media timelines overflowed with partisan commentary. Yet, quietly and steadily, thousands of individuals, communities, and institutions across the country continued to work on solutions that do not make for dramatic soundbites but carry the potential for lasting positive change. This editorial highlights three such under-reported developments from the first half of 2019 that deserve wider recognition.
Reversing Urban Migration: The Rise of New-Age Organic Farming
One of the most persistent narratives about rural India is that of distress-driven migration. Every year, millions leave villages in search of uncertain urban livelihoods. In direct contrast to this trend stands the story of Vivek and Julie Cariappa (locally known as Kariyappa) from HD Kote taluk in Mysuru district, Karnataka.
Having spent years in Bengaluru’s corporate world, the couple made a conscious decision in the early 2010s to return to the land. With no formal agricultural training, they transformed 30 acres of barren land into Kak Adavana Organic Farm, one of Karnataka’s most respected organic enterprises by 2019. Their farm produces everything from ragi, turmeric, coffee, and pepper to cold-pressed oils and forest honey — all certified organic under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India).
What makes their journey particularly noteworthy is its replicability. The Cariappas relied heavily on open-source knowledge, local seed networks such as the Save Our Rice campaign, and scientific insights from institutions like the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. They adopted contour bunding, rainwater harvesting, and multi-layer cropping systems that increased soil carbon and biodiversity while eliminating chemical inputs entirely. By mid-2019, their farm supported six full-time employees (many from neighbouring tribal communities) and provided internships for dozens of urban youth exploring alternative careers.
Perhaps most significantly, both their sons chose to stay back and continue farming after completing school through the National Institute of Open Schooling — a powerful rebuttal to the notion that the younger generation is universally disinterested in agriculture. As India grappled with a deepening agrarian crisis, stories like the Cariappas’ demonstrated that dignified, profitable, and ecologically sound rural livelihoods remain possible when knowledge, markets, and policy support align.
India’s First Net-Zero Government Building: A Blueprint for Sustainable Public Infrastructure
On 19 February 2014, the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan — the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — was inaugurated in New Delhi. By June 2019, this eight-storey structure had quietly established itself as one of the greenest government buildings in the world, achieving net-zero energy status on an annual basis.
Designed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and architect Manoj K. Kulshreshtha, the building generates more renewable energy than it consumes. Over 6,000 square metres of rooftop solar photovoltaic panels produce approximately 14 lakh units of electricity annually. A geothermal heat-exchange system comprising 180 borewells 100 metres deep maintains indoor temperatures with minimal mechanical cooling. Chilled-beam air-conditioning, sensor-based LED lighting, and double-glazed low-emissivity windows further reduce energy demand by nearly 70 percent compared to conventional buildings of similar size.
Materials tell an equally impressive sustainability story: fly-ash bricks, recycled steel, bamboo jali screens, and locally sourced stone dominate the construction palette. More than 50 percent of the site is covered with vegetation, and an on-site sewage treatment plant recycles 100 percent of wastewater for flushing and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting systems capture and recharge over 60 percent of rooftop runoff.
The building earned the highest possible GRIHA 5-Star and LEED Platinum certifications, but its real significance lies in proof-of-concept. The total premium paid for green features was less than 8 percent over conventional costs, and operational savings recovered this within six years. In a country planning to add 70 million square metres of government office space in the coming decade, the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan serves as a scalable template. Several state governments, including Telangana and Punjab, had already begun replicating elements of the design by mid-2019.
Shining a Light on Childhood Cancer: The Golden Taj Campaign
September is observed globally as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with gold ribbons symbolising the cause. In India, where approximately 50,000–60,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, awareness remains alarmingly low. Survival rates for common paediatric cancers hover between 20–40 percent in public hospitals — significantly lower than the 80–90 percent achieved in high-income countries — largely because of delayed diagnosis.
In a creative bid to change this, Delhi-based NGO CanKids KidsCan, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, organised a three-day exhibition at the Taj Mahal from 23–25 November 2018. Titled “Taj of Hope”, the event featured artwork, photographs, and survivor stories created by over 1,500 children affected by cancer. Organisers requested permission to illuminate the monument in gold light for one evening as a global symbol of solidarity — a practice followed by landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, and Niagara Falls.
Although the ASI eventually declined the illumination request citing conservation concerns (a decision that sparked debate about balancing heritage protection with social causes), the exhibition itself drew thousands of visitors and generated considerable local coverage. More importantly, it catalysed a nationwide conversation. By early 2019, several state governments began incorporating childhood cancer protocols into their health insurance schemes, and the Union Ministry of Health included paediatric oncology drugs in the updated National List of Essential Medicines.
The Taj event illustrated the power of symbolic public action. Even without the golden illumination, the campaign reached millions through social media and regional news outlets, proving that focused civil-society initiatives can shift public and policy attention toward neglected health challenges.
Why Do Such Stories Remain Under-Reported?
Media scholars have long documented the “negativity bias” in news selection: stories involving conflict, failure, or scandal attract higher viewership and engagement metrics. A 2018 study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that only 11 percent of Indian news coverage could be classified as solutions-oriented or constructive. Commercial imperatives, political affiliations, and the pressure for instant virality further marginalise slow-burn positive developments.
Yet audience demand for credible good news is growing. Digital platforms such as The Better India (over 30 million monthly users by mid-2019), The Logical Indian, and Youth Ki Awaaz demonstrated that stories of agency, innovation, and quiet heroism resonate deeply when presented authentically. International examples — from the BBC’s “Reality Check” and “Future Planet” series to The Guardian’s “The Upside” vertical — confirm that constructive journalism can be both ethically sound and commercially viable.
The Road Ahead
As India entered the second half of 2019, the country faced no shortage of complex challenges: economic slowdown, unemployment concerns, and environmental stresses chief among them. Yet the three stories highlighted here — a family proving that agriculture can be aspirational, a government office building that pays for its own electricity through sunlight, and children turning one of the world’s greatest monuments into a canvas for hope — remind us that solutions are already being built at multiple levels.
Recognising and amplifying such developments serves a dual purpose. First, it provides citizens with realistic models for action, whether as consumers supporting organic produce, professionals advocating green building norms, or volunteers raising disease awareness. Second, it holds institutions accountable by showcasing what excellence looks like in practice.
In the end, progress is rarely linear or spectacular. More often, it arrives in the form of a farmer planting the next season’s crop, an engineer calibrating solar panels on a rooftop, or a child pinning a gold ribbon on a visitor’s shirt at the Taj Mahal. These are the moments that rebuild faith — not only in institutions, but in our collective capacity to shape a better future. The challenge for India’s media ecosystem in 2019 and beyond is to ensure that such moments are no longer exceptions in the daily news diet.
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