Board Members

Anwar Jafri

Anwar Jafri has been active in social work for the past four decades. Currently he is the director of Samavesh Society. Before this, he was connected to the organisation Eklavya for a long time. He has worked extensively and for a long duration on Panchayati Raj law and self-governance.

Nilesh Desai

Nilesh Desai has been working for years in one of the most backward districts of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh on various issues. He is the founder-director of Sampark Sanstha. He has worked extensively in the field of agriculture, environment, health, education, environment and child rights in Jhabua. His work in the agriculture field encompasses the country. He has been advocating use of indigenous seeds and indigenous traditions. Prominent magazine ‘The WEEK’ conferred Nilesh Desai with its ‘Man of the Year’ award in 2018. He is also founder of Rashtriya Jalbiradari and the Madhya Pradesh convener of the Beej Swaraj Abhiyan. In 188-89, he was conferred the National Youth Award by the ministry of human resource development. He is also a recipient of Ashok Gondia award, Champaben Gondia award, Tarun Bharat Environment Protection Award, 2013, Nanaji Samman of the Madhya Pradesh culture department (2016) and others.

Sachin Kumar Jain

Sachin Kumar is the director of Vikas Samvad. After getting a degree in mass communication, he has worked on neglected social issues through alternative mass media. He has been working on the issues of nutrition security, employment, environment, health, education, forest rights and others for years. More than 1000 of his articles and more than 60 books authored by him have been published. He is also an Ashoka Fellow and a recipient of several awards in the field of writing. Currently he is working in-depth on the issue of constitution and is also active in the field of training.

Aman Namra

Aman is basically a communication expert. For a long time, he has used alternative mass communication media to bring neglected issues to the mainstream. He was connected with the Charkha Feature Agency for a long time. He has designed and conducted training modules for writing, research and documentation. He has also a long experience of media writing with focus on subjects of social interest. He two books – ‘Paani Ghano Anmol’ and ‘Paanidaar Samaj’ have been published and he has edited another titled ‘Sangharsh aur Nirmaan’.

Manohar Choure

Manohar Choure is a communication expert who has edited the magazine Shikhar Vaarta for a long time. He has also been a guest lecturer with the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism for a long time. In this duration, he mentored several youth for writing and research. He has raised the issues of deprived sections of society through his writings for years.

Rita Bhatia

Building on over three decades of extensive experience managing humanitarian and development operations around the world, including India, (Africa, Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific) and engaging with governments and stakeholders with focus on maternal, child and adolescent girls’ nutrition and education and school meal programs, Rita has worked with non-governmental organizations and the United Nations’ agencies dedicated to protection, education, food and nutrition security and HIV and AIDS. Rita  serves on the board of several non-profit organizations in India and is a member of technical advisory panels of development agencies providing probono support to  in India & abroad.

Kumud Singh

Kumud Singh is a passionate gender-rights advocate with over 17 years of experience advancing gender equity, social justice, and community empowerment.

As an independent consultant, Kumud has conducted more than 100 gender sensitisation workshops, developed awareness toolkits, mentored youth groups, and collaborated with leading institutions such as PHIA, GIZ, TISS, Population First, IGSSS, and several UN agencies. She has led numerous campaigns on gender-based violence, child rights, and adolescent health, and has authored over 35 articles, poems, and songs on gender equality.

Kumud’s impactful work has earned her several prestigious honours, including the Maja Koene Award (2023) and the Social Excellence Veteran Award (2024). She also serves as an External Member on multiple Internal Committees under the POSH Act, bringing her expertise to educational institutions and civil-society organisations.

Driven by empathy, creativity, and commitment, Kumud continues to champion gender justice across communities and institutions.