Ms. Sheela Patel-Chairperson

Ms. Sheela Patel is Founder Director of SPARC (Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres), a non-profit society working on issues of equity and social justice in India. After completing her Master’s in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, in 1974, she began her career as a child counsellor at the Nagpada Neighbourhood House, a community centre in the inner city of Mumbai. She has been on the board of organizations like Mobile Crèches for Children of Construction Workers, Swayam Shikshan Prayog (which supports women's empowerment in rural areas in India), and Partners Urban Knowledge Action Research (PUKAR). She is also a member of CTAG. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2011.

Ms. Lalita Ramdas has been active on issues related to literacy, non-formal education and women's empowerment, nationally and internationally. Her early career in the fields of teaching and broadcasting have been followed by a career in development work through education with marginalised and minority communities, with special focus on gender and women. She has a degree in English Language and Literature from Delhi University. She is one of the founding members of the Board of Green Peace India, of which she became a part through her commitment to non-violence.

Ms. Rita Sarin-Member

Ms. Sarin is the Country Director of Hunger Project-India. She holds an MA from the University of Nottingham, UK. A pioneer in women's studies in India, Ms. Sarin served as a Programme Officer for the Swedish International Development Agency for 15 years before becoming Country Director of The Hunger Project in 2001. She now leads a nationwide alliance of 60 organisations implementing Hunger Project strategies to empower women in local democracy.

Mr. Madiath completed his studies from Madras University. In 1969, while still a student, he journeyed across India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka on a bicycle for a year. He founded the NGO Gram Vikas, which now works with nearly 2,00,000 people in 559 villages in 17 districts of Orissa building biogas plants, water tanks, pipelines, toilets and complete sanitation systems.

Mr. Sahni did his graduation in History from St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, from 1968-71. Later he did M. Sc.(Econ.) - Social Development Planning and Management, from the University of Wales, Swansea, 1992-93. An IAS Officer, he is presently the Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Jammu & Kashmir. He is currently based at New Delhi. At the policy formulation level, the sectors he handled included public works, rural water supply, irrigation, and cooperatives. At the planning and management level, he worked in various sectors including horticulture, handlooms, handicrafts and sericulture.

Mr. Seth, a science graduate with a specialization in Mathematics and Statistics, qualified as a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India. In the last two decades, he has worked in a number of industries including tobacco, hotels, financial services, real estate, media and pharmaceuticals. He has worked with companies like ITC Ltd., Hindustan Times and Abbott India in senior positions. At present, he is working with Strides Arcolab Ltd, Bangalore as Group CFO on areas of fund raising and growth.

Dr. Rajesh Tandon

Dr. Tandon is the co-founder and President of PRIA, an international NGO, based in New Delhi, India. He has nearly three decades of work in articulating, elaborating and facilitating philosophical and methodological issues of participatory research and popular participation in India, South Asia and across the world. He has written extensively on participatory research and participatory development. He has also championed the cause of strengthening civil society organizations and capacities of the marginalized through the twin process of learning and organizing.

Mr. Thankappan is a trade unionist with more than four and a half decades of experience. He is an economics graduate from Mumbai University. He has also worked on a number of Government Committees on Revival of Sick Industrial Units, Workers’ Education and Skill Development, etc. He was the Founder Director of Centre for Workers' Management from 1991 to 2002. He was also on the Board of Kamani Tubes Limited as a nominee of the Workers' Cooperative during 1989 to 1997. He is one of the pioneers and founder leaders of the National Centre for Labour (NCL) in 1995 and New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) in 2006. He is presently the President of Kamani Employees’ Union, Vice President of NTUI, Secretary of National Centre for Labour (NCL) and Advisor to a number of trade unions and officers’ associations.

Dr. Bibek Debroy is a noted Indian economist. He is currently a professor at Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. He is also Visiting Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for South Asian Studies in National University of Singapore. Debroy studied at Ramakrishna Mission School (Narendrapur), Presidency College (Calcutta), Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College (Cambridge). His past positions include Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies at Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Consultant to the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance (Government of India), Secretary General of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Director of the project LARGE (Legal Adjustments and Reforms for Globalising the Economy), set up by the Finance Ministry and UNDP for examining legal reforms in India. Between December 2006 and July 2007, he was the rapporteur for implementation in the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. Prof. Debroy has authored several books, papers and popular articles, has been Consulting Editor of some of the most prominent financial newspapers in the country and is now Contributing Editor with Indian Express. He is a member of the National Manufacturing Competitive Council. He is also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. In his yesteryears Debroy has taught at Presidency College, Calcutta, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, National Council of Applied Economic Research and International Management Institute.