The development divide between urban, better developed areas and rural, pristine areas is frequent as the latter do not receive the leading edge technologies and focussed result-orientation that the former receive. Pragya is a pioneer in closing this gap. The Pragya team is multidisciplinary, a mix of specialists from the varied fields of agriculture, botany, engineering, management, design, museology, geography and anthropology. We integrate in our team training in social research, experience in development projects, and outstanding analytical and change management skills. A team with a business mind-set in its development work, Pragya members ensure a focus on things like performance, viability and effectiveness while addressing development issues. The common thread that binds this diverse and talented team is a strong sense of commitment towards equitable and appropriate development of indigenous peoples and pristine regions of the world.
abhinaba@pragya.org
Coordinator (Programmes) with a special focus on Appropriate Technologies and Economic Development. Abhinaba has been involved in Pragya’s Cluster Development initiatives across the Himalayas, including economic research and advocacy, and training for entrepreneurship development. He has spearheaded the design of technology components in our enterprise development and renewable energy solutions. He is also managing project-related communication with donors and external stakeholders, and has anchored various consultancy assignments undertaken by Pragya. Abhinaba received his B. Tech, Civil Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, India and has served in various capacities in Consengers - Delhi, Dunlop India Ltd, VCRL, JK Paper Mills and IBM.
vasu@pragya.org
Senior Core Team Member (Monitoring & Coordination Team), with expertise and experience in conservation science and agriculture development. Vasu is a specialist in Agriculture and Livelihoods and has worked on multiple projects in these sectors across the difficult & remote stretches that Pragya works in. He has been involved in need assessments and the development of Pragya projects, and plays a pivotal role in project implementation, coordinating the field offices and managing and monitoring our extension programs. A post-graduate in Agriculture from Banaras Hindu University, India, with specialization in Genetics and Plant Breeding, Vasu has earlier worked for Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd. and Super Agri Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
rajat@pragya.org
Coordinator (Program-Support), with expertise in management information and quality systems. Rajat is qualified in QS-9000, ISO-14000, as well as WHIMS, and has considerable experience in implementing, providing training on and auditing the maintenance of these systems. In Pragya, he manages stakeholders and relationships with externals, and provides logistical support in the delivery of programs. He also oversees the functions of HR and IS. He plays a key role in the organisation’s expansion and start-up of new programs/offices, and assures the smooth operation of our various offices and systems. A post-graduate in Agricultural Science with training on Environment Management, Rajat has earlier worked on research projects with Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and as Environmental Coordinator with Maxtech Manufacturing (Canada).
research@pragya.org
Senior Core Team Member (Research & Advocacy Team), with proficiency on watershed development and heritage management. Sejuti has considerable experience in respect to natural resource management issues in the India and Nepal Himalayas and has facilitated Pragya’s interventions for effective community based Common Property Resource management and conservation initiatives. She has been a key contributor in designing and conducting research and documentation initiatives carried out by Pragya, and is also involved in our advocacy actions and the design and quality management of our programs. A post-graduate in Environment Management from Forest Research Institute, India, Sejuti has specialization in Environmental Geography.
jonathan@pragya.org
Development Co-ordinator, Jonathan manages the functioning of Pragya’s UK Office and Team, with responsibility for fundraising from Trusts and Institutional Donors, promotion and awareness raising in the UK, and developing linkages with appropriate UK Partner Organisations. The UK organisation currently manages major grants from BIG Lottery Fund and Comic Relief and Jonathan monitors the related projects and reports to donors. Fundraising also requires him to communicate with prospective donors, other charities and policy/government bodies on the issues that Pragya supports. Jonathan joined Pragya in July 2010. Before that he worked as a manager and fundraiser with a number of UK based NGOs including Oxfam, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Most recently Jonathan was the Director of the Karuna Trust where he was responsible for developing the Charity’s fundraising from Trusts and Institutional donors and overseeing the Charity’s grants program and portfolio of project partnerships.
christine@pragya.org
Development Officer, with keen interest in Environmental Sustainability and Community Well-being. In Pragya US, she manages communication with US-based donors and other international stakeholders. She is involved in fund-raising for the Pragya programmes in the remote and difficult regions of the world and has an important role in spreading awareness among international stakeholders regarding the developmental issues of these areas. A post-graduate in Service, Leadership and Management from School for International Training, Vermont, USA, Christine has earlier worked for Branch County Coalition Against Domestic Violence as Executive Director and Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary as Teacher Naturalist. She has also served Peace Resource Center, Vermont Adult Learning, Operation Bootstrap, CBC Companies and AFLAC in various capacities.
GOVERNANCE AND GUIDANCE
The members of the Pragya Board(s) bring to the organization their superior understanding of the development sector, as well as other sectors including academia, industry and media, and a special sentiment for and keen understanding of the less developed and unreached areas. Pragya is also guided by an International Advisory Board comprising experts with particular domain-specific knowledge, and a strong desire to contribute to the development of areas and peoples that Pragya works for.
Arasan Aruliah is a specialist Sales Director/Consultant in London. He works for companies with new and complex products and services, to uncover new markets. Recent clients operate in the software, consultancy, biotechnology, media and training sectors. Previously he has worked as a News and Current Affairs producer for BBC World Service, which included a 4-year posting in India in the 1990s. Arasan advises on best practice employment procedures, designed specifically for the international development sector. With his continued involvement in the corporate sector, he is constantly evaluating possible new funding partners for Pragya.
Gargi Banerji is a founding member of Pragya. Gargi’s career spans 25 years of experience in research, development and consulting and straddles both the corporate and development sectors. She is a post-graduate in Business Administration, and has worked as a management consultant with Tata Consultancy Services and thereafter with Prometheus. In this role, she has consulted for several large industrial houses, including many large multinational corporations, and also carried out projects for the state and development sector and provided advice on issues as diverse as child labour, deforestation, technology divide and gender inequity. Having spent her early life in the Himalayan region, Gargi felt a strong commitment to addressing the continuing neglect of remote areas. In 1995, she co-founded Pragya, and has since then directed its programs as an Executive Member of the Board, shaping it into a development organisation of repute, with a diversified portfolio and numerous innovations. For her work on conservation of medicinal plants Gargi received the Whitley Award for Conservation in the year 2000. In India, her work has been recognized with the MSDS Award for Social Entrepreneurs and by the National HRD Network for her contribution to development. Under her leadership, Pragya has also won the top award for sustainable technologies, the Energy Globe Award in the year 2005, and the STARS Impact Award for the organisation’s work on education in the year 2010.
Krishna Kumar has more than twenty years of experience in the information systems sector and publishing industry in the US. He has particular competence in e-commerce solutions and has developed such for several business sectors. He is keenly interested in the application of such technologies and solutions for improving the livelihoods of the poor and developing market linkages for them. Krishna is also a consultant on the design and development of business processes and creation and management of quality systems. He is especially concerned about the digital and technical divide in developing nations and guides Pragya in meeting the challenge of bridging this divide.
Dr. Mary Ipe has fifteen years of experience in academics with reputed business schools in India (ICFAI Business School and Goa Institute of Management) and ten years of experience in the Management Consulting division of Tata Consultancy Services. Her areas of consulting include Human Resource Management, General Management and Organisational Restructuring. Dr. Ipe has done her Ph.D from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She has various publications to her credit in the areas of HR, Consulting and General Management. She is currently working as the Associate Dean of Faculty of Management Studies, ICFAI University, Dehradun with responsibility for Soft Skills & Research. Her areas of interest and teaching include Communication, Business Ethics and Governance. She has been guiding Pragya in its work in Africa. She has a deep understanding of the continent having lived 17 years in Tanzania, and continues to be engaged with its development.
Pratap Rughani is an award-winning writer and documentary film-maker for British television (BBC TV & Channel 4, UK) and newspapers (The Independent & The Times, London). His work is wide-ranging, from investigative and social stories to human interest and environmental films. He has extensive experience in developing countries (South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa). He has a particular interest in environmental and development issues and is a former co-editor of New Internationalist magazine and contributing editor for The India Magazine. Currently, apart from various documentation and filming projects, Pratap is Course Director of MA Documentary Film at University of the Arts, London. He has been instrumental in Pragya UK collaborations with key partners such as The Karuna Trust, which has led to the implementation of several large-scale, multi-year projects in the Indian Himalayas.
Shanti Prasad has had a long career in academics and research in India and the US. With a post-graduate degree in Psychology, Shanti was drawn to the science of Parapsychology and investigations into extra-sensory perception. She has been Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology and Parapsychology at Andhra University in India, and taught, published and lectured widely on the subject. She has also worked on the intersection of parapsychology with traditional Oriental philosophies and practices, and has been associated with The Institute for Yoga & Consciousness (Vizag, India), and studies on psychological, physiological and parapsychological aspects of yoga, meditation and related variables. Shanti was closely connected with the setting up of Pragya in 1995, advising and guiding the founding members in the initial years. Working out of US today, she facilitates the organisation’s activities in the country, promoting these and building a wider support base.
Sunil Pillai is a founding member of Pragya. Sunil’s multifaceted career includes 25 years of experience in the corporate world and the development sector. A post-graduate in Business Administration, he has worked in the Marketing and Promotion wing of a large industrial house, and has been a Management Consultant with Tata Consultancy Services and thereafter with Prometheus. As a Consultant he has advised several large industrial houses as well as multinational corporations on Strategic Planning, Organisation Development and Business Process Management. He has also conducted a range of studies for the development sector that have included Environment Assessment, Project Evaluation and Planning, especially in the livelihoods, forestry, and education domains. He co-founded Pragya in 1995 and has since been an Executive Member of the Board, directing the Finance and Communication functions and developing and managing stakeholder relations. He has guided the expansion of the organization into newer areas and sectors, and has been instrumental in its spread and growth. His contribution to the many international awards and recognition that Pragya has received (Whitley Award, Energy Globe Award, STARS Impact Award) has been significant, and his work has been commended by the National HRD Network, India. He also plays a key role in managing Pragya Solutions, and the advisory services to other state and non-state actors under this banner.
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