NIRD&PR

Biodata

Areas of Expertise

1. Inclusive and Equitable Education: Specialized focus on rural, tribal, and disadvantaged communities, promoting access, quality, and equity in education.
2. Capacity Building and Leadership Development: Proven leadership in designing and delivering training programs for frontline functionaries and block-level officials, particularly under national initiatives like the Aspirational Blocks Programme.
3. Tribal and Indigenous Education: Deep engagement with contextualized learning, integrating local knowledge systems and multilingual education strategies.
4. Community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being: Expertise in promoting mental health literacy and psychosocial models at the grassroots, with a focus on Panchayat-level facilitation and support mechanisms.
5. Behavioural Science and Life Skills Education: Strong foundation in youth-centric training for empowerment, life skills, and employability, especially in rural and underserved areas.
6. Holistic and Spiritual Approaches to Development: Advocate for integrating spiritual practices such as Arhatic Yoga into models of educational resilience and community transformation.
7. Applied and Action Research: Committed to practice-based research that informs policy and sustainable rural development, bridging academic insights with field implementation

Professional Affiliation

1. International Engagements

1. Recognized Mentor, Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Manila, Philippines, for Executive MBA students.

2. Membership in National Committees

1. Expert Committee Member, VR-Based Assistive System for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities – A project under the Digital Governance Unit, MeitY and MANUU, Government of India.
2. Member, Board of Studies in Education and Rural Studies at multiple universities across India.
3. Member, Satyen Mitra Literacy Awards Committee.

3. Membership in Professional Bodies and Societies

1. Life Member, Indian School Psychology Association
2. Life Member, All India Association for Educational Research
3. Life Member, Indian Adult Education Association
4. Life Member, Indian Science Congress Association
5. Life Member, Indian Society for Education and Allied Sciences
6. Member, Green Cross Society

Publications / Articles / Cases / Reviews (Numbers)

Articles Published: 50

Books Authored/Edited: 12

Selected Recent Publications

1. Digital Transformation in Teacher Education in India: Focus on the NEP 2020 Book Chapter in the edited volume Digital Transformation in Teacher Education: The NEP 2020 Vision,
   Editors: Dr. T. Vijaya Kumar, Dr. M. Ravi Babu, Dr. T. Linga Murthy
   Swastik Publications, New Delhi, 2025
   ISBN: 978-93-91382-77-3
2. Yogic Practices and Self-Development: An Overview
   Book Chapter in the edited volume Yoga for Health and Wellbeing,
   Editors: Dr. T. Vijaya Kumar, Dr. M. Ravi Babu, Dr. T. Linga Murthy
   Swastik Publications, New Delhi, 2023
   ISBN: 979-93-91382-24-7
3. A Systematic Literature Review on Sanitation and Hygiene Education among School Children during COVID-19
   Research Article published in Kala Sarovar (UGC Care Group–1 Journal),
   Vol. 24, No. 01 (III), January–March 2021
   ISSN: 0975-4520
4. Status of School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Facilities in Primary Schools
   Research Article published in International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR),
   Vol. 10, Issue 10, 2021
   ISSN: 2319-7064
   (Co-author: Shivkumar Kandekar)
5. COVID-19 Education Response: Sanitation and Hygiene – Preparing to Reopen Schools at the Global Level
   Research Article published in International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research,
   Vol. 10, Issue 2, October 2021
   ISSN: 2277-7881
   (Co-author: Shiva Kumar Kandekar)
6. Attitude of Primary School Children towards Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
   Research Article published in International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research,
   Vol. 10, Issue 2, October 2021
   ISSN: 2277-7881
   (Co-author: Shiva Kumar Kandekar)

Research

Current Research

1. Title: Assessing the Performance of Rural Development Training Institutions in India: A Comprehensive Study

Research Experience

1. Over 25 years of experience in academic and field-based research.
2. Successfully completed 70+ research projects, including:
   1. Assessment studies
   2. Impact evaluations
   3. Policy-oriented research across education, rural development, and social sectors.
3. Mentored 17 doctoral scholars, leading to the award of Ph.D. degrees.
4. Supervised 2 post-doctoral fellows in advanced interdisciplinary research (since 2005).

Workshops/Conferences

Conferences Organized

1. National Conferences: 50
2. International Conferences: 10

Selected Engagements as Speaker / Chairperson

1. Invited Speaker: Human Rights Awareness Programme
   Occasion: 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
   Date: December 10, 2023
   Organizer: Arunachal Pradesh Human Rights Commission
2. Panelist: Panel Session on "Advancing Human Rights through Local Governance"
   Date: November 16, 2023
   Organizer: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi
   Venue: Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, Assam
3. Session Chair: 13th InSPA International Conference 2023
   Theme: Technology in the Practice of School Psychology
   Date: November 3–5, 2023
   Jointly Organized by: University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya and Indian School Psychology Association (InSPA)

Trainings

Trainings Attended:

International and National Training Programs

1. International Summer School on "Research Methodology in Public Health"
   Organized by Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, in collaboration with the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA, February 2015.
2. International Training on Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises for Village and Community Empowerment
   Conducted by CIRDAP, Dhaka at Bali, Indonesia, November 2013.
3. International Programme on Development Managers
   Organized by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Manila, Philippines, 2005.
4. Course on Management of Training
   Conducted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) at the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM), New Delhi, 2016.
5. Course on Design of Training.
   Conducted by DoPT, ISTM, New Delhi, 2005
6. Course on Direct Trainer Skills
   Conducted by the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysore, 2003.

Training Programs Organized:

International Programs

1. Organized international training programs on:
   1. Participatory Rural Development
   2. Community-Driven Rural Development

National Programs:

1. Convergence and Partnership for Border Area Development
2. Convergence and Partnership for Aspirational Districts/Blocks
3. Mental health and well-being
4. Advanced Training Methodology
5. Trainer Development Programmes
6. Training Skills for Master Trainers
7. Behavioral Skills for Organizational Development
8. Human Resource Development

Invited Talks / Presentations

International

1. Keynote Address on "Quality Research through Mentorship"
   Delivered at the 5^th Doctoral Research International Conference, jointly organized by North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong; ISTD Meghalaya Chapter; and the Department of Philosophy, Moran College, Assam — May 20, 2022.
2. Keynote Address on "Pomodoro Time Management Technique for Personal and Professional Development"
   Delivered at the joint event organized by North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, and Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati — May 28, 2022.

National

1. Panelist in the National Panel Discussion on the Implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Innovative Approaches and Challenges, organized by North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Meghalaya - April 11, 2022.

Honours / Awards:

1. Best Teacher Award 5^th September, 1999. (Govt. of Andhra Pradesh).
2. Received best training programme award from Director General NIRD&PR in the year 2005.
3. Commendation letter in the year 2009 (Monitoring of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Mid-Day Meal Scheme) issued by Director General, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.