D.O.B.  15-10-1984
           Phone: (+91)-8130995559
       E-mail:livingpositive@gmail.com 

1. Work Experience 

1. Campaigner Sustainable  Agriculture - Greenpeace India   (2013–Dec 2014)
 
• Worked on developing a policy framework to provide safe food (especially  for women and children) in India. The work involved research on sustainable  agricultural practices, interactions with stakeholders including government and  self help groups of women; and policy level strategizing
 
• Travelled to various remote villages in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra  Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana to understand the impact of  pesticides on farmers.
 
• Represented Greenpeace in ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture), a nationwide network of over 400 organizations and worked towards strengthening  the network
 
• Attended global conference on ‘Crisis Response Management’ in Athens,  Greece in February 2014 
 

2. Development Consultant  with MLAs of Delhi    (May–October  2014)

• Led a team working with 27 elected representatives (MLAs) of Delhi to  help them undertake greater developmental works in their constituencies, with a  focus on creating work plans for their areas and efficient utilization of  allotted funds
 
• Worked closely with Delhi government departments on several policy  issues as well as to procure sanctions for various government projects
 
• Implemented mechanisms to enhance people’s participation (especially of  women) in government projects in these constituencies
 
1. Positions held in  Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF)   (2006- 2012)

During 2006-13 worked in Public Cause Research Foundation, on various  issues primarily related to increasing transparency, accountability, public participation  in governance and women empowerment. Was awarded a fellowship from Association  for India’s Development (A.I.D) for development work during this period.

1. Administrative and Financial Manager – PCRF            

Responsible for overall management of PCRF which included planning,  coordination, finance, budgeting, policy decisions as well as supervision of  staff during 2008-12

 
2. Member, Core  Committee of ‘India Against Corruption’ – (Anna  Andolan) Movement  (2011)                          

• Youngest member of the Core Committee of the nationwide anti-corruption  movement which was a 23 member body consisting of stalwarts like Mr. Anna  Hazare, Ms.Kiran Bedi, Mr.Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. N. Santosh Hegde (former  Lokayukta of Karnataka), Mr. Prashant Bhushan and others.

• Was the Coordinator of Delhi for Anna  Andolan 

• As Head of the Mobilisation Team:
 
• organised and led several national level and state level campaigns,  programmes and protests
 
• led a team to develop and implement strategies for campaigning and mass mobilisation  (with a focus on women), both offline and online
 
• was responsible for the effective usage of SMS and other mobile  technologies as innovative tools for spreading awareness and enlisting support  for the movement
 
• was responsible for volunteer engagement and training
 
• was responsible for conducting and organising various awareness programs  of women 

• As Head of the Research Team, extensively analysed and examined  various aspects of controlling corruption and improving systems; and led the drafting  of the Jan Lokpal Bill (enacting  which was the main demand of the anti-corruption movement). 

3. Head, People’s  Participation Project in PCRF                                                        

• Initiated and coordinated a nation-wide coalition – “Swaraj Abhiyan”, which brought together social and women activists,  NGOs, researchers, experts, movements and elected representatives working  towards promoting greater decentralisation of power in India. A major focus of  the campaign was to increase the participation of women in governance. Organised  several national level meetings as well as grassroots campaigns through the  coalition  

• Travelled to various villages across the country, including model  villages like Hiware Bazar (Maharashtra); carried out surveys, gathered primary  and secondary information (collected 55,000 pages of Gram Sabha proceedings in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh) and  studied them; interacted with experts, policy planners and government to draft  a modified Panchayati Raj Bill for  rural areas and Model Nagar Raj Bill for urban areas. Major focus of these proposed amendments were to increase  women participation in local self governing institutions 

• Presented the draft bills to several prominent leaders of the ruling  party and opposition as well as to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Bihar  and Goa; and received a positive response from them. The Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill (modelled on the draft Model Nagar Raj Bill) was presented in the Delhi Assembly in  February 2014.

• Awareness and People’s Participation Project (Mohalla Sabhas) Conducted regular  public meetings (Mohalla Sabhas) in 4  municipal wards of Delhi for 2 years, a unique experiment which helped achieve  greater public participation in government schemes, thereby ensuring better  delivery of public services. The project was  highly successful, especially in redressing crime related problems of women of  the community and received support from Lt. Governor of Delhi 

• As consultant to the Bihar government, studied the welfare scheme  ‘Integrated Child Development Scheme’ (ICDS) and suggested reforms to help  improve the participation of mothers in the scheme thereby aid in better implementation  of the same

• Through consultations with various social activists like Ms Medha Patkar  and Mr B.D. Sharma, and others as well as with the project affected people of  the Yamuna Highway project, prepared an alternative framework in place of the  Land Acquisition Act, 1984  to promote  greater public participation in the decision making process.
  

• Studied reports of all Central Finance Commissions and presented  suggestions for reforms to the Thirteenth Finance Commission

• Designed publicity material like movies, brochures etc for awareness on  strengthening local self-governance; regularly coordinated with print and  electronic media

• All my experiences and research were incorporated in Mr. Arvind Kejriwal’s  book “Swaraj” (self governance). This  book puts forward a sound argument for strengthening local democracy as well as  suggests a way forward. 

4. Head, Right to  Information Awards, 2009                                   

• Worked as Head of the first ever ‘Right to Information Awards - 2009’  and was responsible for planning, strategising and organising the Awards:

• Helped procure funding for the project
 
• Organised a national level media campaign announcing the Awards and  inviting applications
 
• Developed and executed a detailed process of analysis and short listing  of the applications-obtained and analysed orders passed by Information Commissioners; wrote  letters to almost 36,000 appellants requesting them for a feedback; and analysed  the work of several PIO’s and RTI campaigners
 
• Created partnerships with several national and regional media houses  like NDTV, Hindustan Times, Dainik Jagran and others

• The result of this mammoth exercise was  subsequently presented to a Jury which consisted of stalwarts like Mr. Fali. S.  Nariman, Aamir Khan, Narayana Murthy, J.M. Lyngdoh, Mallika Sarabhai,  MadhuTrehan, Late Justice J.S. Verma and others, on the basis of which awards  were presented in a ceremony cosponsored by NDTV and ONGC.

• RTI Awards were widely reported by media

• Co- authored a report titled “State of  Information Commissions in India- A performance evaluation”
  

5. Organised protests and awareness campaigns on women issues and RTI Act

Have organised several awareness campaigns on  Right to Information Act and women issues. Led a team of  students and volunteers in the protest against Nirbhaya Rape. Suffered lathicharge by police during the same 

6. Engagement with Community  at the Grassroot Level                                        

• Worked in Parivartan with Late Ms. Santosh Koli  and the residents of Sundernagri, a  rehabilitation colony in East Delhi to empower people to avail benefits under  government schemes and increase awareness on rights and gender issues. Also  worked with various self-help groups of women in the area

• During Kosi river  floods in 2008, worked for 3 months in Supaul, a flood affected district (of  Bihar) on relief and rehabilitation of the victims

      Over the years, have  been invited to present my experiences at various forums including IIT Delhi,  Google  Hyderabad and Springdale School, Delhi

 B.  Education

       JSS Academy of Technical Education, UPTU                (2006)

            B.Tech  (Information Technology) with 66% marks

       Amity International School Noida                                   (2002)
            Class XII  (CBSE) with 92% (best of four subjects)
            Awarded Certificate  of Merit by CBSE for being among the top 0.1% students in India in English  language  in 2002.