Arise, mindful and alert, learn from those who have been there
For, sharp as a razor s edge, hard to traverse, difficult is that path, say the poets, who have seen
Katha Upanishad, Verse 1.3.14
Pagdandi is a Hindi word that literally means a winding village mud path. In spiritual terms it connotes for us, the razor ’ s edge, a road less travelled, walking on which we undertake the challenging journey of breaking with the mainstream and forging something transformative, something so much more beautiful, inclusive and lasting.
Note from the Chair
MA in Rural Management aspires to be more than an academic program. When I say “ more than”, I do so in the sense of the word transcendence, which comes from the Latin prefix trans-, "beyond," and the word scandare, "to climb " So, what we are trying is not to negate the academic, which is the foundation, but to go beyond the limitations it seems to us to create.
This aspiration has profound implications for many elements of the program: the kind of students we select, the faculty we hire and the pedagogy we adopt. Our students are some of the most outstanding I have had the pleasure of teaching in my several decades long teaching career But they come from socioeconomic backgrounds quite different from those usually found in leading universities. They belong to India’s most disadvantaged regions and communities and also include many more women than men (67 out of the 127 students in the first 3 batches) What makes our students
really stand out is the understanding they show of the challenges of rural India and their unique experience of life in that context More than anything else, their selection is a testament to their potential to be leaders of a transformative process of change in rural India.
Similarly, our faculty are unique in having lived and worked in rural India for many decades They carry a deep commitment to a process of radical reconstruction of India’s rural landscape, a profound empathy for the struggles of the most disadvantaged people of this country, as also the capacity to mentor young people who find themselves in what is for them a truly alien environment.
And all of this requires that we adopt a transgressive pedagogy, in the sense bell hooks uses the term Our goal, to paraphrase her, is “teaching to transform” and this transformation necessarily needs to be internal, so that it can also be social. So yet again our pedagogy goes beyond the purely academic, in that it seeks to deeply incorporate the lived experience of our students, building upon it to teach them how to be reflective practitioners, with a focus on real-life solutions to India’s most pressing problems This makes for an extremely lively, interactive and engaging classroom, where there is so much to learn for both students and faculty, given the extraordinary richness and diversity in what the students bring to the learning process.
Our newsletter is an attempt to share elements of the several differentia specifica of the RM program. It will give you a flavour of the vibrant life and work of the RM community and the kinds of dramatis personae the program features
Distinguished Professor and Chair MA in Rural Management Program School of Humanities and Social Sciences Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence
MIHIR SHAH
Dr. Himanshu KulkarniWins OklahomaWater Prize
A landmark honour for collaborative groundwater stewardship
DR. HIMANSHU KULKARNI
Professor of Practice MA Rural Management Program
We are thrilled to share that Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, Professor of Practice at the MA Rural Management Program, has been awarded the prestigious Oklahoma Water Prize, recognizing his pioneering contributions to groundwater management in India. As Dr. Mihir Shah wrote in his letter of recommendation for this award:
“When we look back over the past 3 decades and try to identify the one person who has brought groundwater centre-stage in the Indian national imagination, there can be no disagreement that that person has to be Himanshu Kulkarni Given that India is by far the largest consumer of groundwater in the world, this must then rank as a herculean task of truly global significance.”
While Dr Kulkarni is the public face of the award, he emphasizes that this recognition belongs to the collective:
“The award is a reflection of the deep partnerships and collaborations we forged at ACWADAM- small and large organisations, field-based work in remote corners of the country, and the tireless efforts of colleagues,
mentors, and especially Dr Mihir Shah, who has been a leading light throughout our journey.”
In his remarks, Dr Kulkarni also acknowledged the continuing journey ahead:
“There are many miles to go before we see a fundamental shift in how we care for our natural resources, especially the invisible ones like groundwater.”
He also shared heartfelt reflections on his return to academia and his engagement with the MA in Rural Management Program at SNIoE:
“The last two years with our extraordinary students and faculty have been incredibly fulfilling I returned to academic life because of Mihir’s call, and I have never said no-from the tribal hinterlands of MP to the corridors of policy, to the classrooms at Shiv Nadar University.”
Dr Kulkarni commended the leadership of Prof Ananya Mukherjee in enabling a truly pathbreaking Program in Rural Management:
“It’s a rare Program: off-beat, challenging, and deeply needed. Prof. Ananya Mukherjee’s inspiring vision, along with Mihir’s perseverance, has drawn all of us to give our best to a set of young minds who are destined to become change-makers.”
We congratulate Dr Kulkarni on this welldeserved honour and look forward to many more contributions from him and the RM fraternity, which continues to shape policy, practice, and pedagogy in rural transformation.
Leading the GlobalWater Conversation
Dr. Mihir Shah at the OstromWorkshop Round Table onWater Governance
In a significant recognition of India's leadership in water governance, Dr Mihir Shah, Chair of the MA in Rural Management program, was recently invited to speak at the Ostrom Workshop Round Table-an international gathering of leading thinkers on collective action and commons governance Drawing on his decades of work in policy and grassroots water reform, Dr. Shah offered a powerful critique of centralized, technocratic water regimes and made a case for decentralized, democratic, and ecosystem-based models The Round Table focused on three themes:
Interdisciplinary Synergies: Bridging disciplines for integrated solutions
Cross-Geographical Perspectives: Learning across global and local contexts
Multi-Scale Interconnections: Linking village insights into global water policy
Dr Shah’s participation highlighted the intellectual and practical edge of the Rural Management Program at Shiv Nadar Universityan initiative he has led with conviction, clarity, and care His presence on this global stage affirms our belief that grounded research and ethical field engagement from India can shape conversations across the world.
A platform for commons, community, and global policy dialogue
A Major NewContribution to the Economic History of India co-authored by Professor P.S.Vijayshankar
Madhya
Pradesh, 1947–2020: A Gradual Transition (forthcoming from the Cambridge University Press)
P.S. VIJAYSHANKAR
Professor of Practice, MA Rural Management Program
We are proud to announce the forthcoming publication of a landmark volume co-authored by Prof. P.S. Vijayshankar and Dr. Rammanohar Reddy: Madhya Pradesh, 1947-2020: A Gradual Transition Commissioned as part of the prestigious Cambridge Economic History of Indian States after Independence series, this book offers a sweeping account of the economic, social, and political transformation of one of India’s most complex provincial economies
Recasting the Narrative of Stagnation
Often seen through the lens of poverty, underdevelopment, and marginalization, Madhya Pradesh has long occupied a paradoxical position within India’s national imagination, rich in natural resources yet marked by entrenched socio-economic deprivation Against this backdrop, Vijayshankar and Rammanohar Reddy challenge the dominant narrative of
changelessness and stagnation Instead, they trace the layered and uneven trajectories of change across the state's multiple regions over seven decades. These regional stories, stitched together through archival depth, economic analysis, and grounded insights, build a nuanced account of sub-national development as a process of negotiation, integration, and resistance.
A Work of Enduring Value on Forests, Tribes, and the Uneven Geographies of Development
One of the book’s most compelling contributions lies in its sustained attention to Adivasi communities and forest-based economies, particularly in central and eastern Madhya Pradesh By weaving together macroeconomic shifts with micro-histories of local transformation, the authors reveal a more intricate picture of development, one that is not simply about growth or decline, but about the contested formation of a provincial political and economic identity over time Years in the making, this book will serve as a foundational text for anyone seeking to understand the political economy of Madhya Pradesh and by extension, the larger patterns of uneven development in India
We congratulate Prof. P.S. Vijayshankar on this extraordinary scholarly achievement and look forward to the impact this book will have in shaping future conversations on regional development, inequality, and justice.
Bringing Gender Justice into Urban Planning
Dr. Sandali Thakur’s Contribution to CREA’s Gender andWASH Curriculum
DR. SANDALI THAKUR
Associate Professor, MA Rural Management Program
Dr. Sandali Thakur recently collaborated with CREA (creaworld org), a leading feminist human rights organization based in Delhi, to design and develop the curriculum and teaching-learning material for a comprehensive 40-hour course on Gender and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) This landmark course is being launched in partnership with the Odisha Urban Academy as part of an online certificate program for government officials, staff, and knowledge partners of the Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha Her WASH Curriculum is situated within the broader gender framework but specifically foregrounds four structurally excluded groups: sanitation workers, trans persons, sex workers, and persons with disabilities
The course aims to mainstream gender perspectives into urban planning and service delivery in the WASH sector, equipping public
sector professionals with conceptual tools and practical frameworks to promote inclusive, equitable, and responsive governance. Dr. Thakur’s contribution to this pioneering initiative reflects both academic rigour and a deep commitment to social justice in the development sector
Our faculty members continue to contribute cutting-edge research and participate in key national and international forums that bridge academic inquiry with grounded practice. These scholarly contributions reflect our collective commitment to justice-oriented research, indigenous knowledge systems, decolonial pedagogies, and ecological sustainability.
Curriculum as Praxis
Dr. Sandali Thakur Contributes to JGU’s New Master’s Program
Dr Sandali Thakur also contributed to the curriculum design of the new M.Sc. in Development Practice at Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonipat. The program conceived as an interdisciplinary and practicebased offering, aims to equip students with the conceptual tools and field sensibilities needed to engage critically with development processes in India and the Global South. Dr. Thakur’s involvement drew on her longstanding commitment to feminist pedagogy, social justice, and participatory field engagement At the curriculum development workshop, she contributed to conceptualizing core modules on gender, governance, and intersectionality, ensuring that issues of marginality, power, and structural violence remain central to the program ’ s design
Her inputs emphasized the need for contextresponsive learning rooted in field realities, institutional diversity, and the ethics of care. This contribution underscores her growing role in shaping development education, while reaffirming the MA-RM program ’ s intellectual and pedagogical linkages with like-minded academic platforms across India.
Scholarship in Action: Faculty Research and Public Discourse
Our faculty continues to shape critical conversations in the academy and beyond, through incisive publications, grounded fieldwork, and active engagement with pressing questions. From ecological justice to the politics of pedagogy and the biotechnologies of nutrition, these contributions reflect our commitment to research that is both intellectually rigorous and socially attuned.
We are proud to share a selection of recent publications by Dr. Bhargabi Das, which engage with themes of environmental racism, anti-racist pedagogy, planetary ecologies, and the lived experience of migrant scholars
Das, B (2025) The Ecopolitical Spirituality of Miya Poetry: Resistance against environmental racism of the majoritarian state in Assam, India. Religions, 16, 437–456.
Das, B. (co-author). (2025). Planetarity of Environmental Humanities South: Decolonizing Nature in Highland Asia Challenges, 16, 1–19
Das, B. and Ivasiuc, A. (2025). CARE: Caring, Anti-Racist Education and Decolonial Pedagogies in the Neoliberal University and a ColonialBorn Discipline Educação, Sociedade & Culturas, 70, 1–20.
Das, B. (2025). Foregrounding loneliness of PhDing of a migrant woman academic of colour: the Irish neo-liberal academia and nondialectics of loneliness and “speaking up ” . Educational Review, 1–18.
Assistant Professor MA Rural Management Program
DR. BHARGABI DAS
Dr. Venkat Ramanujam Ramani served as a panelist on Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices at the National Seminar on Shaping the Future: Trends and Perspectives in Indian Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development, organized by FLAME University, Pune, and sponsored by ICSSR, on 10th January 2025.
He also presented a paper titled Of Forest Villages and Forest Conservation: Adivasi Livelihoods in Transition in the Maikal Hills of Central India at the Nature and People Conference 2025, hosted by Azim Premji University, Bhopal, on 31st January 2025
Assistant Professor MA Rural Management Program
DR. VENKAT RAMANUJAM RAMANI
Dr. Gurkirat Kaur served as a panelist at the national colloquium “Technology and Society: Hierarchies and Contestations,” held at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi She presented her paper titled “The Rise of A2 Milk and Rediscovery of Indigenous Cow Breeds in India: A Critical Exploration of Epistemic Hierarchies, Contestations and Creolization”. Her participation critically examined how the bioscientific framing of A2 milk intersects with indigenous pastoral knowledge systems and regulatory shifts. Drawing on fieldwork and indigenous textual sources, Dr. Kaur proposed a pastoral theory of nutrition, highlighting how
the revalorization of A2-producing cow breeds often marginalizes the communities that have historically sustained them A central focus of her talk was the conflicting advisories issued by the FSSAI in August 2024, which exposed the tensions between consumer safety, state regulation, and the political economy of indigenous dairy markets. Her analysis of “conceptual bilingualism” in the promotion of A2 milk underscored the complex interplay between biomedical science and traditional knowledge systems in shaping food and health discourses in India.
Assistant Professor MA Rural Management Program
DR. GURKIRAT KAUR
Dr. Ajmal Khan, Assistant Professor, MA Rural Management Program, has been actively engaged in academic and policy dialogues on climate justice in India He presented a paper titled “Caste and Climate Change in Indian Cities: The Vulnerabilities of the Safai Karamcharis” at the international workshop on Environmental Justice Issues, organized by the TERI School of Advanced Studies in
collaboration with Yale University's Global Justice Program and Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP)
He was elected as the convener of the Environment and Climate Change Study Group of the Development Studies Association (DSA), UK
He was invited to deliver a talk at the Department of Sociology, Shiv Nadar University, as part of their Thursday Seminar Series, where he spoke on “What is Different About Climate Justice in India? Caste, the Adivasi Question, and Climate Change.” He also participated in the four-day conference "India 2047: Building a Climate-Resilient Future," held in New Delhi from March 19–22, 2025, co-organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, along with Harvard University's South Asia Institute and The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability
Assistant Professor MA Rural Management Program
DR. AJMAL KHAN
At the national workshop on “Agro-ecological Approaches for Just Transitions: An Indian Lens”, co-hosted by Nation for Farmers with four other organisations, Rahul Jain, Fellow, MA Rural Management Program, contributed to the panel titled “Engagement with the Integration of Dimensions of Just Sustainability in Agroecological Approaches in India,” offering reflections on how justice, sustainability, and political economy intersect in agroecological transitions.
He is in the advanced stages of finalizing a research paper slated for publication in 2025 The paper undertakes a political economy analysis of the challenges confronting advocates of agroecological transformation in India. It critically examines the deeply entrenched structures of the Green Revolution package, including agrochemicals, credit systems, seed regimes, water access, and agricultural research and extension At its core, the paper interrogates how the hegemony of high-input agriculture might be countered by strategically leveraging the state’s quest for legitimacy to enable more democratic and ecologically grounded farming futures
Together, these engagements highlight our commitment to producing knowledge that is not only academically rigorous but also socially responsive, foregrounding the voices and experiences of communities often at the margins of dominant development discourse.
Assistant Professor MA Rural Management Program
RAHUL JAIN
Field Internships
FortyStudents, EighteenStates, and aThousand Questions
In the final leg of their coursework, 40 students from the first batch of MA in Rural Management program at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, travelled across 18 Indian states and partnered with eminent grassroots organisations, from Kutch to Kalahandi, Melghat to Bundelkhand, Telangana to Dantewada. They lived and worked in tribal hamlets, NGO field offices, remote villages, and remote towns, each carrying out a project, but returning with a deeper, more complex understanding of rural life and development Each journey became a site of learning, challenge, and transformation. Students engaged in diverse themes such as:
Tribal land and forest rights
Participatory groundwater management
Regenerative agriculture
Women’s leadership in SHGs and FPOs
Seed biodiversity and agroecology
Health rights among sex worker communities
Projects Rooted in Place and Purpose
Each student’s work was tied to needs on the ground Here are just a few examples:
Community Forest Rights & Tribal Self-Governance
Akshay Dhikar (Centre for Collective Development, Telangana) contributed to preparing Community Forest Resource (CFR) claims for Kolam PVTG communities His work involved process documentation, resource mapping, and helping the gram sabha draft forest management plans.
Anita Gond (SPS, Melghat) documented how tribal communities were mobilised to claim CFR rights and develop participatory forest management structures
Agroecology, Seed Sovereignty, and Local Food Systems
Neha Rose Toppo (PSI, Bundelkhand) evaluated PSI’s natural farming intervention using a mixed-methods approach that included yield tracking, farmer interviews, and health narratives Her work brought together agronomy and equity with rigour and sensitivity.
Sunny Kujur (Sambhaav Trust, Dungarpur) surveyed and archived indigenous crop varieties through farmer interviews and seed documentation. “He’s travelled to more than 20 villages with his mentor, eating with families, collecting samples, and restoring traditional knowledge ”
Shivam Mankar (NCNF, Madhya Pradesh) documented transition journeys of natural farmers in three regions. His case studies captured the emotional, economic, and ecological meanings of “model” farming from the farmers’ perspective and not just the State or civil society bodies.
Sanjay (NIRMAN, Dantewada) examined shifts in Adivasi dietary habits over generations, linking these to policy frameworks and the reintroduction of traditional grains.
Neha Rose Toppo in the field with a local woman during her internship in Bundelkhand (Student MARM 2023-2025)
Shivam Mankar during a discussion about local and natural food varieties with local farmers in Madhya Pradesh (Student, MARM Program 2023-2025)
Participatory Groundwater andWatershed Governance
Prasanta Sahu (ACT, Kutch) co-developed hydrological maps and contributed to designing participatory water security strategies using PGWM tools “His notes flagged why soil moisture readings were misleading, too static, missing diurnal fluctuations.”
Neeraj Kumra (ACWADAM, Maharashtra) worked on aquifer mapping, water quality analysis, and equitable access strategies in overexploited regions.
Hariom Dhakad (MPVM, Jalgaon) surveyed 100+ wells to trace links between salinity, irrigation practices, and prevalence of kidney stones
Arjun Chouhan (DSC, Gujarat) analyzed the impact of managed aquifer recharge in four villages. His challenge was methodological: to gain autonomy from volunteers who often tried to filter community responses
Kumra Neeraj Kumar (Student, MARM 2023-25) gathering insights about water related issues from the local farmers in Pune, during his field internship in Spring 2025 semester
Arjun Chouhan (Student MARM 2025), in a conversation with the local DSC CRP during his field internship in Gujarat
Women’s Collectives and Rural Livelihoods
Priyanka Yadav (SRIJAN, Pratapgarh) supported SHG record-keeping, bank linkage, and exposure visits. Her work focused on sustainability of SHGs and women-led seed banks. Her report noted the challenges of building solidarity across caste lines in group formation
Radhama Khillo (Seba Jagat, Odisha) focused on women ’ s land rights under FRA and developed NTFP maps with tribal women ’ s collectives. Her report is one of the most detailed and well-structured of the batch.
Rojalin Pangi (SAJAG, Chhattisgarh) focused on single women ’ s FRA applications and helped facilitate group meetings around land entitlement and forest use practices
Komal Tripathi (Samvedna, Bhuj) worked with home-based sex workers on safety, legal awareness, and stigma reduction, designing and translating advocacy materials now being used in trainings
Governance, Data Systems, and Decentralization
Dheeraj Shivdasia (Gram Sudhar Samiti, MP) worked on participatory ecological registers and linking local data to panchayat planning tools. The three-month Field Internships were accompanied by deep mentorship from faculty who conducted site visits, offered project guidance, and helped reframe student dilemmas. The goal was not just completionbut transformation. “The student wasn’t getting income data. We rethought what ‘wealth’ meant for women in that village That changed the project entirely ” - Faculty Reflection on a Field Visit
Birendra Kisku (SETU Abhiyan, Kutch) assessed the planning and implementation of GPDPs, focusing on challenges of participation and representation in village councils
Nitesh Kumar (FES, Mandla) evaluated whether participation in gram sabhas was translating into improved commons governance, combining panchayat-level data with primary surveys
Priyanka Yadav (Student, MARM Program 2025) during a meeting with local village women in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan
Nitesh Kumar (Student MARM 2023-25) in an interview with a village local during his internship in Mandla, MP
Dr. Ajmal Khan (Assistant Professor, MARM Program) in conversation with Bharati and Radhamma (Students, MARM Program 2023-25) during his visit to their field internship sites in Orissa
For many students, the internship was also a personal challenge and immense learning Across each story lies a shared thread-the commitment to walk with communities, not ahead of them.
Looking Ahead
Every student has now submitted their final report Together, these 40 documents do more than summarize projects They map the fault lines of rural India today: between development and dispossession, between law and life, between data and dignity. As the students wind up for their final year, their fieldwork sits behind every conversation. It has unsettled them. They return with a sharper eye and a humbler heart, ready to lead with care, conviction, and context. We are proud of this remarkable cohort and the faculty, mentors, and partner organisations who have walked with us They will carry the people, places, and questions with them for years to come
Immersive Learning for MARM Students at Samanvay
The National Tribal Livelihoods Summit (BRLF) 2025
On 20th February 2025, the second batch of MA Rural Management students attended Samanvay-the National Tribal Livelihoods Summit 2025, organized by the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) Held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, the summit convened grassroots practitioners, policy architects, development scholars, state partners, and aspiring professionals dedicated to advancing equitable and sustainable rural futures. Rooted in the Sanskrit words “Sama” (सम), meaning ‘equal’, and “Anvay” (अ वय), meaning ‘connection’ or ‘ convergence ’ , Samanvay symbolizes the harmonious integration of diverse perspectives and collective responsibility As BRLF’s flagship annual event, Samanvay nurtures a collaborative space for deep reflection, shared learning, and multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on transforming India’s tribal
geographies, where systemic challenges often hinder inclusive development.
A key highlight was the keynote address by Dr. Mihir Shah, Founder President and Mentor, BRLF. The address gave a brief glimpse of the exciting BRLF journey, which was described in the formative years by many as Mission Impossible, given the unique vision and mandate of BRLF, which was formed as an autonomous Society by the Government of India and tasked with rebuilding trust in the Adivasi-dominated areas of the country, which were suffering from a twin deficit of democracy and development. BRLF has developed a new model built on partnerships of civil society with government and Panchayati Raj Institutions to deepen both grass-roots democracy and inclusive and sustainable development
The session aligned closely with the ethos of the M.A. Rural Management program, and for the students, Samanvay was much more than a formal conference, it was a space of colearning, celebration, and affirmation They participated in thematic sessions, interacted with seasoned development practitioners, and reflected on how the embodied lifeworlds of tribal communities rooted in equity, inclusion, and sustainability must remain central to frameworks of rural transformation As one student noted,
“Samanvay
reminded us that rural development is not only about systems and schemes, but also about listening, unlearning, and reimagining the future in solidarity with tribal voices.”
First Placements, Lasting Impressions
Rural Management Students Step into Ground Leadership Roles
The Rural Management program celebrated a milestone this year: the placement season for its first batch students. With a hundred percent placement during April-May 2025, the response from leading employers in the development community has been overwhelmingly positive. The placement process was intentionally rigorous, designed not just to test aptitude but to match purpose with practice Students went through multiple stages- from written tests to thematic group discussions and in-depth interviews Several organisations reported being impressed by the clarity, conviction, and field-readiness of students, with some going so far as to revise their compensation structures in order to hire our students.
“I must have conducted hundreds of such interviews over the past many years, but I can say in all honesty that I have not come across people who are so intimately familiar with the realities of rural India and within whom I could sense a fire burning inside to change the destiny of this country. Many congratulations to you Sir and your entire team for initiating this program, which is truly the need of the hour”
B. Sireesha, Program Lead Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation
“We express our sincere appreciation for the hospitality and logistics support extended to us on our visit to SNU We are very impressed with the Rationale/ Process of student selection, sincerity of purpose amongst the candidates, the systems/processes which operated seamlessly and of course the infrastructure. I am sure the SNU RM students will create a niche for themselves in society ”
Vikas Vaze, CEO Shroffs Foundation Trust
“Dear Students, Thank you all for participating in the AKRSP India campus placement drive at Shiv Nadar University It was a pleasure interacting with such bright, and passionate individuals From the preplacement talk to the written test, group discussion, and personal interviews – the entire experience was truly enriching for us We appreciate the enthusiasm, curiosity, and professionalism each of you brought to the process. ”
Pramod Vishwakarma, HR Lead
“We are deeply impressed by the quality of training and knowledge imparted through the Rural Management program The level of engagement, commitment, and depth of understanding demonstrated by the students has been truly exceptional, unlike anything we ’ ve experienced before. We sincerely look forward to building a lasting partnership with the RM program at SNU in the years ahead ”
Organizations including JanVikas, KMVS, BAIF, Gram Vikas, SPS, AKRSP, PSI, ATREE, FES, BRLF, Shroff Foundation, ACWADAM, SATHI Network and others actively recruited from the batch, many revising compensation offers to reflect the quality of candidates Students have been placed across rural heartlands in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh in domains ranging from sustainable agriculture and watershed development to women ’ s collectives, education, public health, and decentralized governance.
But these placements are not the end- they are the beginning! Each role is a leadership opportunity.
These young professionals will be embedded in some of the most challenging and inspiring geographies of India, working shoulder-toshoulder with communities, building people’s institutions, designing context-specific interventions, and influencing public systems
“Getting placed at BRLF is a dream come true As a tribal woman, it’s an honor to work with an organization dedicated to the upliftment of tribal communities and who supported my master program through scholarship Now, getting the opportunity to work in natural farming at BRLF will not only give a significant push to my career but also allow me to contribute meaningfully to the sector”
Neha Rose Toppo Student, MA-RM 2023-25
For a program that began less than two years ago, the depth of trust shown by recruiters and the strength of student performance are signs of something greater: the emergence of a new kind of rural leader-one who listens, reflects, and leads from within. The Program is proud of what the first batch achieved, and excited for what lies ahead, not just for them, but for the transformative potential they carry forward into the field.
Aga Khan Rural Support Program, India
Sweta Saha, HR Lead
The Harsha Trust Foundation
Many thanks to Piyuli Ghosh of BRLF for her labour of love in designing this newsletter
