Dr. Anshuman Karol, Lead - Governance & Climate Action, joined PRIA in December 2007. He has 13 years of work experience on panchayati raj, decentralised planning, devolution, capacity building & training, monitoring & evaluation and policy advocacy. He extensively worked around social science research in agriculture and allied sectors. Currently he is engaged in initiatives on citizen participation, Water & Sanitation and decentralised planning.

Bindu Baby, General Manager, joined PRIA in 1995.  She manages Facilities and Business Development, Administration, Human Resource, Contracts, third party payments, Coordination of Governing Board meetings and Management of Institutional records.

Chandra Shekhar Joshi, Manager - Knowledge Management & Visibility, joined in 1996. Joshi is Responsible for library and knowledge resource management in digital and print. He also facilitates marketing of PRIA International Academy Courses & third party F2F trainings.

Dhan Singh, Administrative Officer, joined PRIA in July 2000.  He has done B.A. from Hemavati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (Uttarakhand). He handles overall administrative work in PRIA including maintenance of premises, housekeeping management, conference and meeting facilities, hostel facilities, security and general procurement of goods and services. He also provides support in making logistic and administrative arrangements for events (conferences, seminars, workshops, trainings, and meetings).  

Gauri Khanna, Researcher - UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, joined PRIA in January 2024. She is pursuing a Ph.D. with O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat. Before joining the UNESCO Chair team, she worked with Newgen Software Technologies Ltd. She is engaged in research-related activities undertaken by the UNESCO Chair.

Harshita Umrao, Senior Program Officer, joined PRIA in September 2022. She is responsible for organising and promoting study trips for International University Students, coordinating, and delivering request-based training and capacity building for individuals and Civil Society Organizations. Her responsibility also includes promotion, recruitment of participants, coordination, providing handholding support, documentation, and others in CAPSTONE programme.

Academically, she has finished B.Tech in Chemical Engineering and then PGDM in Development Management from Development Management Institute, Bihar. Prior to joining PRIA, she worked on multiple programmes on livelihood, NRM, climate change, women-based Institution building and other development areas with SRIJAN and People Science Institute (PSI) in tribal pockets of Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Kaustuv K Bandyopadhyay, Director and Head of PRIA International Academy (PIA) – the academic vertical of PRIA, has more than 30 years of experience with non-profit organisations, research institution and university. He is a leading expert on citizen participation and social accountability in urban governance. He has led numerous innovative programmes to institutionalise voices of the urban informals in planning, management, and governance of cities, especially in the water and sanitation sector in India. Over three decades, Kaustuv has provided capacity building support to hundreds of non-profits in many Asian countries with particular focus on organisation development, strategic planning, participatory monitoring and evaluation, participatory training methodologies and participatory research.

Linu Rachel Chacko, Officer – Knowledge Management and Visibility, joined PRIA in July 2021. She has done Master’s in Social Work from IGNOU. She is responsible for updation of websites and also handles all PRIA social medias. She is also responsible in creating short audio-visuals of projects and events and its editing. Prior to joining PRIA, she has done internships with Alliance Defending Freedom and National Council of Churches in India.

Meghna Sandhir, Program Officer, joined PRIA in January 2023. On having completed her master's in Anthropology from Panjab University, Chandigarh, she has worked with organizations like Anthropological Survey of India, and Project FUEL. She is well-equipped with carrying out ethnographic fieldwork and working with communities at the grassroot level. Currently, she is engaged in the project ‘Drivers, Limiters, and Barriers to Women’s Trust in Digital Platforms’, for various activities.

Nandita Pradhan, Lead - Gender Program, joined in 2009. She is experienced in conducting training programmes on issues of non-formal education, adult literacy, gender mainstreaming, participatory governance and civil society building. She is associated with the gender mainstreaming team at PRIA.

Nikita Rakhyani, Lead - Youth Engagement, is a certified participatory researcher, trainer, and expert in youth engagement with over five years of experience across India. With more than 1,500 young people in Asia, Nikita has engaged around issues of active citizenship, democracy, governance, digital literacy, and climate adaptation. She has also conducted various research studies using participatory research methodology with women, men, and adolescent boys and girls in urban and rural parts of India on climate adaptation, digital trust, and the needs and aspirations of low-income community residents. Nikita holds a post-graduate degree in Development Communication and Extension from the esteemed University of Delhi. She strongly believes that empowering local communities and building a strong sense of civic and democratic responsibility leads to meaningful social change.

Dr. Pragya Chaube, India Coordinator - UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, joined PRIA in August 2023. Pragya completed her Ph.D. in Genetics & Bioinformatics (in 2019) and M.Sc. in Human & Molecular Genetics (in 2014), from the University of Sheffield, U.K. Prior to joining PRIA, she worked with the Department of Science & Technology - Centre for Policy Research at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. In her current role, Pragya would be responsible for developing and conducting research for UNESCO-Chair CBR, knowledge management for the UNESCO Co-chairs, conducting open science online modules, co-facilitation of CBPR training, and supporting the K4C network activities. 

Praveen PV, Manager – Finance & Accounts, joined PRIA in July 2011. He has done M.B.A. (Finance) from Annamalai University. He is accounts and financial management professional, with rich experience of more than 20 years. His diverse experience includes his exposure to key functional aspects i.e. strategic budget planning and financial management of in-flows & out-flows of research grants, administrative expenses, govt. liaison and statutory compliances. He manages payroll system and is also responsible for book writing, assisting auditors in annual audits, preparation, and submission of tax returns.

Dr. Rajesh Tandon is Founder-President and Chief Functionary of PRIA since 1982. 

Ruchika Rai, Coordinator - Knowledge for Change (K4C) Global Consortium under UNESCO Chair, joined PRIA in January 2024. She recently submitted her Ph.D. with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has also obtained an M.Phil. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University (in 2019), a Master's degree in Sociology from IGNOU (in 2015), and an undergraduate degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi (in 2008). Before joining under the UNESCO Chair, she worked with IILM University, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and the Times of India.

Shanta, Hostel In-Charge, joined PRIA in April 2015. She has done B.A. from Kumaun University (Nainital). She is responsible for handling PRIA facilities including boarding and lodging of guests, organizing conferences, seminars, workshops, trainings, and meetings. She also assists in data entry work. 

Shruti Priya, Programme Officer - Youth Engagement, joined PRIA in January 2023. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Jamia Millia Islamia. She is responsible for the coordination of PRIA’s youth programs and training, documentation, social media management, and development of knowledge resources for websites for youth programs along with the preparation of website updates. Before joining PRIA, she worked with Azim Premji Foundation, in the domain of Teacher Professional Development. She has interned at organizations in gender-based violence, child protection, and child rights.

Soja Saramma Mathew – Senior Accounts Officer, joined PRIA in June 2011. An M.B.A. (Finance) from Annamalai University. She is involved in management of finance & accounts and project monitoring. She is also responsible for book writing, preparation of financial statements & reports, preparation, and submission of tax returns, assisting with annual audits. She has overall professional experience of more than 18 years.  

Sonu Kumar, IT Officer, joined PRIA in May 2014. He has done advance diploma in Computer Hardware and Networking from JETKING. He is responsible for providing technical support including troubleshooting of IT and Audio-Visual equipment. He also handles procurement and maintenance of IT and Audio-Visual equipment. Also responsible for documentation of Audio-Visual and editing work. He has 17 years of professional experience in providing IT technical support.

Sujit Kumar Sourav, Manager – Knowledge Management and Education, joined PRIA in March 2013. He completed his Undergraduate Degree from Bhagalpur University followed by B.C.A. and M.C.A from IGNOU. He is responsible for designing, updating, and troubleshooting of websites. He is also responsible for handling Moodle of PRIA International Academy and databases. He has overall experience of more than 17 years.

Surjeet Singh, Senior Executive, joined PRIA in February 2020. He did his undergraduate studies (B.A) from University of Delhi. He is responsible for providing support to President’s Office as well as to the Program Management Group. He also provides assistance in proposals management and HR Department functions. Prior to joining PRIA, he has worked with various organizations including Centre for Development Economics (a research adjunct at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi).

Yedukrishnan V., Program Officer, joined PRIA in April 2024. He has completed his master's degree (M.A. in Development Studies) from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (in 2022) and, an undergraduate degree [B.A. (Economics)] from Sacred Heart College, Kochi (in 2020). Before joining PRIA, he worked with Cafal Advisors - National Skill Development Corporation (New Delhi), Centre for Public Policy Research (Kochi), and Swaniti Initiative (Tripura & New Delhi). Currently, he is pursuing an M.A. (Political Science) from IGNOU.