Board Members
Shri Madhur Bajaj
Trustee
Mr. Madhur Bajaj is the Non-Executive Director of Bajaj Auto Ltd and the Chairman of Maharashtra Scooters Limited, besides being Director of Bajaj Electricals Limited, Bajaj Finance Limited and several other companies of the Bajaj Group. He is also the recipient of the ‘Vikas Rattan’ Award from the International Friendship Society of India, for enriching human life and outstanding achievements. Mr. Bajaj has more than 29 years of experience in a number of sectors including in the auto, consumer durables and financial services.
Shri Raj Kumar
Trustee
Mr. Raj Kumar Chandiwal is a Senior Advocate in High Court of Delhi and a keen supporter of children’s rights.
Shri Om Prakash Shrivastava
Trustee
Mr. Om Prakash Shrivastava is a retired PSU Officer and an advocate against violence against children.
Shri Gautam Arya
Trustee
Mr. Gautam Arya is an educationist and a supporter of children’s development and protection of their rights. He is a founder of many schools in Uttar Pradesh and several coaching centres in Delhi.
Advisory Council
HON’BLE JUSTICE ARJAN KUMAR SIKRI
Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri is an eminent jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He has also served as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Courts. He specializes in Constitutional cases, labour law, and arbitration matters. He has represented numerous public sector undertakings, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions, and various private-sector corporations. He has retired as senior-most ‘puisne judge’ of the Supreme Court of India. Since August 2019, he is an International Judge in Singapore International Commercial Court, [SICC]. He is also the Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Justice Sikri has authored over 4700 reported judgements in different fields of law. He was chosen as one of the 50 most influential persons in Intellectual Property in the world in a survey conducted by the Managing Intellectual Property Association (MIPA) for the year 2007.
MS. AGATHA SANGMA
A lawyer and an environmentalist, Agatha Sangma was born in New Delhi to P. A. Sangma, the former speaker of the Lok Sabha. At age 29, she is the youngest MP ever to be appointed as Union minister in the Government of India to date. She was the youngest Minister of State (Minister of state for rural development) in Manmohan Singh’s UPA 2 Cabinet. She received her LLB degree from Pune University and later joined the bar in Delhi High Court. She did her master’s degree in environmental management at the University of Nottingham, UK. In 2017 she contested from the south Tura constituency and won the seat. However, she resigned to pave the way for her brother to contest the assembly seat.
MR. GURJIT SINGH
Ambassador Gurjit Singh is a former Ambassador of India to Germany, Indonesia, ASEAN, Ethiopia and the African Union. He was known as a developmental diplomat, who often expanded India’s outreach in Africa and ASEAN. He currently chairs the CII Task Force on Trilateral Cooperation in Africa, and is an honorary professor of International Studies at IIT Indore. He is an avid reader and has written five books on international relations. His passion for cricket led him to become a qualified Umpire from the Kenya Cricket Association.
In an endeavour to engage with civil society, he is associated with the Avishkar Foundation and Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation.
MR. KARAN SINGH
Mr. Karan is the managing partner of Bain & Company’s India offices for the last seven years. He was one of the founding partners who helped establish Bain’s India business in 2006 and has close to 25 years of management consulting experience across Asia, Europe and the United States.
His expertise includes transformation, turnaround and growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, performance management and change management. He also has experience in supporting multiple digital insurgents and clients in the consumer products, financial services, industrial goods and services and private equity sectors. He has advised and been a knowledge partner to NATHEALTH – Healthcare Federation of India and supports the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, ALVL Foundation and St Jude. He also serves on board for Bridgespan, Health Quad and Atlas SkillTech University. He has also been a member of committees of leading business chambers such as CII and the World Economic Forum.
MS. KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW
A recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awards (the highest civilian awards in India), Ms. Kiran is a pioneering biotech entrepreneur, a healthcare visionary, a global influencer and a passionate philanthropist. She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon, Asia’s leading bio-pharmaceuticals enterprise. She has been recognized as the only Indian on Forbes’ list of ‘World’s Self-Made Women Billionaires.’ Most recently, she is elected as a full-term member of the Board of Trustees of The MIT Corporation, USA.
As a leading woman in science, she is a role model to millions. She is steadfast in her pursuit of innovative technologies that enable affordable access to healthcare and is committed to making a difference in billions of lives globally. For her extensive work in the biomedical industry, Ms. Kiran has received several coveted awards, honours and titles, both nationally and internationally.
MS. MALINI AWASTHI
A renowned Indian Folk Singer who has been credited with revival of Indian traditional folk music. She is a Padma Shri Awardee and Sangeet Natak Academy awardee. She is a singer par excellence.
Ms. Malini is a disciple of Legendary Hindustani Classical Singer, Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi of Banaras Gharana. Malini is a gold medallist in Hindustani classical music and history (subject) from Lucknow University. Currently, she is a Centenary Chair Professor for the Bharat Adhyan Kendra at the Banaras Hindu University.
MR. RANJIT RAE
With over 30 years of experience in participating in complex negotiations, both at bilateral and multilateral levels and extensive work in conflict areas/crisis situations, Mr Ranjit’s professional journey as a diplomat is very diverse. He started his career in Vienna and ever since he has held various positions in international and state organizations/bodies, including the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), as well as Offices of the Minister of External Affairs and of the President of India, where Mr. Rae served as a Press Secretary to the President.
Until early 2017, Mr. Rae was the Ambassador of India to Nepal, where he focused his energies to revitalize the bilateral relationship and work on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with Nepal. Following retirement Mr. Rae was appointed to the High Level Group on the Governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat in the UK. Currently he is a member of the Peace Advisory Group of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research based in Switzerland. Mr. Rae has recently authored Kathmandu Dilemma, Resetting India-Nepal Ties, published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
MR. RAVI PRAKASH VERMA
A lawyer by profession, Mr. Ravi Prakash is a bona fide parliamentarian of the country. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) since 2014. Mr. Ravi belongs to a family of more than three generations motivated and actively involved in the Indian political system.
He is amongst India’s foremost champions of education. Mr. Ravi has also been the convener of the parliament forum of education that catalysed the constitutional amendment to the Right to Education and paved the way for children to free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years.
DR. VINOD AGGARWAL
Dr. Vinod Aggarwal is a retired civil servant. He was actively involved in the field of health, education, petrochemicals, exports and social welfare during his career. He has served as Secretary (Health) in Jharkhand Government, Secretary (Health & Medical Education) in Bihar Government and Director (Drug Pricing) in the Central Government. He has spent more than 7 years at various stages in social equity and worked towards the upliftment of the Backward Classes, Divyang Jan and Scheduled Castes. At the time of his retirement, he was serving as Secretary of Department of Disability Empowerment under Government of India.
He has also been associated with the National Human Rights Commission as a Rapporteur, where he is looking into the issues concerning human rights in the states.Being a medical professional, he has selflessly rendered his service to society. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has provided free medical advice to the needy.
MS. VRINDA SARUP
Ms. Vrinda Sarup, is a retired IAS officer with administrative experience of over 35 years. In her illustrious career, she has served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of School Education and Literacy, Food and Public Distribution. She has also served at the level of Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary and Director in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, wherein she had been instrumental in crafting two major Pan-India school education programmes, namely District Primary Education and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. She has also been instrumental in reorienting & redesigning the scheme for Vocational Education in 2014, to make it more industry oriented.
Post-retirement, Ms. Sarup continues to engage with the sectors of Education and Food in an Advisory capacity and is presently the Managing Trustee of the World Food Programme Trust for India. She is a member of the Management / Executive Committees of several schools in Delhi.
DR. YOGESH DUBE
Dr. Yogesh Dube is renowned for his social, educational and cultural work in India. He is also an established and acknowledged national personality dedicated to the protection and promotion of rights and equal opportunities for the PwDs (Divyangs) in the country. He has extensively worked on literacy and education among children, youth and the general public. Dr. Dube is also a prominent Advisor for various civil society organizations and has been involved with various Government and private agencies for the last two decades.
Dr. Dube is the Chairman of “Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan”- an Organisation working on cultural, social and child relief in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. He has been recipient of many national and state level accolades namely, National Youth Award for Outstanding Voluntary work towards National Development and Social Service (GOI); National Award as the Best Individual working for empowerment of Divyangjans (GOI); Divya Guru Award for contribution towards empowering Divyangjans (Skill India-NSDC- IDEA) and a Certificate of Excellence by the Governor of Maharashtra. Since 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has engaged extensively with the slum dwellers, Divyangs, migrant workers, etc., and distributed groceries, medical kits & other essentials to these people and ensured their sustainability at such unprecedented times.
KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
Mr. Yogesh Sharma
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Yogesh Kumar Sharma, a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) by profession and a child rights activist by heart, has been associated with the Satyarthi Movement for over 15 years.
After completing his post-graduation in commerce, he went on to pursue the course of a Chartered Accountant (CA) and holds more than 20 years of experience of working in various industries. Mr. Sharma joined the organisation in 2004 and since then has been relentlessly contributing to the cause of child rights.
Mr. Bidhan Chandra Singh
Executive Director – Campaigns
Bidhan Chandra Singh has over 20 years of experience in the social and environmental sectors. He has experience in designing campaigns and strategic action in the area of climate change, child protection, Animal Rights, and Human Rights. He is a social scientist by training. He worked with Greenpeace for 16 years in national and international roles. Mr Bidhan was instrumental in bringing the concept of Fail Forward in Greenpeace internationally and drafted the Accountability Framework for the organization. As a Global Project Management Trainer, he has done training for organizations in 13 countries. He supported the Delhi government in setting up project management systems and processes for large and small projects. He was one of the lead coordinators of a countrywide campaign of the Satyarthi Movement called Bharat Yatra in 2017, which has brought many policy-level changes in child protection in India.
He is currently heading the Campaigns team of the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation. His current work involves guiding Campaigns and Communication teams focused on local, national and global action for bringing sustainable changes in child protection. He is also one of the core team members of the 100 Million for 100 Million Global Campaign. His key interests lie in the area of community-centric campaign designing and planning. He is a trainer, moderator and facilitator. He loves singing and can sing in 13 different languages.
Mr. K C George
Executive Director- J4EC (POCSO)
Mr George is a social worker by profession and trainer by passion. He is also a merit award holder with distinction in English Literature at the graduation level. He is a National-level Trainer and a certified Master Trainer on subjects/issues like Gender, Women Development, Child Protection, Adoption, Networking of Self-help Groups, Women Empowerment, Community Resource Mobilization, and Early Childhood Education. As a prolific writer, he contributes regularly to various journals and magazines that deal with issues related to child protection, child development, women empowerment and gender.
He has also conducted and supervised more than 25 National-level research studies on gender development and women empowerment. He has supervised more than 100 research studies and has published one book viz. “Women Stand Upto….” by Supriya Publication in 2014. He is also a patron of various philanthropic organisations like Distress Management Collective India, the World Malayali Federation, and the World Catholic Congress. He was actively involved in the rehabilitation of people affected due to the Covid Pandemic. He was a coordinator for all flagship programmes of Government viz. iCDS, Swashakti, ICPS and Hauzla etc.
Mr. Rakesh Sengar
Executive Director – Programmes
Mr. Rakesh Senger, Executive Director, Programmes, has over 25 years of experience in child rights movement, with an expertise in advocacy, communication, lobbying, networking, fund raising and direct action to release child bonded labourers. A law graduate from Allahabad University and Masters in Political Science, Mr. Senger started his career as a student leader and held the post of National General Secretary of Samajwadi Chhatra Parishad, which was headed by the Former Prime Minister, Late Shri Chandrashekhar. Mr. Sengar initially joined KSCF’s sister organisation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in the early 90s as a student leader, motivating students of Allahabad University to join the crusade against child labour.
In 1995, he was elected as the secretary of BBA’s Uttar Pradesh State Committee. He then moved to Delhi where he was made a member of National Executive Committee of BBA, followed by being elected as the National Secretary of BBA in 2007. In 1998, Mr. Senger took the position of National Campaign Coordinator at BBA and played an instrumental role in organising major campaigns, events and programmes including South Asian March against cross border child trafficking in 1996, launch of Mukti Caravan in 1997, Global March Against Child Labour in 1998, Shiksha Yatra (education march) in 2001 and South Asian March Against Child Trafficking in 2007, Assam March against Child Trafficking, and Bharat Yatra against Child Sexual Abuse in 2017.
2004 onwards, Mr. Senger also took over the work of raid and rescue operations being conducted by the Victim Assistance team of BBA and played an instrumental role in rescuing thousands of children form child labour over the years. In 2016, he joined KSCF as director and currently holds the position of executive Director, Programmes. Currently he is involved in strategising and implementing the Bal Mitra Mandal programme in urban slum communities to make these communities child friendly. He is also involved in strategic interventions related to programmes, campaigns and communication at KSCF. Mr. Senger is also an expert trainer in the issues of child labour, child trafficking and child rights and has conducted numerous trainings workshops for various stakeholders including member of police department, judiciary, law enforcement agencies and others.
Mr Om Prakash
Senior Director – Bal Mitra Gram
Mr Om Prakash Pal is an active member of the Student and Youth Movements at the national level. He has been associated with the Satyarthi Movement for more than 10 years now. During his tenure, he has worked in various capacities under Campaigns and Programmes team. He is also actively involved in policy advocacy and communication of the organisation. Presently, he is managing the BMG team in the capacity of Senior Director.
Dr Purujit Praharaj
Director – Research
Dr Praharaj is a passionate, focused, and result-oriented research professional with over 16 years of experience in the development sector and served academic institutions, government and non-government organizations, and consulting firms in numerous capacities. His research expertise in various domains includes Child Rights, Child Protection, Maternal Health, Child Health, Sexual and Adolescent Health, Water Hygiene and Sanitation, Tribal Health and Development.
Dr Praharaj completed his higher education at premier institutes like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai. With a multidisciplinary academic background, he has expertise in developing scientific research strategies using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches and considering ethical implications associated with scientific research practice. He has led several research studies varying from small-scale formative research to large-scale sample surveys investigating a number of issues. In addition, he has multiple publications in reputed peer-reviewed national and international journals.
Ms Sangita Gaur
Assistant Director – Training and Capacity Building
Ms Gaur has rich experience of 19+ years in training and capacity building, disaster management, and teaching. She prepared various training materials including the syllabus, training modules, posters, and leaflets on child rights, child protection, and disaster management. She has also worked as a Guest Faculty for MSW students in the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia. Prior to joining KSCF, she was associated with the Ministry of Women and Child Development as Senior Consultant, Child Protection Services. Presently, she is associated with the organisation as Assistant Director and is responsible for ensuring training and capacity building of child protection functionaries across the country.