Our Team

Abhimanyu works as a Senior Project Lead in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. He currently focuses on improving and scaling various edtech products catering to the FLN segment to ensure continued learning at home. Prior to CSF, he worked with 321 Education Foundation after completing the Teach For India (TFI) Fellowship in 2017. At 321, he collaborated with more than 30 low-cost private schools across Mumbai and Bangalore to improve classroom instructional practices and student mastery in grades K-3. As a TFI Fellow, Abhimanyu taught 37 students in grades 2 and 3 in Ahmedabad. He holds an MBA in Strategy from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and an undergraduate degree in engineering from NMIMS, Mumbai. In his free time, he enjoys watching Formula 1, exploring the best food joints in town and travelling to new destinations.

Abhishek works as a Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to CSF, he managed and led multiple CBSE projects including CTET, working in the Government Project team. Abhishek has also worked with Teach For India (TFI) and 321 Education Foundation. At 321, he worked as a Kaizen Manager on the monitoring aspects of the school strengthening/teacher training programs. During his time as a TFI fellow, he taught Maths to 210 students in a government school and iTeach school across 2 years. Abhishek is a commerce graduate from National PG College, Lucknow University. During his free time, he can be found solving puzzles, number problems, and travelling.

Akashi Kaul is currently leading the RMEAL Team at CSF and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature from Punjab University, a Master’s Degree in Communication from SIMC, a Master’s in Education Degree from University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in Education Policy from George Mason University. She specializes in evaluation methods and designs, with close to 15 years of experience. Her previous roles include leading the education, child protection and equity vertical at a leading Indian RMEL firm, contributing to external evaluations for NIH, NSF, NASA and US Dept. of Labour and State as an evaluation expert and conducting independent research on advancing evaluation methodologies in the global south. She enjoys designing research and evaluation for complex interventions in complex contexts, particularly with an eye towards using innovative methodologies and learning mechanisms.

Akshay works in the State Reform team, supporting the Haryana state in the implementation of the NIPUN Bharat Mission. Currently, his key responsibilities include monitoring, capacity building and operational support for the NIPUN Haryana Mission. Previously, he worked as an IB analyst in the Consumer & Retail sector at Bank of America. Akshay holds a postgraduate diploma in management from IIM Kozhikode and a bachelor’s in business studies from Delhi University. In his free time, he can be found making impromptu trips to Himachal or thinking about making impromptu trips to Himachal.

Akshit works with CSF’s SRT Team and supports the implementation of its FLN program across 3 states in North and Central India.He holds a B.Tech Degree from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and loves to quiz. Prior to CSF, Akshit has worked as a Research Analyst with Mckinsey’s Digital vertical and briefly for the governance consulting firm Samagra; where he supported Uttar Pradesh government’s healthcare service delivery program, Mission Niramaya.He enjoys sketching and is always up for a conversation about rock bands and Formula 1.

Alankita works as a Project Lead in the RMEAL team at CSF and is based in Delhi. She holds a M.Phil. (Political Science) from the University of Delhi and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. Prior to joining CSF, she has explored both university lectureship and research. Alankita worked with the National Assessment Centre-PARAKH at NCERT where she was a part of the team responsible for the development and administration of National-level large-scale assessments like the Foundational Learning Study (FLS), 2022 and National Achievement Survey (NAS), 2021. In her free time, Alankita can be found reading fiction and chilling at beaches.

Amola works as a Project Manager in the EdTech Team and is based out of Delhi. She works to improve and scale diverse EdTech solutions. She works closely with grantee organizations and funders to develop a supply of vibrant products for children from low-income backgrounds. She joined CSF after graduating from Ashoka University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She is interested in the intersection of technology and development, and opportunities to see change up close. Her time outside of work is spent chasing her cat, bouldering, and traveling.

Ananth works with the state reform team as a Project Lead and is based out of Panchkula. Ananth holds an engineering degree from NIT Trichy and a management degree from IIM Calcutta. Prior to CSF, he has worked on pivotal roles at GDi Partners, BCG, IPAC, and Saint-Gobain. He seamlessly blends corporate expertise with his lifelong passion for education, characterized by an insatiable curiosity for positive change. When free, You’ll find him engrossed in books or engaged in interesting debates with anyone who wishes to join in.

Ananya works as a Project Manager in the Early Childhood Education team and is based out of Lucknow. Prior to CSF, she was a Teach for India fellow (2022) in low-income government schools in Delhi, she is now committed to eliminating education inequity through systemic reforms informed by grassroot insights. She was also a Young India Fellow and holds a degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College. Ananya can often be found sketching on prohibited surfaces, volunteering at animal shelters, or chatting with the local strays.

Ananya works with the State Reform team as a Project Manager and is based out of Panchkula. Ananya has completed her bachelor’s degree from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, Ananya has worked with Ernst & Young for (close to) four and a half years and supported different government and public sector clients on Investment Promotion initiatives. She has experience in product development and digital transformation. She is into drama, acting, and dance.

Aniket works as Project Manager in the RMEAL team and is based out of Delhi. He has a strong commitment to evidence-based policy making in India. He holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, Delhi, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune. With prior experience at Samobdhi Research and Communications and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Aniket brings invaluable insights to his role. In his leisure time, he enjoys immersing himself in video games and exploring history through documentaries.

Anindita works in the Administration Team at CSF as Manager-Facilities and Resources and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons) from Jesus and Mary College, DU. Prior to CSF, she has worked with various Indian and multinational companies like the Spice Group, Sangeet Natak Akademi, ChrysCapital, American Express and Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (CII) all of which have helped widen her knowledge base. She enjoys interacting with people from all spheres of work and also being socially active. She is an avid traveller and passionate about art, music and dance.

Anirudh works as a Senior Project Lead in the RMEAL team and is based in Delhi. He holds a Masters degree in Education (Research Design and Methodologies) from University of Oxford and a Masters degree in Education (Elementary) from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. Prior to CSF, he has over a decade of experience across more than ten countries working with global think tanks, research institutions, and government stakeholders to produce high-quality, evidence-based research outputs.

Anirudh works as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Panchkula. He holds a Masters in Public Policy from NLSIU, Bangalore and has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics. Prior to joining CSF, he worked as an Analyst for Sattva Consulting. In his free time, Anirudh likes cooking, thinking about cooking or making plans to visit the newest cafe in town.

Anirudh works as a Project Manager in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, he worked as a business manager at Internshala wherein he was working to bridge the gap between millions of employers and jobseekers in the country. He holds a master’s degree in development studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Amrita University. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, exploring new places, and catching-up with the latest happenings in the world of politics.

Ankit works as a Senior Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, he was working as a management consultant and was involved in planning and implementation of upcoming MDB funded metro/rail projects in Delhi NCR region. He has extensive experience of supporting government clients with solutions based on project portfolio management, financial analysis & planning and performance improvement. Ankit holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from IIT-Roorkee and MBA in Business Management from XLRI-Jamshedpur. He believes that India’s journey from a developing country to a developed country can be expedited by reforming the school education landscape in the country. He is passionate about travelling in mountains.

Ankur is committed to solving India’s development problems like quality education in the public system. In 10+ years of experience, he has designed and implemented scalable models that delivered. He started his career as an entrepreneur and provided Ed-tech services to 31 low-income private schools in rural Haryana, supporting the career progression of 3600+ students to top-notch colleges in the country. In 2015, he got his first multi-state engagement with Ravi J. Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation, IIM Ahmedabad, where his team could impact government school students from over 16,000+ schools of Gujarat via GCERT. Later, working as an ED of a non-profit, he spearheaded a state-wide educational transformation project with the Haryana government, impacting over 4900+ teachers and 2.6 lacs+ students during COVID. In 2021, he worked with Delhi Government to set up the Desh Ke Mentors program, India’s largest mentoring program supporting over nine lakh school students in exploring their career journeys. This short stint with Delhi Government helped him bring transformation from within the system. Currently, as a part of the Government Projects team at CSF, he is leading TicTacLearn – India’s largest content repository of Maths & Science educational content available in six languages. Ankur earned a post-graduate diploma in management from XLRI Jamshedpur and a bachelor’s degree in computer science & engineering from Guru Jambeshwar University, Hisar.

Anuj works as a Project Manager in the Classroom Instruction and Practice team and is based out of Delhi. He was associated with Teach for India as a fellow in Delhi, where he taught grade 4 & 5 students at a budget-private school near Bhajanpura, Seelampur. During his fellowship, he realised the power of an effective curriculum on a larger landscape of the education system and, hence, explored different roles around curriculum and international pedagogy. Prior to joining CSF, he worked as a Teaching Faculty with Shiv Nadar School. He is often described as a ‘go to person’ by his friends and you may find him binge-watching sitcoms during his spare time.

Anurag works with the State reform team as Project Manager and is based out of Bhopal. He holds an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Before joining CSF, he was working as an associate consultant with Ernst and Young LLP in planning and implementation of the public transportation projects. He wants to be part of India’s transformational journey and solve complex grass root problems of
Indian society. He enjoys reading non-fiction books, playing online blitz chess and loves watching biopic movies.

Anushri works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Lucknow. Anushri has a foundation in Sociology and holds a master’s degree in development from Azim Premji University. Prior to joining CSF, she worked as a good governance fellow with the Govt. Of Punjab and has had experience working in varied domains like microfinance, employability, youth, health and gender. In her free time, she likes to immerse herself in theatre and remains interested in how creativity and art can ameliorate self-esteem and mental health.

Anustup leads the Classroom Instruction & Practices (CIP) team at CSF. In his role, he works with multiple CSF partner organizations and state government agencies to support the implementation of the FLN mission. Prior to working at CSF, his work involved supporting and scaling up an entrepreneurial venture named XSEED Education. Anustup joined CSF to pursue his passion to improve public education at scale. He did his master’s in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Public Policy at Georgia Tech. He is passionate about equipping teachers with the right tools and skills to succeed in the classroom. In his free time, he enjoys listening to podcasts and is constantly on the search for the next viral meme.

Arabinda works with the Strategic Support States team as a Project Lead and is based out at Bhubaneswar. Arabinda holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Gokhale Institute of Politics and
Economics, Pune and Master in Population Studies from IIPS, Mumbai, and has worked with diverse teams across India.Prior to joining CSF, Arabinda has worked with UNICEF, CARE,
UNFPA, INDEPTH Network and KHPT, Bangalore. He is a development sector professional whose primary engagement in development sector as monitoring, evaluation and research domain. He has designed and implemented various research project in developmental issues including education for over 16 years with a deep interest and commitment towards bridging practice with scientific research findings.

Arpit works with the State Reform Team at CSF as a Project Lead and is based out of Panchkula. Arpit holds a Master’s in Business Management from IIM Lucknow complementing his professional expertise with a robust academic foundation. Previously a Teach For India fellow in 2016, he brings a wealth of experience in the education sector, particularly in the management of expansive projects. In his free time, Arpit enjoys exploring unconventional destinations, demonstrating a keen interest in offbeat travel experiences during his leisure time

Ashish works as a Project Manager in the DPMU teamand is based out of Agra. He holds a Master’s degree in Disaster Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His professional engagements include collaborations with multilateral and government institutions such as UNICEF and Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management. Prior to joining CSF, he has worked as a Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate in Ambala and as a consultant with Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Haryana. In his free time, Ashish likes to play basketball and hike with his friends.

Atma works as a Project Lead in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. She is responsible for managing stakeholders including researchers, grantee organizations, and implementation partners to execute projects that can drive the evidence generation agenda for EdTech. Prior to joining CSF, Atma was part of the Corporate Services Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva providing partnerships and stakeholder engagement support to governments in Somalia, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, Iraq, Colombia, and South Asia. She has also previously worked with multiple organisations within the development sector such as UNDP India, UNJIU Geneva, and the SOS Children’s Village in Nepal. Her interest in the education sector comes from her time as a Teach For India (2016) Fellow, serving as a full-time teacher in a low-income government school in Yerwada, Pune. Atma holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from TISS and a master’s degree in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of Geneva. Outside of work, Atma is always trying to read at least 3 books simultaneously and hopes to write her own someday.

Atul works as a Project Lead in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Hansraj College, Delhi University, and began his journey in the development sector at IIM Ahmedabad’s Ravi J. Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation as National Campaign Manager, overseeing the creation of 2000+ learning projects for 16,000+ government schools across Gujarat and Maharashtra. As a CMGGA in Haryana, Atul conceptualized Shikshit Haryana, an e-learning district initiative (DI) scaled as the state’s response to COVID-19, which became the first CMGGA DI to win the Haryana Good Governance Award and the ICT Award 2021 from CIET (NCERT). Prior to joining CSF, he supported the Director, Urban Local Bodies, Haryana, in planning and implementing waste and air quality management programs in the state. In his free time, he enjoys practicing yoga.

Avnish Kumar works with the State FLN Projects team as a District Consultant based in Bihar. He brings years of experience in child rights, education, and governance with masters in accounts. He found his purpose when he witnessed how soft skills enabled him and his peers. Previously he has been a Fellow at Transforming Rural India Foundation under Aspirational District Transformation Program and Gandhi Fellow for two years. He has worked closely with the District Magistrate and supported the district administration in strategic planning, project management, implementation, and fundraising across rural India. He loves writing poems and stories. He aspires to drive change in society at scale

Ayush Prabhat works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Agra. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Humanities and Social Sciences from University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, he worked at Teach for India where he had the opportunity to work on various projects. Apart from being passionate about the possibilities in our classrooms, Ayush is always up for long walks. He enjoys exploring curious questions about the world we share together.

Ayush works with the State Reform Team at CSF as a Project Associate, and is based out of Bhopal. He graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi with a degree in B.Com (H). Prior to joining CSF, he worked in the Founder’s Office at an Early Stage E-Commerce Startup. He has gained experience as a Management Consultant with Zinnov and as a Founder of a social innovation think-tank. He has also worked in the slums of Delhi, leading a venture to supply affordable Sanitary Napkins to all females. In his free time, you will find him reading, trekking, running marathons, and enjoying open water swimming.

Barasha works with the State FLN Projects team as a Project Consultant and is based out of Guwahati. She holds a bachelors graduation in Political Science (Honours) from Ramjas College and a Masters in Political Science from Indraprastha College for Women. She was a Teach For India Fellow (2018 cohort, Delhi) and has worked as a Program Manager in NEAID implementing various education projects across Northeast India. Barasha finds painting therapeutic and loves to travel around observing different cultures and traditions of diverse communities, while enjoying the nature. Also, she is an adventure junkie and a thrill seeker.

Bhagyashree works as a Research Associate with the Classroom Instruction and Practice team at Central Square Foundation. Prior to joining CSF, Bhagyashree worked with Samavesh on primary education for 3 years in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, where closely worked with 112 teachers on foundational numeracy and literacy, as well as early childhood education. She liaised with various stakeholders such as block officials, students, SMC, and the tribal community. In TPD, she developed the modules for teacher training programs. During her time as a volunteer, Bhagyashree taught social studies to till 5th std in Bhandara, Maharashtra. She has completed a Masters in Education (MA Education) from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and Commerce graduate from Nagpur University. During her free time, Bhagyashree enjoys writing poetry.

Bhawna works a Project Manager in the Finance Team and is based oout of Delhi. She is responsible for day-to-day accounting and managing the monthly MIS, along with employee engagement. Bhawna has spent 5+ years in the corporate sector as a Finance Executive and has experience of all compliance handling like including GST, ESI, PF, etc. Bhawna holds an M.COM degree From Indira Gandhi National Open University along with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University. During her free time, she enjoys watching movies and TV series, listening to music and travelling with family and friends.

Chandni Kalra works with the State FLN Projects team as Project Consultant based in Bhubaneswar. She has Experience in combining human and material resources to deliver excellent education, ensuring fair treatment with equal opportunity when it comes to access to resources. She started off her journey in the Education space as a TFI Fellow, moved on to be a member of the Selection team at TFI and then joined LEAD to understand stakeholder management better. Having explored all these she is here at CSF to learn and grow with everything that this role has to offer. You can often find her lost in her Lalaland, far away from the chaos with a bowl of Mississippi.

Debatri works with the Classroom Instruction and Practice team that works closely with multiple states and partner organisations on developing and implementing the FLN Mission. Prior to CSF, Debatri has been a Program Manager at Teach for India, working with close to 40 Fellows over 3 years, building the program in first year intervention schools. She also did the TFI Fellowship, teaching Literacy and Social Studies to Primary School students in a municipal school. Debatri completed her Masters in Literature from Delhi University. During her free time, Debatri reads books and doodles with the intent to upload them on her instagram page someday.

Debesh has a diverse experience of over 15 years as a Media & Comms professional, working across the media, digital comms, and behavioural campaigns spaces. In his last professional stint, he worked with WaterAid India as the media and comms lead, where he was leading on the communications strategy and overseeing execution plans for building advocacy and thought-leadership around water, sanitation, and hygiene issues. Before that, at Youth Ki Awaaz- a youth centric online platform- he was working on developing strategy and planning online and offline campaigns on various social justice issues; business development; including building capacity for campaign acquisition and outreach for new campaigns with brands and non-profit entities. Prior to this, he has been associated with organizations like British Council; The Indian Express, The Pioneer; with brief stints at The Guardian & BBC World News, where he was working on different aspects involving: planning and executing digital comms. strategies; designing social media campaigns; digital project planning; securing and managing non-paid partnerships in areas of digital innovation; writing and reporting on features and urban lifestyle trends.

Deepak works as a Senior Project Lead in the State FLN Projects team. He has over ten years of experience with managing program portfolios, strategic planning, program scale up, advocacy and partnerships with governments. He has previously worked with consulting firms, and large-scale technical assistance organizations such as Evidence Action, Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health. He is a Post-Graduate in Health & Hospital Management from IIHMR University, Jaipur.

Deergha works as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Delhi. She graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Her interest lies in exploring all the nuances of the education system. She is a designer turned educator with experience managing projects, research, and design with stakeholders from SCERT Sikkim, Azim Premji Foundation, government school teachers, and school communities in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Delhi. Before working with CSF, she was a fellow at Teach For India, Delhi. Deergha is never without an audiobook and has experimented extensively to concoct her version of the perfect cup of ginger chai.

Devam works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Jhansi. He holds a Masters in Rural Management from IRMA. Prior to CSF, he worked as an Assistant Manager at Mahindra and Mahindra’s. His journey reflects a keen enthusiasm for nation-building, rooted in the belief that education is key to social progress. Outside of work, Devam enjoys solo traveling, mountaineering, and playing outdoor sports, finding joy in adventure and exploration.

Devanshi works as a Project Manager in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a degree in Chartered Accountancy. Prior to CSF, Devanshi worked with Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. and Bain & Co. She ventured into the development space via a short policy making course. Her belief in education being a fundamental game changer coupled with the curiosity to understand how scale projects work brings her to CSF. In her free time, she can be seen reading, trying new yoga poses, exploring the art scene around and is always up to create an itinerary for random, scenic places.

Dinesh works with the Administration team as the Facilities Manager and is based out of Delhi. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Delhi and a Diploma in Hotel Management from the Indian Hotel Management Institute in Delhi. Prior to CSF, he was associated with firms such as Accenture, Omicron, Rockwell Automation, etc. that operate in the fields of IT and industrial automation. Most recently he worked with The Convergence Foundation for more than a year and a half. In his spare time, Dinesh enjoys traveling, listening to music and reading.

Parthajeet leads the State FLN Projects team which provides strategic support to states in their programmes to improve foundational learning. The team takes a systems approach and strengthens the academic as well as governance intiatives of the states. Parthajeet holds a PhD and Masters in Management and has more than a decade of rich national and international experience across top management consulting firms of advising governments, multi-lateral donors and foundations. In his free time, he loves to travel, read, write and listen to music.

Dr. Vaibhav Sindhi works as a Project Manager in the Classroom Instruction and Practice team and is based in one of our districts. He did his Post Graduation in Public Policy, Design & Management at the Indian School of Public Policy, Delhi. Prior to CSF, he worked at Health Department (NHM), led a team to develop COVID-19 facilities and managed critical healthcare logistics and Lifeline Foundation where he trained over 8,000 people in life-saving courses & secured funding for road safety education. His commitment to environment is showcased through his work on zero plastic policies & carbon-neutral event planning with Grant Thornton Bharat LLP. His entrepreneurial spirit is evident from his co-founding of Estudy Partner, aiding students in overseas dental education.

Eesha works as a Program Manager in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from NIT Hamirpur and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from University of Sussex. Prior to CSF, she worked as a software developer in Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS) and later as a team lead in a tech-media startup, Fossbytes. After deciding to pursue her passion for the development sector, she worked with Centre for Science of Student Learning (CSSL) where she discovered her love for education and development. In her recent engagement as a Change-Maker in Education (CMIE) Fellow with the Delhi Government. Having grown up in a military family, Eesha has traveled extensively, which has nurtured her love for exploring new places, people and cultures.

Saquib works in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team as a District Consultant and is based out of Aligarh. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Uttar Pradesh and a Masters in Social Work from Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, Telangana. Prior to CSF, Saquib has been a Gandhi fellow and has worked with organisations like Avanti Fellows, Aashiyana Foundation and GDI Partners. He has worked on programme implementation, baseline, end line, sessions, training of children and staff of the child care institutions. He also conducted baseline assessment training for more than 150+ block resource persons (BRPs/ABRCs) for proper execution of assessment and test conduction in school. Saquib likes to swim, play cricket and carom and has also started stock trading as a hobby.

Garima works as a Project Lead with the Strategic Support States Team and is based out of Delhi. She supports implementation of foundational literacy and numeracy programs to improve learning levels across five states. Previously, she worked with D. E. Shaw Research, out of their Hyderabad office, leading projects in operations and recruitment for the computational drug discovery research firm. Garima has an undergraduate degree in Commerce and Economics from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. When not working, she spends time traveling, reading, and practicing yoga.

Gaurav works as a Senior Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. His journey with the education sector started as a fellow in Teach for India where he taught a classroom of 50 girls in 5th and 6th grade. Post fellowship, he worked as a Program Manager in TFI’s Delhi team, building professional and personal capacity in 30 fellows. Prior to CSF, Gaurav co-founded his own non-profit, Slam Out Loud, and led it as the Chief Operating Officer for 5 years. Gaurav has a Masters in Public Administration from National University of Singapore and is a certified action learning coach from the Action Learning Center, UK. Post work, he spends time solving puzzles, hoarding trivia, discovering new poetry, reading non-fiction and having conversations over/about food.

Gaurav Saroha works as a Project Manager in the School Governance team and is based out of Guwahati. He has previously worked with the Quality Council of India as an Associate Manager; worked on projects likeMade in India Brand Scheme and India’s Trade Deficit Policy. His work centred around government advisory, policy making and implementation. He has completed Young India Fellowship from Ashoka University and graduated with a BTech in Computer Science and Engineering. Most of his free time goes dabbling into foreign language movies and reading non-fiction books.

Gayathri joins CSF as a Project Manager in the Strategic Support States Team, Telangana and is based at Medchal-Malkajgiri. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics & Electronics from Loyola Academy – Alwal, Secunderaba. Prior to CSF, she has worked as a full-time Teaching Fellow & as a Transformational Teaching Fellow with Teach for India, Hyderabad. As the Content Advisor at TFI, Hyderabad, she held communities of practice for Secondary Science teachers in content and pedagogy. She established the first community centre in Teach for India, Hyderabad, impacting students, alumni and stakeholders of the community and designed a Science curriculum for the high school students of Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) – USA, a global community. In her free time, Gayathri can be found exploring street food or discussing Marvel comics.

Geetika works in the RMEAL team as a Senior Project Lead, designing and implementing assessments for different stakeholders in the school education system. She has been working in the education sector for more than a decade now. In her previous instinct as well, she has worked for designing and implementing large-scale assessments for different geographies to understand the impact of various programs. She has worked with teachers for their professional development and with policy makers to implement educational initiatives across geographies. Geetika is an IIM Lucknow alumnus, PhD in Economics, trained in business and data analytics and master’s in business administration. At heart she is a teacher and always tries to make things simpler for people to understand and implement. She likes to blend creativity and simplicity in the teaching, training by weaving story around work. She hails from the royal blue city of Jodhpur, married to a finance professional- professor and both love cooking and exploring food. In her free time, she can be seen playing mathematical games and doing creative work. She is associated with Robin Hood Army, which is an NGO works for providing free meals to the needy.

Gouri Gupta leads CSF’s work in the area of Education Technology. She works with a portfolio of EdTech products that take high-quality, contextual solutions to young children from low-income backgrounds to support learning. She works with leading researchers to build evidence on what works in EdTech and supports the building of public goods like EdTech Tulna that fill critical white spaces in the EdTech ecosystem. Gouri is part of many global and Indian expert groups in EdTech and skill development.

Prior to CSF, Gouri was part of the founding team at the National Skill Development Corporation, a public-private partnership created by the Govt. of India to invest in skill development ventures in India. Gouri crossed over into the development sector from The Boston Consulting Group where she was a Project Leader working primarily in the financial services domain. Gouri is a Chartered Accountant by training and a management graduate from IIM Bangalore.

Harish Doraiswamy is the Director of the Edtech team at CSF and his work involves working with state governments on their Edtech strategy and implementation. Prior to joining CSF in early 2020, Harish was Vice-President at Pearson India where he was responsible for the K12 School Management, Vocational Education, and International Qualifications verticals. Harish is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta and has over 30 years of experience across various sectors and functions. He is excited to work on realizing the potential of technology to transform school education for the disadvantaged. In his free time, he loves to enjoy good food, music, the company of his friends, and travel.

Harnoor works as a Project Manager with the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Ghaziabad. She holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce degree from University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, Harnoor worked as a Teach For India Fellow where she ignited the academic journey of about 200 students, infusing passion for learning and fostering tangible growth. Founder of the Harnoor Madhar Foundation, she champions underserved communities in Punjab, ensuring access to quality education and holistic support. In her free time, she likes spending time with animals.

Harshit works as a Project Manager in the Policy & Communications team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, Harshit worked as a Reputation Manager at The Mavericks Communications LLP where he serviced some of India’s leading developmental sector institutions, helping them craft their communications and policy advocacy strategies. He has also worked with the Aam Aadmi Party, heading their survey and political research departments during the Delhi assembly elections and also handled their media department during the Punjab assembly elections.

Harshita works as a Project Lead in the State Reform team and is based out of Bhopal. She has an MBA degree from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. She also has 6 years of experience in the education space as a Teach for India Fellow, and with a non-profit startup, Saarthi Education, where she developed and scaled EdTech solutions. She enjoys reading, going on long trails, bicycling and sipping coffee. She is passionate about learning about climate change and sustainability.

Hemani works with the ECE team and is based out of Delhi. She is a science graduate from Miranda House, Delhi University and a qualified teacher. Prior to working with CSF, she has worked at LEAD for more than four years where she designed curriculum, and created books and digital plans with resources for pre-primary. She was a Fellow at Teach for India, teaching Maths and Science to grade 7-10 students. She also spent a summer at SECMOL, Ladakh, teaching conversational English and foundation mathematics to the students there. In her free time, Hemani enjoys reading, painting and watching movies.

Hita works as a Project Associate in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. She holds an undergraduate degree in Communication Studies, Psychology, and Literature. Prior to CSF, she completed the Young India Fellowship, earning a postgraduate diploma in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University. Hita has always aspired to work in the development sector, particularly in education, as she views it as powerful means towards social justice. Beyond her work, she writes poetry, enjoys reading, cherishes her time with nature, and is a cat parent.

Honey works as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Bhopal. Before joining CSF, he worked at Sattva Consulting, where he tackled various work streams and thematic areas, honing his skills in problem-solving and strategy formulation. He holds a Bachelors degree from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, followed by higher studies in Public Policy at the National Law School, Bangalore. Outside of work, Honey’s passions include working with data and traveling. He also enjoys cooking for others (when suitably stimulated).

Indranath works with the State FLN Projects team as a State Lead and is based out of Guwahati. He hails from North East India and is passionate about systemic reforms. He has 16 years of multi-faceted management experience in the development sector, successfully designing, implementing, and managing large-scale projects. Previously, he has worked with various state governments and multi-lateral agencies such as GIZ, UNICEF, and Mott Macdonald and holds a master’s degree in management. He is currently leading the CSF team in Assam towards ensuring FLN skills for all children.

Iram Gul works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Aligarh. She holds a B.tech in Mechanical engineering from Techno India University, Kolkata. Prior to CSF, she worked in the automotive industry with notable names like Maruti Suzuki. She embarked on her journey in the Education sector with Teach for India. She worked with several ed-tech companies such as Lead School and Convegenius. Iram played a crucial role in implementing innovative ed-tech solutions in both affordable private schools and government institutions, particularly in aspirational districts. In her free time, she likes writing poetry and traveling with an ardent inclination towards exploring spirituality.

Jahanavi Sharma works with the State Reform Team as a Project Associate and is based out of Panchkula. She holds a Postgraduate Degree in MSc. Development Administration and Planning from University College London, along with a bachelor’s in political science from Hindu College, University of Delhi. Previously, Jahanavi has interned with Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and the Bachpan Bachao Andolan, where she co-led the ‘Justice for Every Child Campaign’ and has led several sponsored research projects in Brazil, Uganda, Singapore, and India. She enjoys reading dystopian fiction, playing Foosball and listening to the musical ‘Hamilton’.

Jatin works as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Panchkula. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hansraj College and has served as Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate in Sonipat. Previously, Jatin spent the past few years with Pravah, where he worked with youth and adolescents to develop their leadership capacity and enabled them to drive community action projects. He has also spearheaded initiatives on agency building, comprehensive sexuality education, and intersectional issues of caste, sexuality, and gender. In his free time, Jatin enjoys baking cakes, exploring new places, and discovering new art forms.

Jayashree works as a Project Manager in the Strategic Support States team in Assam and is based out of Guwahati. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature (Hons) from Hindu College (University of Delhi), and a master’s degree in Development Studies from Ambedkar University Delhi. Prior to CSF, Jayashree was involved with Pratham Education Foundation as a Project Associate. At Pratham, she took over projects centred on foundational learning of Anganwadi children. Her inclination towards the development sector is rooted in the desire to create an impact in society using education as an apparatus. Jayahsree loves to spend her leisure time watching anime, reading and cooking. She is also fond of exploring new places and cuisines.

Jephthah works as a Project Lead in the Strategic Support States team and is based out of Kodangal, Telangana. He recently moved back to India after spending 2 years working on an English Literacy project in Valencia, with the Ministry of Education, Spain. He holds a Masters degree in Sociology from Osmania University. In his free time, Jephthah likes to cook, hike and spend time with family and friends. He is a polyglot and can engage you in conversations about food, history and travelling.

Jigisha works as a Project Manager, Schools Governance team at Central Square Foundation is based out of Gandhinagar, Gujarat. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Prior to CSF, she has worked in various in variou, including Academic Excellence Manager, Project Coordinator, Program Leader, Program Mentor, and Gandhi Fellow. Their drive to make a meaningful difference and create impactful learning experiences led them to pursue a career in education. Jigisha derives pleasure from crafting transformative learning experiences and spearheading constructive societal transformation. She is an Adventure seeker and Campsite DJ. Also she has an uncanny talent for transforming mundane work situations into hilarious memes that instantly lighten the mood and go viral within the office.

Jishnu works as a Project Associate with the RMEAL Team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to this he had interned with organisations like Sattva Consulting, Swasti, Pradan, CCS and Goonj. He completed his bachelor’s in commerce from Delhi University. In his free time he loves to read books and play with dogs and bakes the best brownies. A quote that truly resonates with him – “It’s not humanity that’s equal, it’s existence that’s equal”. 

Jitendra works in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Aligarh. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from JNTU Kakinda. He is an alumnus of the Gandhi Fellowship Program. Before joining CSF, he worked at Azim Premji Foundation and Mantra4Change. While working with Azim Premji Foundation he worked with teachers to improve perspectives, beliefs, teaching practices, pedagogical approaches, content development, and Supported in covid Vaccination project. In his free time, Jitendra loves listening to music and is passionate about exploring diverse cultures and languages.

Juhi works as a Consultant in the DPMU(UP) team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a degree in Civil Engineering from NIT, Kurukshetra. After spending a year in the corporate sector designing Android applications, she transitioned into the education sector where she has over 7 years of experience working across levels from classroom, school, district to state-level projects. She started as a Teach for India fellow and then worked with Peepul as a School Leader. Since last 4 years, she has been working in Governance Consulting roles with the Government of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh while being a part of organisations like Ashoka University and Samagra Governance in projects like CMGGA and Mission Prerna. She has a deep interest in spirituality, yoga, meditation and neuroscience and in her free time, can be seen reading or watching content for the same.

Junaid works as a Project Manager with the State Reform Team and is based out of Lucknow. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from BITS Pilani and Masters degree in Public Policy from Azim Premji University. Prior to CSF, he was working in the tech sector. It was during the pandemic, while working with the district administration and community schools, that he realized his true passion is in public policy. Junaid is particularly interested in education, especially when it comes to helping kids develop strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills before the Grade 3 inflection point. He loves everything about football, and in his free time can be seen playing, watching or debating game tactics.

Jyotsna works as a Senior Project Lead in the Policy & Communications Team and is based out of Delhi. She completed her graduation and post graduation in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, and Delhi School of Economics, respectively. Post her education, Jyotsna pursued projects that had the potential to create impact at scale. She worked as a political consultant for nearly 6 years at I-PAC, where she designed and led high-decibel political campaigns, while managing high-profile stakeholders. Her interest in the field of education and CSF was spurred by her desire to transform and impact people’s lives for the better. In her spare time, you can find her reading about the workings of the human brain, playing with her dogs, or admiring nature.

Kamal Nath Jha leads the State FLN Projects team as a State Lead in Bihar. He supports the government in the functioning of PMU for FLN in the state. He is also engaged in collection of evidence and deeper implementation of FLN activities in a few districts to showcase that FLN goals and targets are achievable within the time frame. He has a Masters degree in Political Science from JNU, New Delhi. Before joining CSF, he has worked with IPE Global, UNICEF, Save the Children and Bihar Education Project Council. During 24 years of his career span in the development sector, he has experienced early, elementary and secondary government schooling systems and learnt about the challenges they face. He was involved with the World Bank project on improving efficiency in Teachers’ Training College Institutions in Bihar. In his free time, he loves talking to children, cooking, reading and listening to music.

Kapil works as an Associate Project Director in the School Governance team and is based out of Delhi. He started his career as a teacher and content writer, and grew up to lead sales and business transformation. He founded an EdTech business on teaching improvement that has impacted 8000 school teachers and over 200,000 learners in the early childhood, primary and middle grades across India and the Middle East. Aside from this, he has headed Sales and Marketing in FMCG and Pharmaceuticals industries. Kapil is deeply passionate about impacting the learning outcomes in schools. He has invested most of his career in education in K12 schools working on programs improving the foundational learning. He has worked on adult literacy and career counseling pro bono, treating these as his civic responsibilities. Kapil did his bachelor’s in Computer Sciences and master’s in business management from IIM Lucknow. In his free time, Kapil is found planning meticulously for his large extended family gatherings, which keep happening unplanned anyways.

Karan works with the State Reform Team as a Project Manager and is based out of Panchkula. He holds a Bachelors degree in Information Technology from UPTU and Masters in Rural Management (PGDM) at XISS, Ranchi. Prior to working with CSF, Karan For the initial 1.5 years, he served as a Young Professional in the district and state teams of Livestock at Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society under the Rural Development Department in Bihar. Karan has also been part of Samagra Development Associates, contributing to the Family ID team under the Planning Department and the Mission Niramaya team under the Department of Medical Education in Uttar Pradesh. During his free time, Karan enjoys watching series and indulging in gardening activities.

Karishma works as Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She holds a Masters degree in Education from Azim Premji University with a honours degree in Education from Banaras Hindu University. Before CSF, Karishma spent around seven years working at various organisations such aş Mantra Social Services, Azim Premji University, Neev Trust. She also worked setting up an organisation promoting art education called Shuruart Foundation. She identifies as an anxious reader and calm painter, who likes to find philosophical explanations everywhere.

Karthik joins CSF as a Project Associate in the Strategic Support States Team, Telangana and is based out of Bhadradri-Kothagudem. He holds a Bachelors in Social Work from Osmania University, Hyderabad and Masters in Social work In Public health from TISS, Mumbai. Prior to CSF, Karthik worked as a former Telangana State Outreach Coordinator at Thanal, he played a pivotal role in establishing micro-learning centres aimed at reintegrating dropout children into the formal education system. In his free time, he loves to travel and holds a black belt in karate.

Kavita Rawat works as a Project Manager with the EdTech team at CSF. She joined Central Square Foundation after completing her Teach for India fellowship (2020) where she led more than 150 girls across 2 government schools and 3 classrooms in the East Delhi community. Kavita holds a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Ambedkar University Delhi. It was in one of these classrooms that she realised how rather than being angry or debating about things which are not working behind closed walls, it was more important to find sustainable solutions on the ground. During her free time, you can find her reading books, buying books or/while listening to Taylor Swift.

Komal works as a Project Lead in the School Governance Team and is based out of Delhi. She holds an MBA degree from the Indian School of Business and has a Masters degree in Biotechnology. Prior to CSF, she has led multiple 0-1 product journeys in EdTech start-ups over the last few years. She started her journey in the education sector as a Teach for India fellow in Mumbai. Since then she has been keen on solving diverse problems in the education space and furthering her impact in the sector. In her free time, she likes to explore new dance classes, read fiction, and go out with friends.

Komal works with the State Reform Team as a Project Associate and is based out of Bhopal. With a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Miranda House, Delhi University, and a Masters in Development Studies from TISS, Mumbai, she has developed a deep understanding of development dynamics. Prior to CSF, she worked at Sattva Consulting and has garnered valuable skills in research and project management. When not immersed in work, she enjoys exploring new books, savouring new cuisines, embarking on mountain adventures and spending time with dogs. She loves her chai and is always open to conversations about thriller shows and movies.

Krishnakanth works as a Project Manager in the Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi. He holds a Master’s in Education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai s well as a MSc in Physics from the University of Calicut, Kerala. Previously, he interned with the School of Education, Tamil Nadu and was a part of the Interactive Flat Panel project with the government of Telangana at TISS, Mumbai, which refined his abilities in curating learning resources and designing interactive learning activities. In his free time, he likes to listen to music, read books and explore food joints.

Kritagya Kriti works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Sitapur. She holds a masters degree in Social Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Prior to joining CSF, she worked on multiple initiatives in the remote Himalayan regions in Nepal, in areas such as climate change, sanitation and education. She has also led a research initiative in the space of climate change impacts on marginalised communities in the mountains. In her free time, you will find her crocheting, reading or making travel plans.

Satyam works a Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Aligarh. He studied journalism from University of Delhi. At work, he is mostly seen visualising ways to make system generated data more reliable. Currently he is on an exploratory journey to figure out if small is indeed beautiful or systemic intervention is the best possible approach to solve public issues. He was profoundly inspired by Jean Dreze’s idea of research for action and made the switch from journalism to the social sector. Previously, he has worked at Indus Action and Piramal Foundation. In his free time, you will always find him overthinking; he is a serial over-thinker!

Kumud works as an Associate Director with the Strategic Support States team and is based out of Delhi. Before joining CSF, he served as a Nudge Indian Administrative Fellow with the Government of Punjab in the Higher Education Department. With 16 years of extensive experience in capital markets, Kumud has held roles in investment banking, asset management, credit rating, and analytics. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, watching movies, exercising, and meditating.

Kunal works as a Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Jhansi. He is a lawyer by education and has been working in the policy sector for the past few years. He worked as a research and policy associate for Late Mr Rajeev Satav, Member of Parliament and Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate in Sirsa and Kaithal district, Haryana. Kunal is an avid reader and enjoy reading about Indian culture and history. He has also previously acted and directed plays.

Lata works as a Senior Project Manager in the Strategic Support States Team and is based out of Mohali. She holds a Master’s in Education from Azim Premji University. .Prior to joining CSF, Lata who has been a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Professional, has been deeply engaged with children’s learning processes and the workings of government schools. She is committed to fostering effective teaching methods. Outside of work, She is an avid traveler and trekking enthusiast, always seeking new landscapes and experiences. Through her journey, she strives to make impactful contributions to education and inspire curiosity in both children and adults.

Lokeshwaran works with the Partnerships & New Initiatives (ECE) team as a Project Lead and is based out of Delhi. He is an Aerospace Engineer by education and his journey in the education sector began in 2017 with the Teach For India Fellowship. After the fellowship, he worked with Bhumi for four years, where he had the opportunity to design the Bhumi Fellowship in whole school transformation as part of the founding team. He hails from Chennai and outside of work, he enjoys watching football, reading non-fiction and an occasional episode of The Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

Lubhavani works as a Project Lead in the EdTech Team and is based out of Delhi. She is a firm believer in creating equal opportunities for all students, thus starting her journey as an educator. She completed her bachelor’s degree in education from Gargi College, the University of Delhi, followed by an M.A in education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Most recently finished her M.Phil. in education leadership & school improvement from the University of Cambridge. She has worked in the education sector for the last four years. She started her journey as a Teach For India (TFI) Delhi fellow, continued working in TFI as a Course Designer with the Firki Team and was last working as an Education Researcher with the CMR University before joining CSF.

Mahesh works with the Strategic Support States Team and is based at Medak. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Amrita University and a B.Ed from Mahatma Gandhi University, a unique blend of technical and educational expertise. Prior to CSF, he has worked at Teach For India, BYJU’S, where he took on the role of Senior Content and Training Associate. He then transitioned to LEAD School, took on the role of Academic Excellence Manager. Over the past two years, he has influenced 45 schools, empowered 400 teachers, and touched the lives of 16,000 students. In his free time, Mahesh loves to travel to new places and explore food.

Mahima is part of the Policy & Communications Team at Central Square Foundation. As a Project Manager, she works on building the CSF brand and creating resonance for the foundation’s work through various digital communication channels. After studying Journalism from Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University, where she developed a keen interest in branding, communications and PR, she went on to pursue the post-graduate diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi. Prior to CSF, Mahima was with Edelman India, the world’s leading PR agency, where she worked with top brands in the FMCG and F&B spaces. Her core competencies include campaign planning, content strategy and media relations. When not working, Mahima enjoys exploring new cafés and trying out unique perfume notes.

Manideep Kumar Myakala joins Telangana’s State Strategic Support Team as Project Associate and is based out of Medchal-Malkajgiri. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Governance, specializing in Regulations and Institutions from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Prior to joining CSF, Manideep worked as a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Public Policy Governance and Performance, Administrative Staff College of India(ASCI). He has also worked briefly on evaluating innovation nominations under the Prime Minister Awards 2022. Before working at ASCI, he worked with the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS) on Mobile applications that are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the grassroots level functionaries of Panchayat Raj & Rural Development (PPRD), Department of Economics & Statistics (DES) and Women Development & Child Welfare (WDCW) departments. In his free time, Manideep enjoys playing chess and driving.

Manpriya works as a Project Manager in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives Team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Jesus & Mary College. Prior to joining CSF, Manpriya has worked for Teach for India, where she managed acquisitions and outreach strategy on the National Development team. There, she led projects across resource mobilisation, knowledge management, strategy, and operations, while actively working with the Senior Leadership on strategic communications and advocacy. She has also worked with a diverse range of private and development sector organisations, focusing on sustainable development, youth leadership and mobilisation, and entrepreneurship.

Mansi works as a Project Manager in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. She has completed her bachelors from Ashoka University, where she studied Economics, Environmental Studies and Entrepreneurship to understand how businesses can contribute to sustainable and inclusive living. She is interested in the social and environmental impact sector. She has also volunteered with IamGurgaon, to help make her city a better place to live in. She assisted with the founding of Leap Cities, an accelerator program that works with growth stage companies in the impact sector in India. She is also a mixed medium artist and designer. Mansi likes to spend her spare time cooking, reading and practicing yoga.

Megha works as a District Consultant in the Classroom Instruction and Practice team and is based out of Ghaziabad. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi and Masters in Organic Chemistry. She is a Young India Fellow and has also completed her diploma in Liberal Arts from Ashoka University, Sonipat. Prior to CSF, Megha worked with Azim Premji Foundation for three years. In her free time, she enjoys reading and doing craft work, which ranges from paper crafts to wire crafts.

Misha works as a Senior Project Lead with the Strategic Support States Team at CSF. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Punjab University. She pursued her Masters in Business Administration from Pune. She is passionate about bringing to life CSF’s vision of quality learning for all children. Prior to working with CSF, Misha has worked as Investment Analyst, TFI fellow, Entrepreneur, Academic Expert and L&D specialist in multiple organisations. In her free time, she enjoys solving Sudoku and crossword puzzles. She loves to travel with her family.

Faizan works as a District Consultant in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Aligarh. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Hindi from Aligarh Muslim University and his Master’s in Social Work from MANU University Hyderabad. In his previous role at Piramal Foundation, he managed 15 Gandhi Fellows and stakeholder engagement in two aspirational districts of Uttar Pradesh. In his free time, you will either find him in the gym or you will find him making delicious meals for his child.

Mokshit works as a Project Associate in the State Reform team and is based out of Panchkula. He is an advocate and has a keen interest in constitutional matters. He holds a degree in Masters in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University. He is a public policy professional working towards creating positive social impact at scale through systemic reforms. He has experience working with senior bureaucrats in drafting the rules for the labor codes and making policy proposals at the NITI Aayog. He likes to discover poetry, converse about wide ranging topics and appreciate art.

Mounika works with the Strategic Support States Team, Telangana and is based out of Hyderabad. She holds a B.Tech Degree from SSN College of Engineering, Chennai. Prior to joining CSF, she started her professional journey as a Software Engineer, but her passion for education brought her to the Teach For India Fellowship. Since then, she has worked with various organisations within the education sector. She found that her true joy lies in working on classroom instruction, curriculum development and collaborating with teachers. She joined Central Square Foundation with the goal of applying her skills at scale and contribute to improving learning outcomes across the state. In her free time, she likes to read and occasionally try her hand at writing.

Mridul works as a Project Manager in the Strategic Support States Team at CSF and is based out of Punjab. He holds a Masters Degree in Design with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing a degree in Development Studies.He is an engineer turned educator. Prior to CSF, Mridul has worked in different industries from manufacturing to e-commerce and has found solace in the education sector thanks to the Azim Premji Foundation’s fellowship.This year-long fellowship journey in the hills of Almora(Uttarakhand) exposed him to the rudiments of primary education, community life, teacher engagement and the very many challenges of the life of the hills. To further build on his knowledge of teacher education, he joined the Shiv Nadar Foundation and contributed to the teacher professional development program being developed by the foundation before joining CSF. In his idle time, he can be seen exploring the different literary genres, oftentimes travelling to the hills and otherwise engaged in outdoor activities.

Mridula works in the Strategic Support States team as a Project Manager and is based out of Bihar. She did her masters in Home Science from Patna University and M.Ed. from Barkatullah University, Bhopal, M.P. She has 6-8 years’ experience in Health, Nutrition and Education with UNICEF, ICDS, JEEViKA (BRLPS), Going to School and Aga Khan Foundation. She had closely worked with SCERT Bihar in the Teacher Education and DIET strengthening. Mridula loves to write poem/Story/Case Study/Slogan and interact different communities to know their cultures and tradition. She wants to drive change in society through right education of each child.

Murali works with the Strategic Support States Team as a Project Manager in Telangana and is based out of . He holds a Master’s from Azim Premji University. With over 8 years of experience in the education sector, Murali previously worked on improving education quality in private schools and coached school leaders to enhance student learning outcomes. His interests encompass teacher education, school leadership, running, doodling, and photography.

Mustafa works as a Project Manager with the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Sitapur. He holds a degree in psychology and firmly believes in the transformational power of education. Prior to CSF, he ran his own community center, worked with Teach for India, and led a project in government schools to improve the monitoring of the midday meal program at the ground level. In his free time, he enjoys reading about Delhi and its rich past in his free time.

Nalini works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to CSF, Nalini worked with Invest India at their Ministry of Women and Child Desk. She has also worked with the Foundation for Rural Entrepreneurship Development (a Google and Tata Trusts initiative). There she led operations for rural women entrepreneurship programs in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Nalini holds a Master’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship from TISS Mumbai. In her spare time, you can find her dancing or listening to her favourite artists.

Nanda works as a Project Lead in Strategic Support States Team, Telanagna at CSF. Nanda was born in the village of Ghanpuram, in Telangana. Having grown up in a teacher family in rural Telangana, his understanding of school education and its importance in society grew over time. After UG, he chose to go back home, and manage a family-owned low-cost private school for 3 years. During this time, he engaged with students of early grades, 1 to 5, experimenting alternative education. Pursuing PG Diploma in Rural Development from NIRD&PR equipped him with relevant skills and theoretical knowledge needed to work on large scale rural development programmes. In his previous roles with HCL Foundation & School Education Department of Andhra Pradesh, he worked on stakeholder management, curriculum development, community mobilization, training of teachers, research, inter-governmental liasoning, program Design and management. Fun Fact: He can break into a song any minute of the day.

Natasha works as a Senior Lead in the Human Resources Team and is based out of Delhi. Her key responsibilities include efficient management of the entire employee lifecycle and providing avenues for Organisational development driven through people engagement. Her foray into the social development sector began with a corporate partnerships role with The Nudge Foundation. She spent 5 years in the corporate sector in a sales and business development role with Diageo followed by Michael Page. Natasha had a short and exciting entrepreneurial stint in 2019 when she set up a microbrewery restaurant. She holds a MBA degree from NMIMS, Mumbai and an undergraduate degree in Engineering from Jaypee University. It was through her volunteering work during the Covid outbreak that she realized her true calling lies in working directly with the less privileged, a cause she is truly committed towards. Always saving up for her next trip, Natasha is also a certified scuba diver.

Navneet works as a Project Manager in the School Governance Team and is based out of Udaipur. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Miranda House, University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, she was a part of the 2020 Young India Fellowship cohort, where she worked on a project working towards retention of out-of-school females in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Her diverse experience encompasses research and teaching assistance in gender studies at Ashoka University, as well as roles in leadership consulting at Egon Zehnder and technology consulting at Code Brew Labs. Navneet aspires to forge a career in assessment, governance and education reform within South Asian societies.

Nidhi works a Project Manager in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economic Honours from Christ University, Bangalore. She has previously worked with policy experts in the field of education, gender, and skill development, which ignited her interest in the development sector. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, dancing and doing yoga.

Niharika Suresh works as a Consultant in the School Governance team and is based out of Guwahati. Niharika completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Dayalbagh Education Institute, Agra and went on to pursue the Young India Fellowship from Ashoka University. Prior to CSF, Niharika was working as a Program Officer at The Antara Foundation in Madhya Pradesh. Her role revolved around managing quality service delivery of maternal and child health services across two developmental blocks in the district of Betul. In her free time, Niharika enjoys binging TV shows and going on hikes.

Nihith works with the Telangana SSS team (Medak district) to drive FLN outcomes for the primary school-going children. Prior to this, he was managing bids and proposals in one of the
large global professional services firms helping them submit proposals to various RfXs. Nihith attended Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University which grounded him in the Humanities
and Social Sciences education. As a young development professional, he’s all ears to learn, unlearn, and relearn. In his free time, he can be found casually flipping pages through a non-
fiction book or deeply engrossing into watching any of F1, cricket, and Tennis.

Nikhita works with the State Reform Team as a Project Manager, and is based out of Lucknow. She holds a Masters in Development from Azim Premji University, and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Prior to joining CSF, Nikhita has worked at Sattva Consulting, and has previously founded a social enterprise as well. In her personal time, Nikhita likes to read, binge watch and loves eating or thinking about food and making travel plans.

Nisha works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Panchkula. She holds an integrated bachelor’s degree in Science and Education. Her professional journey began as a teacher at G.D Goenka Public School, working on children’s foundational literacy and numeracy. Recently, Nisha completed her Master’s degree in Development Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Before joining CSF, she worked as an Analyst in the Monitoring and Evaluation team at IPE Global Limited, gaining valuable experience collaborating with government, bilateral, and multilateral organizations.

Nishant works as a Project Lead in the School Governance team and is based out of Bikaner. Nishant has worked extensively in the world of academic content and teaching, and has created teaching and learning content for multiple subjects upto grade 10. He is passionate about education reform and has worked in the sector in multiple roles. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani.

Nitin works as a Senior Project Lead in the Strategic Support States team and is based out of Delhi.  He is a post-graduate in Social Work and has studied Rural and Urban development. He brings close to two decades of professional experience to the team in multiple thematic areas such as education, system strengthening, government consulting, and partnerships. His experience across multiple organizations, roles, and industries has helped him develop skills specifically in managing large-scale projects and impact delivery and a keen understanding of the sector. He strongly believes that change in society and systems are only possible through a change in the self (individual). He is passionate about creating a synergistic effect amongst people through adoption of inclusion, convergence and empathy as core values.

Nitish works as a District Consultant in the Strategic Support States team, Bihar. Nitish holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi. He started his career as a Gandhi Fellow, introducing innovative ideas for education in a district. He is responsible for ensuring effective implementation of projects in Bihar State. Prior to this, he worked with GuruJal, an initiative of the Gurugram district, as an Associate, leading communication, community mobilization, and strategic program implementation. Passionate about driving change in society, Nitish enjoys traveling to historical places and monuments, reading fiction books, and indulging in mobile photography, Hindi movies, and documentaries.

Noopur works with the EdTech team as a Senior Project Lead and is based out of Delhi. She has over 10 years of experience across strategy, product and management consulting. Thematically, she has focused on K-12 education in the past few years. Prior to her return to CSF, Noopur was working with LEAD, a B2B EdTech unicorn. She worked on incubation and scaling of early stage enterprises during her previous stint at CSF and has also been a management consultant on social impact projects at BCG. She holds a Masters in Economics from Oxford University and a Bachelors in Economics (Hons.) from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her beagle, experimenting with healthy recipes and planning her next vacation.

Ojas works at CSF as a Project Associate in the EdTech Team and is based out of Delhi. He recently completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Ashoka Scholars Programme and is a Bachelors in Arts in History and International Relations from Ashoka University. Before joining CSF, he had worked extensively with TCPD as a Research Associate. He is passionate to make quality education equitably accessible and wishes to make a large scale impact with his work in the social sector. Outside work, he enjoys cooking for other people, and watching shows.

Kavya works as Project Manager in the Partnerships & Strategic team and is based out of Delhi. With a rich background as a rural management intern at the International Water Management Institute, Kavya brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the development sector. She has dedication to create positive change. In her free time, you’ll find her deep in the digital world, seeking out new knowledge, or sketching cherished memories into works of art.

Pankaj works as a Project Lead in the the State Reform Team and is based out of Delhi. He holds a Masters in Science and Master in education from Azim premji University. He has more than 10 years working in the field of education across different states in India. Prior to CSF, he worked closely with government educational departments ensuring effective implementation of educational reforms. He has also worked with different organisations such as Star Education, Manipur, Lead School, Avanti Fellows Haryana, STiR education Uttar Pradesh, Bodh Shiksha Samiti, Rajasthan across the professional years. In his free time, he likes to travel and read.

Pratik works with the Strategic Support States Team as a Project Manager and is based out of Dhenkanal, Odisha. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. Prior to CSF, Pratik has worked as a Teach for India fellow in 2019 and as an Academic Excellence Manager at Lead School where he impacted 17 schools, touching the lives of 300 teachers and 3000 students, ensuring a quality educational experience. In his free time, Pratik loves teaching and nurturing young minds.

Pratiksha works a Project Consultant with the State FLN Projects team and is based out of Bhubaneswar. A teacher at heart, Pratiksha is a triple-major in Journalism-Psychology-English Literature. Her passion for teaching and learning brought her to Teach For India where she started as a Fellow in 2016 focusing on foundational learning for her early graders. Committed to providing children with quality education, she then continued this journey as a Program Manager coaching Fellows in their leadership journeys, and also took up the role of an Instructional Trainer at TFI’s Training Institute, facilitating learning on classroom culture-pedagogy-SEL-foundational literacy. Her desire to see impact of holistic learning at scale brought her to CSF. Fun Fact: She can hold long conversations on Partition Literature and Iced-Black-Coffee is her Elixir.

Prayasha works as Project Consultant with the EdTech team and is based out of Bhopal. She holds a Masters in literature from Pondicherry University. She loves to work at the intersection of education and gender. Prayasha nosedived in the development sector as an Associate at Azim Premji Foundation in western Rajasthan where she transformed rural schools through one year of intensive field practice in the scorching deserts of Thar, working closely with displaced tribal marginalized communities. Post this, she worked with CARE India spearheading content development, design, and implementation of ECE curriculum in Anganwadi Centres of north Uttar Pradesh floodplains. A rookie video editor and an artist herself, when she’s not backpacking for trips, you can find her learning a 5th language (French) or solving a 1000-piece puzzle.

Priyank joins Central Square Foundation as a Senior Project Lead in the State Reform Team and is based out of Lucknow. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from NSIT and a MBA Degree from Symbiosis International University.
He has over 10+ years of experience in driving strategic growth initiatives across industries. Prior to CSF, He has worked extensively with multiple stakeholders in the Government and Public sector and Social Impact ecosystem. His contributions played a key role in driving Digital Transformation initiatives across South Asia and East Africa in the areas of job-creation and youth employability. He embraces a customer-centric approach to designing and delivering a transformational experience for beneficiaries. In his free time, Priyank engages with young entrepreneurs and students. He likes to read, play sports and travel.

Priyanka works as Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Bhopal. She holds a bachelor degree in Physics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and has completed the Young India Fellowship programme in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University. With 3.5 years of work experience, prior to CSF she has worked with organisations like PRADAN and Transform Rural India (TRI). She likes to spend her free time reading, appreciating art, and reflecting on life.

Puja joins the Strategic Support States Team at CSF and is based out of Bihar. She holds a Masters Degree in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.). She has built a solid foundation in both subject matter and pedagogy. Prior to CSF, Puja has made impactful contributions at Care India, Azim Premji Foundation and Vikramshila Education Resource Society. Her journey as a social sector practitioner has been enriched by hands-on teaching at Christel House India School for underprivileged students. Her grassroots experience illuminated the crucial need for extensive educational intervention. Outside of work, Puja loves spending time in script reading, public speaking, and providing background voices.

Purba works as an Associate Project Director in the State Reform Team and is based out of Delhi. She leads reform work in state governments through governance and pedagogical reforms, and brings a special focus on leveraging data and tech for better solutions and decision making. She currently leads the Madhya Pradesh FLN mission and the Madhya Pradesh Nipun Professional fellowship. Purba has a background in management consulting, policy research and tech consulting, and has driven transformative change for cross-sector clients. She holds a Bachelor of Technology from the West Bengal University of Technology and a Master’s in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rabb Nawaz works with the State FLN Projects team as Project Consultant based in Bhubaneswar. He is passionate about providing excellent education to all children and believes strongly in bringing in impact by driving systemic changes on ground. As an Academic Excellence Manager, he has conducted multiple training sessions, workshops for development of teachers and implemented the LMS platform across schools of Odisha and Chattisgarh. As a part of the Strategy and Operations team at Lead, worked deeply in the areas of data analysis and end-to-end project management impacting more than 2500 schools across India. He is a big time car enthusiast. He also enjoys going for long drives and exploring new food joints.

Radhika is a communications professional with rich experience in managing campaigns, social media strategy, media relations, and brand communication. Prior to joining Central Square Foundation, Radhika was leading digital communications at Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE), one of the leading organisations in India that works on creating awareness about energy efficiency as a resource. She has also worked as a communications officer at Oxfam India and SOS Children’s Villages of India, respectively. Her core strength lies in translating technical content into meaningful narratives, packaged in the form of online and offline campaigns. With a demonstrated history of working in the development sector, Radhika is adept at drafting regional and national communication plans and strategies, and project implementation. Radhika holds a post-graduate diploma in Mass Communications from Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi and a Bachelor (Hons) in Literature from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce (DCAC), Delhi University (DU). She is based out of New Delhi and is an avid animal rights activist, who tries her best to work closely with the cause.

Raghav works as a Senior Project Lead in the District Project Management Unit (UP) Team and is based out of Delhi. He is overlooking the implementation of FLN programs in specific demonstration districts. Raghav has had a diverse career prior to CSF, including among others, Teach For India (TFI) and LEAD. At LEAD, a private EdTech company, Raghav managed a portfolio of about 100 schools directly impacting 35000 students. During his time as a TFI fellow, Raghav taught English and Social Studies to 140 students in Govandi, Mumbai. Raghav is an Economics graduate from Royal Holloway, University of London. In his free time, he can be found listening to audiobooks or generally chatting with people in the cafeteria.

Rajit works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Sitapur. He holds a Master’s degree in Policy Design & Management from Indian School of Public Policy. Prior to CSF, he navigated established MNCs and exciting startups, before switching to the development sector. Rajit played a key role in managing and analyzing data from 100+ schools in Uttarakhand’s FLN project. In his free time, he is a dedicated animal lover, fostering pets. A former U-15 football player with Mohun Bagan, he prioritises family and friends.

Raju works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Bhopal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass communication from Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Haridwar. Most recently, he worked as a state consultant with the WCD Department, Government of Haryana, where he had the chance to participate in the diagnosis and planning of schemes. Prior to that, he was a fellow in the CMGGA Programme. In his free time, he loves to read poetry and learn about the Indian Knowledge System. He also likes practicing yoga.

Rhea returns to CSF as a Project Lead on the EdTech team. Prior to this stint at CSF, Rhea worked on the scale-up of evidence-based programs in early childhood education on the Policy team at J-PAL South Asia; led evidence generation initiatives on the EdTech team at CSF; worked on maternal and child health at the Antara Foundation; and researched education innovation at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. Rhea is an Economics and Politics major from Scripps College in Claremont, California. Outside of work, Rhea is a pet parent, professionally trained Kathak dancer, amateur handpoked tattoo artist, and a budding potter.

Rishika works as a Project Manager in the Strategic Support States Team at CSF. She holds a Master of Social Work from Assam University, Silchar, with a specialisation in Disaster Management. Prior to CSF, Rishika has been a Gandhi Fellow where she was placed in Mumbai for 2 years. She has also worked as a Curriculum Designer at Swiflearn (Edu tech Company), Pratyek, Delhi and In Adhyayan Foundation, She worked with 465 schools of Arunachal Pradesh and 634 schools in Tripura to Implement Shaala Siddhi Framework by enabling school and system leaders in the Government Education Department to answer the question-
“How do we know our schools are good schools and how do we enable them to improve? In her free time, Rishika finds solace in trekking and is known for her love of collecting antique postcards from different parts of the world.

Rishu leads the Finance team and is responsible for day-to-day accounting and monthly MIS. He builds processes and policies to strengthen internal and external compliances like FCRA, Income Tax, GST. He manages reporting requirements for international and domestic donors. Rishu has worked with Airtel Payments Bank, Sambodhi Group, Religare IT division and KPMG. He has experience in Internal Audit, Financial Planning & Analysis, Management Reporting and Grant Accounting. Rishu is a Chartered Accountant and holds bachelor’s degree from SGTB Khalsa College, Delhi University. During his free time, he watches LiVE sports, driving and travelling with Friends & Family.

Ritesh works with the State Reform Team as a Project Manager. He supports the state in designing and implementing the NIPUN Bharat Mission in Gujarat. Currently, working on developing the FLN Monitoring System under Nipun Gujarat Mission along with other data and report-related processes at the state level. He is an alumnus of the Gandhi Fellowship Program. He has done his master’s in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, Bangalore, and holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has 6+ years of experience in policy research, designing, process re-engineering, strategic initiatives, administrative initiatives, and implementation with the different state governments and implementing agencies. He has explored the different geography and governance systems through his association with the states such as Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Sikkim. His interest lies in exploring the ground of governance, decoding, and developing initiatives for large-scale impact in the domain of education. He loves to comprehend the world through cinema and literature during his leisure time.

Rituparna works in Classroom instruction and practice, primarily focusing on Numeracy programs and Teacher professional development. Before that, she worked with Leadership for Equity and Bridge International Academies. She has done Teach For India fellowship prior to Bridge and taught 45 grade 2 and grade 3 students in a Government school in Hyderabad. Before she shifted to the development sector, she was working in Nigeria at an oil company named Sterling Oil and Gas exploration. Rituparna holds an M.tech in Petroleum Geoscience from IIT Bombay, and an undergraduate degree in Applied Geology from the University of Calcutta, Kolkata. In her free time, she loves to make routines, year planners, or reading lists for interesting reads. She uses cooking as a therapeutic measure for stressful situations.

Riya works as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team, Uttar Pradesh. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, she worked in the field of impact and management consulting, supporting governmental and non-governmental organisations across functions of strategy, programme management, product development, and more. Riya is a budding artist who likes to create (and gift) art, read and collect books, and aims to travel to every state of India at least once.

Romonika currently assumes the role of Project Director, Policy & Communications at CSF. Prior to CSF, she worked for the Government of India for over two decades at senior policy-making levels. Earlier in her career, she was associated closely with the education sector, teaching at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in English Literature. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, creating mosaics, and learning new languages.

Roopala joins CSF as a Project Manager in the State Reform Team and is based out of Panchkula. She holds a degree in Economics Hons. from the University of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, she worked at the Haryana Right to Service Commission. As a Teach for India Fellow 2018, she served as a full-time educator in an elementary classroom to accelerate learning outcomes. She has also served as a Good Governance Associate to the Chief Minister of Haryana in the year 2020-21. She has also been recognized as a top global educator by World’s Largest Lesson & UNESCO MGIEP, wherein she participated in a cross-country exchange of best practices as an Empatico Fellow to promote Education for Sustainable Development. Roopala enjoys listening to music and traveling to hills.

Rushali works as an Associate in the Human Resources team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences and Masters in Business Administration (Human Resources). She began her journey at Central Square Foundation as an intern where she learnt how human resources is not just a support function anymore but a strategic one. In her leisure time, you can find her engaging with scientific monographs and binge watching thrillers.

Pradyoth works with the EdTech – B2G team that focuses on supporting the central and state governments on their Ed-Tech Programs. Currently, he works on helping the states with both in-school and out-of-school EdTech programs driven by evidence and programmatic approach. Pradyoth has a diverse work experience of working with the UNHCR, as a Zilla Swachh Bharat Prerak, and at the 17000 ft Foundation. Pradyoth holds a PGP in Public Policy from the Indian School of Public Policy, and B.A in History, Economics, & Political Science from Christ University. Pradyoth enjoys exploring new food recipes and places.

Sabina works as a Project Manager in the School Governance team and is based out of Guwahati. She has lived in several parts of the country working in education, nutrition, and gender since 2016. She did her second Masters degree from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University, Rotterdam in Human Rights, Gender and Conflict Studies in 2020. Her motivation to work with children started when she joined Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership as a Gandhi Fellow in 2016. Currently, she is supporting government officials in the State FLN team towards the implementation of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy program in the state of Assam. A fun fact about Sabina: she has been an art fanatic and a die-hard Chelsea fan since 2009.

Nihith works as a Project Associate in the Strategic Support States team and is based out of Medak. Prior to joining CSF, he was working with a global professional services firm in their Growth Operations vertical. He graduated from the Young India Fellowship (Ashoka University), a post graduate diploma in Liberal Studies, in the year 2022. He was also involved in Political Science, English Literature, and Psychology at the GITAM, Hyderabad.

Saket works as a Project Manager in the DPMU UP team and is based out of Sitapur. He has a bachelor’s degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce. He has 3 years of work experience in the development sector with both private and government organizations. Saket enjoys working on the ground in different cities. Apart from work, he likes playing badminton and gyming. He is an avid reader.

Saksham works as a Senior Project Lead in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi. After studying mechanical engineering, Saksham worked on manufacturing steam turbine blades for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. After earning his master’s in manufacturing from MIT, Boston, he pivoted his career to policy and development to make an impact on India’s growth. He joined NITI Aayog to design & deploy programs to support the Indian innovation ecosystem. Following that, he went to work for the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI & Invest India to develop collaborative R&D clusters in the country. At home, he enjoys reading science fiction, playing strategy games, and listening to music across genres.

Sakshi works as a Project Associate in the State Reform team and is based out of Bhopal. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and a Bachelor’s degree in Technology from VJTI, Mumbai. Post her undergraduate studies, she joined the Gandhi Fellowship, worked in two districts Indore and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. During the fellowship, her work involved dealing with multiple levels of stakeholders to advance initiatives of NITI Aayog’s SATH-E project. Leveraging her interdisciplinary degree and grassroots experience, Sakshi aspires to contribute to the CSF to drive more effective outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys visiting historic and cultural sites, as well as exploring bake houses.

Sambhrant works as a Senior Project Lead in the State Reform Team and is based out of Delhi. He has extensive experience in collaborating with national and international NGOs, CSR initiatives, and governments in Haryana, Delhi, and Maharashtra. Throughout the past decade, he has been involved in diverse roles such as teaching students, coaching government teachers and Anganwadi supervisors, designing curricula, spearheading organizational strategies and expansions, as well as providing advisory and consulting services to government entities. In his previous position, he held the role of Program Lead, overseeing education policy and administration at the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister in Delhi. Sambhrant holds an engineering degree and is an alumnus of Teach For India from the 2013 batch.

Sambit works with the Strategic Support States team in Odisha as a Project Manager and is based out of Dhenkanal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from VSSUT, Burla and a Masters from TISS, Mumbai. Prior to CSF, he has worked with Quest Alliance, Save The Children India, BYJU’S and Shiksharth in domains of curriculum development, training and program management. Beyond his professional realm, he indulges in reading, exploring web content, and reconnecting with himself through nature walks. Sambit is passionate about education and has a personal quest for knowledge.

Sanjay works as part of the EdTech team at CSF. Within the team, he is part of the group that works closely with state and central governments on their EdTech programs. His work focuses on helping states introduce and improve EdTech solutions in both in-school and out-of-school settings. The team does this by supporting the states with an evidence-based and programmatic approach rather than the conventional hardware-focused approach. Sanjay holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, LLM from NALSAR University, and B.Tech from NIT Warangal. Prior to joining CSF, Sanjay was running a not-for-profit in the slum community rehabilitation, skill development, and women entrepreneurship space. Sanjay is a big movie buff and also seeks out unconventional books to read in his free time.

Santanu works as a Director with the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to CSF, has been in leadership positions across startups, medium-sized companies and some larger brands. In education & skilling, Santanu has worked with for-profit (e.g Cuemath) and not-for-profit organisations (e.g Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship), aiming to improve education systems. Santanu has also been a sports business manager, culminating as COO of Rajasthan Royals (IPL) from founding to a global brand over a roller-coaster 9 years. He is a father, footballer, foodie, quizzer, riddler and a big fan of Gandhi, and more.

Saurabh works as a Project Director in the Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team and is based out of Delhi where his work involves working closely with various central government stakeholders and executing numerous national-scale education projects. He has led multiple CSF engagements on the National Education Policy, NIPUN Bharat Mission, National Achievement Survey, DIKSHA, CBSE SAFAL, TicTacLearn, etc. Prior to joining CSF, Saurabh built EnglishLeap, an online English learning application, which catered to more than two million users. He also has experience in data analytics and has worked across continents with Fortune 500 clients. Saurabh holds a B.Com degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. In his free time, he enjoys reading books and watching TV shows, especially those related to Indian politics and history.

Saurav works as a Project Lead in the DPMU(UP) team and is based out of Ghaziabad. He holds an MBA from the Army Institute of Management (Kolkata) and is pursuing his Masters in Development Studies at the Institute of Development Studies, UK. Prior to CSF, he has worked with grassroots impact organisations and government leaders across different geographies in India. In his leisure time he goes for long walks, reads books and engages in creative writing.

Shagun works as a Project Manager with the Strategic State Support Team and is based out of Mohali. She holds a Bachelor’s in Literature from Lady Shri Ram College. Prior to CSF, Shagun formally began her journey in the Education Sector with the Teach For India Fellowship. In her professional journey so far she has worked as an Educator, Designer, Trainer, Founder, and Leader with a number of organizations in the development sector. Prior to joining CSF, she worked as a Foundational Literacy Anchor with the Shiv Nadar School. She is often described as an “enthu cutlet” by her students and you may find her binge-watching her favorite Netflix Series during her spare time.

Shairin works as a Project Manager in the School Governance Team and is based out of Lucknow. She has completed her Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Delhi and Master’s in Public Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Prior to CSF, she has been volunteering in college-initiated educational programmes and interned with various NGOs. In her free time, one could find her listening to different genres of music while taking a stroll in nature’s beauty.

Shaista works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Panchkula. Prior to CSF, she was a Governance Consultant at GDi partners wherein she steered a range of projects in education and gender working closely with the Department of Education, the Delhi Commission for Women and providing strategic support to the foreign philanthropies. She was a 2020 Teach for India Fellow and holds an academic degree in French language, literature and culture studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University and loves to immerse herself in cinema, literature and books.

Shalet works with the State FLN Projects Team as a Project Manager and is based out of Delhi. Prior to joining CSF, she worked as an Assistant Manager at Samhita where she managed various CSR projects. She was also a Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate in Haryana and managed various governance initiatives across domains in the districts of Panchkula and Rohtak. She has a BA in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and an MA in Educational Planning, Economics and International Development from UCL, London. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma from Indian School of Development management in Noida. Her hobbies include making people laugh (by making puns) and dancing.

Shaurya works with the State Reform team as a Project Associate and is based out of Panchkula. Shaurya holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science and History from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, and a Master’s degree from the Institute of Education at University College London. Prior to CSF, he has previously worked as a Business Analyst at Zomato. In his free time Shaurya loves to play football and watch cinema. He is a die-hard Real Madrid fan and can quote every line from the Dark Knight trilogy – ask him anytime!

Shilpi works as a Project Lead with the Strategic Support States team in Delhi. She has had diverse experiences of working in the corporate and development sector with the Tata Group, Swaniti Initiative and Grofers. Her willingness to work at the grassroot and make an impact in the lives of people is what motivated her to move to the development sector. During her previous experiences, she has worked with the Government of Jharkhand in strengthening the delivery of Government schemes at the district and state level across sectors such as education, health and livelihood. Shilpi holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from DSCE, Bangalore and a Post Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies (Young India Fellowship) from Ashoka University. She loves spending time in the mountains and has done a couple of high-altitude treks.

Shirin works with the Talent Management & OD team as an Associate and is based out of Delhi. She has done her Bachelors and Masters in Political Science from University of Delhi and a certification course in Strategic Human Resource Management from Loyola Institute of Business Administration. She joined CSF as an intern in the TMOD Team and explored her passion for HR while working with the team.  Outside of work, Shirin can be found debating in MUNs, and participating in cultural events and different art festivals.

Shivam works as a Project Manager in the Early Childhood Education team and is based out of Aligarh. He holds a B.Tech degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from SRM University and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Prior to CSF, he has worked in TCS, in Early Childhood Education and Digital Skilling in Bihar’s aspirational district, Jamui, focusing on innovative educational models encouraging community participation, particularly in the five domains of ECE learning. In his spare time, he indulges in geeking over poetry, football, and cinema while also engaging in public policy challenges.

Shivam works as a Project Manager in the DPMU(UP) team and is based out of Sitapur. He holds a master’s degree in Physics from Mumbai University and extensive experience in the education sector. At the DPMU, he has excelled in managing initiatives, building the capacity of trainers, enhancing efficiency, and achieving strategic goals. His experience with the 2019 Teach for India cohort provided deep insights into educational inequities. During COVID-19, as part of the Transformational Teaching Fellowship, he adapted to remote teaching and contributed to innovative solutions. He was part of the Lead School, where he implemented the lead curriculum in schools and built the capacity of school leaders. Combining analytical skills, leadership, and a passion for transformative education, Shivam is dedicated to driving impactful programs and fostering positive change in education. He likes activities such as swimming, cricket, bike ride and trekking.

Shivangi works as a Project Lead for TicTacLearn(Under Government Projects Team). She is a “Teach For India” Fellow (2015) and taught 60 students at a Municipal School in Mumbai. Post-fellowship, she worked with Lead School as Curriculum and Training Manager and led the development of English curriculum for primary grades. She also worked at XSEED Education as a Senior Education Coach and supported 50 schools on implementation of the XSEED’s K-8 experiential learning curriculum. She has done Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management from IIM Bangalore in 2021. Before moving to the development sector, she worked on consulting projects for clients Morgan Stanley and CVS Caremark at Genpact-Headstrong. She loves travelling and her best travel experiences includes a bike trip to Ladakh and a train journey to Jungfrau.

Shivani works as a Consultant with the Human Resources team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University and a Mastes in Elementary Education from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Prior to CSF, Shivani has more than 6 years of experience in the development sector. A Teach for India (TFI) alumna, she has previously worked with Peepul India as Sr. Project Manager, CM Rise TPD Programme in Madhya Pradesh and Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, TISS as a Teacher Professional Development Consultant on a World Bank funded project with the Ministry of Education. Prior to joining CSF, she worked as Deputy Manager (HR) for A-PAG. In her free time, Shivani likes to sing and paint.

Shreya works as a Project Manager in the Early Childhood Education team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, she interned with Centre for Civil Society, University of Cambridge and Climate Front India in the fronts of research and advocacy and has also worked with Teach For India as a fellow. She worked in community capacity building and classroom development with 24 first and second grade students in the community of Pul Prahladpur. In her past time, she likes to play basketball, and enjoys gardening and reading.

Shreyan Acharya works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Delhi. He is academically trained in law with a Master’s in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. He has previously gained experience in education and governance at the Directorate of Education in Delhi. He publishes on different topics of education and development and has also presented at national and international conferences. He has a fondness for nature hiking especially after his stay in Brighton and a trip to Meghalaya. In his daily routine, he cherishes reading, outdoor activities and outings with his peers.

Shruti works in the RMEAL team as a Project Manager. Prior to joining CSF, she has worked with ASER Centre, where her role involved test development for a variety of funded and govt. partnership projects. Being a part of the core working group, she has also contributed extensively to the development of an international numeracy assessment tool as part of ELANA (Early language and numeracy assessments). Shruti has a total of nine years of experience in the education sector where she spent the initial two years in writing grade 9th and 10th Science textbooks for Chhattisgarh SCERT. She likes to spend her free time with her dog named ‘Scooter’.

Shweta joins the Strategic Support States team in Bihar as a District Consultant. She is a skilled development professional who holds Masters in Social Work from Banaras Hindu University. She started her career in the development sector as a Gandhi fellow and impacted the lives of children by enhancing the education system. She has worked with Dept. of WCD Govt. of Delhi and Ministry of Skill Development, GOI and has taken the responsibility in enhancing the lives chances of youth, women and children by enabling them through skill development and Education. She loves working for the people, by the people and of the people. Apart from this, she loves watching cooking videos.

Shweta works as an Executive in the Finance Team and is based out of Delhi. Her work focuses on verifying and approving employee reimbursement & vendor payments, processing payments, reconciling accounts payable and receivable apart from this she assist in Taxation and Statutory compliance . She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bharti College, Delhi University and has pursued her MBA in Finance from NMIMS. In her free time, she can be found gardening, dancing, swimming or watching horror/thriller movies.

Shweta works with the State FLN Projects team as a State Lead and is based out of Bhubaneswar. Prior to joining CSF, she was working with Reach to Teach in Gurgaon. She is a development sector professional whose primary engagement has been with the education sector in India. She has been designing and leading operations in education programs for over 15 years. With a deep interest in education research, her commitment has been towards bridging practice with research findings. Shweta has a Masters in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai, and has worked with diverse teams in different locations across India. In her free time, she engages in café hopping, long walks, and yoga.

Shyam Sunder Sharma joins the CSF State Strategic Support Team in Telangana as Program Manager (Academics). He holds a Masters degree in Economics from St. Joseph’s University, Bengaluru. After two years of immersive engagement as a TFI fellow in a low-income private school, he worked with the Government of Telangana as a Kakatiya Governance Fellow. Shyam has also worked closely with the Secretary of Finance and the Secretary of Social and Tribal Welfare Schools. His responsibilities included creating a digital repository for all cadres in the state, building and managing partnerships for academic collaborations, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and strengthening higher education in both societies. Apart from work, Shyam is a movie enthusiast and loves exploring local street food.

Siddhant works as a Project Manager with the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Agra. He holds law degree from MNLU Mumbai, where he also interned with the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission and CCS. Prior to CSF, he inspired young minds as a Teach for India fellow in Mumbai, guiding 9th and 10th graders. In his free time, Siddhant explores the road less traveled, conquering uncharted treks, while always carrying a non-fiction book.

Sidrah works as a Project Lead in the DPMU(UP) team and is based out of Sitapur. Her journey to the metropolises of Delhi and Mumbai fuelled her commitment to bridging rural-urban disparities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work form Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi and Master’s in Applied Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Prior to CSF, she worked with IIM Lucknow for the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship. She owns a handicraft business called OONY with her sister. In her free time Sidrah loves managing events, reading Chacha Chaudhary comics and Urdu poetry and solving crosswords.

Simran Singh works as a Project Manager with the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Agra. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. Prior to CSF, she worked at Teach For India, fueling her passion for social impact. She founded NextGenShift, an initiative teaching 21st-century skills (data, tech, AI, entrepreneurship, design thinking) to high school students. At McKinsey & Company, Simran honed her data representation skills as a Business Presentation Specialist, leading teams on time-sensitive projects in sectors like Banking and Securities.

Sneha works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Jhansi. She holds a philosophy honours degree from BHU and a PGDM (RM) from IRMA. Sneha also has a minor in Education, where, in an extensive field work during her post-graduation, she highlighted numerous gaps in the education system that require urgent attention. She also interred with Asia’s largest dairy cooperative, Banas Dairy, and has also worked with Care India on capacity-building initiatives for women. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing and aspires to publish her own novel someday.

Sneha works with the EdTech team at CSF, and leads the evidence generation projects aimed at generating evidence of promising hypotheses and programs, and identifying what works, how it works and how to make it work at scale. Prior to joining CSF, Sneha worked with Management Consulting organizations for over a decade in Strategy and Operations role consulting Retail and FMCG clients in India and overseas. Sneha holds an MBA from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and did her Bachelors in Business Administration from Symbiosis, Pune. She is a health nut and an avid Yoga practitioner.

Snehankita works as a Project Associate in Strategic Support States and is based out of Delhi. Before joining CSF, she contributed her skills to Tata Trusts in the ‘Antaran Transforming Crafts’ project, focusing on crafts-based livelihood development. Snehankita earned her bachelor’s degree in Child Protection and a Master’s in Social Work with a specialisation in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati. Her journey in the development sector is deeply rooted in her passion for social change and empowerment. Her decision to join the development sector is rooted in a belief in the transformative power of grassroots initiatives, especially when it comes to shaping the futures of young minds. She firmly holds that education is a cornerstone for societal progress, and focusing on children is key to creating a positive and sustainable impact. Outside work, her interests include culinary adventures, exploring new destinations, savouring diverse cuisines, and engaging in sports during her leisure time.

Sparsh is a development sector professional, currently working as a Project Manager for the Policy & Communications Team. Prior to joining Central Square Foundation, Sparsh has worked as a Parliamentary Engagements Analyst at Swaniti Initiative, New Delhi, building relations with Members of Parliament by supporting them in their legislative work and engaging in research and advocacy around matters such as Child Rights and Air Pollution. He has also worked as an Assistant Research Fellow at Public Policy Research Centre, New Delhi, affiliated to the Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation. Sparsh is very passionate about the development of the country and firmly believes that the use of technology and collaboration between stakeholders in the Education Sector can guide India towards becoming a prosperous nation. He hopes to make a tangible impact towards improving Foundational Learning Outcomes and the National Foundational-Learning Mission during his tenure at CSF. He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from Ambedkar University, and a Bachelor (Hons) in Political Science from Sri Venkateswara College, New Delhi. In his spare time, Sparsh likes to spend time with his beloved Golden Retriever, gaming on his Playstation 5, watching football or checking out the latest gadgets.

Sparsh works as a Project Manager in the School Governance Team and is based out of Delhi. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree with Honours in Commerce from the University of Delhi. Prior to CSF, she did her fellowship with Teach for India, where she taught as well as learnt from 50 curious and kind young girls. Since then, her faith in the power of education has deepened even further. Beyond her professional endeavours, Sparsh finds joy in nature, poetry, music and yoga. She is also on a quest to sculpt yoga poses that consistently let her gaze at the sky from ever-shifting angles.

Srishti Duggal works as a Project Associate in Strategic Support States team and is based out of Punjab. She holds an M.A. in Cities and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, and a B.A. Honors in Political Science from Gargi College, University of Delhi. Srishti is skilled in data analysis, Python and R, Power BI, Data Monitoring, Impact Evaluation and Policy Analysis. She is dedicated to leveraging these skills to enhance educational initiatives and drive sustainable development.

Subhransu is a competent development professional with organizational experience across leading projects, operations, and generating results. He holds a Master’s in Social Innovations and Entrepreneurship from TISS, Maharashtra. He has extensive experience in Project Implementation, Capacity Building, Research & Learning, and Accountability in the areas of Education, Child Protection, Health, and Women Empowerment.

Sudarshna works as a Senior Manager in the Human Resources team and is based out of Delhi. Her academic journey began at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, and continued with a degree in Literature from Delhi University. She then ventured on completing a PG Diploma in HR and Administration from TISS Mumbai, followed by a dual Masters degree in Business Administration and Project Management from Torrens University, Australia. Prior to CSF, Sudarshna worked with Invest India, an Invest Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Commerce within the HR department. She has also contributed to various development sector projects and is eager to support more impactful initiatives through CSF. Known for her attentive listening, Sudarshna is excited to embark on new adventures and gather experiences at CSF. She loves to travel and is passionate about baking!

Suman Bharti works with the State FLN Projects as a District Consultant and is based out of Jehanabad. She is a commerce graduate from Ranchi University and a Gandhi Fellowship alumna. Following her fellowship, she worked for Tata Trust on the Swachh Bharat Mission in three districts of Jharkhand, supporting the district administration on both an operational and strategic level. Later, she joined Mantra4Change to strengthen teacher training institutions in Bihar.She enjoys watching movies and exploring different cultures and cuisines.

Sumedha works as a Project Manager in the RMEAL Team and is based out of Delhi. Before CSF, Sumedha has been in the MEL and Research Domain for many years. He has worked on a diverse range of problem statements in FLN, entrepreneurial mindset for children, gender, and prevention of sexual trafficking. Sumedha holds a degree in Economics from Ashoka University and is interested in exploring the intersectionality associated with learning outcomes. He has worked previously at Peepul where he ran multivariate regressions on state wide data and developed tools to monitor behavioural changes among stakeholders in schools. Sumedha loves to cook, and is fascinated by all things fermentation in the culinary world.

Sunita Boro works with the Strategic Support States team as a District Consultant based out of Jehanabad in Bihar. She has completed her Bachelors in English Literature from Assam, and Masters in Social Work from Dibrugarh University, Assam. She started her career as a Gandhi Fellow in Bihar where she worked towards the improvement of education quality in public schools of Katihar district. Prior to CSF, Sunita was working with Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights as a Child Rights Fellow and was leading the project ‘Early Warning System’ in 1046 Government schools under the Directorate of Education, Delhi. In her leisure time, Sunita likes to binge-watch TV series and is also passionate about sports.

Suresh Ghattamaneni works as State Lead, Telangana with State FLN Projects team working on improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in the state. Suresh ventured into social sector after his graduation in Mechanical Engineering and has worked with think tanks, government and not for profit organizations for around 13 years. He is a former Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow having worked with the Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, supporting the local administration in the last mile delivery of development initiatives. Suresh believes in continuous learning and has completed his Masters in Communication and Journalism and pursued various certificate courses as well. He also completed Post Graduation Programme for Working Professionals (MBA) from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Suresh loves exploring diverse fields and further connect dots to create models for social good. He is passionate about Education, Governance and Technology for Social impact.

Susmit works as a Project Lead in the RMEAL Team and is based out of Delhi. He has more than four years of experience in managing research and evaluation assignments from diverse themes including agriculture, sustainability, climate change, energy, public health, education, livelihoods, and skilling. His favorite part of the job is the extensive travel that comes with it, as his work has enabled him to visit more than 24 states in the country over the last four years. Susmit holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), with a focus on data analytics and public policy. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Economics from Calcutta University. Currently, he is pursuing a PGP degree in Data Science and Business Analytics from Austin University, Texas, a PGP degree in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence from Great Lakes Institute, and a MS in Data Science from Deakin University.

Swati works as a Consultant with the School Governance team and is based out of Lucknow. She holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Sri Ram School of Economics, DU and Master of Arts in Political Science from IGNOU. Prior to CSF, she has worked with Deloitte and was a part of the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates Programme in Haryana. The experience fortified her passion for public policy – as she finds the diversity of opportunities in the field refreshing, and the chance to bring about positive changes rewarding. In her leisure time, Swati loves music in many forms and enjoys cooking.

Swati works as a Senior Project Manager in the EdTech team and is based out of Delhi. She has extensively worked in the education sector with on-ground programs, edtech platforms as well as technology policy with Milaan Foundation, the Karta Initiative (incubated by the Tata Trusts), and The University of Chicago Trust. Additionally, Swati founded a social enterprise that promotes ethical clothing through the use of handlooms from Odisha. Her educational background comprises a master’s degree in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She is an Odissi dancer, and enjoys dancing and reading.

Tanaya works as a Project Manager in the District Project Management Unit (UP) team and is based out of Delhi. She has previously worked with Ernst & Young as a Public Policy Consultant, where she was involved in key policy analysis projects for multiple stakeholders. She studied Economics at Ashoka University and Public Policy at the Indian School of Public Policy, where she specialized in Education, Health and Infrastructure. Her keen interest in the education domain and in exploring alternative pedagogies to improve learning outcomes led her to CSF. Outside of work, she can be found sitting at a local cafés as she catches up with friends, her favourite sitcoms, or the with the latest fantasy novel that she’s reading.

Tanuj works with Talent Management & OD team as an Associate Director & is based out of Delhi. Tanuj has tried his hands in multiple professions – which includes the sciences, service centres, hospitality and sales before discovering his true passion in Human Resources. He holds an MBA in HR from IMT, Ghaziabad. In the past, Tanuj has worked with organizations like Airtel , Bharti Walmart, Star Sports, American Express, and most recently, Amazon. As a certified leadership coach with more than 400 hours of coaching experience, he is passionate about how human experiences and motivations drive organizational success. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and his Golden Retriever. His other interests include listening to classic rock music, 5k runs, and cooking.

Tanya Singh works as a Project Consultant in the EdTech team and is based out of Shimla. She holds a BE in Information Technology from SGSITS, Indore, and a Certification in Public Policy & Management from IIM Visakhapatnam. Prior to joining CSF, Tanya worked with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Arunachal Pradesh, focusing on strengthening the employment ecosystem for tribal youth. She later served as a Skill Development Consultant, leading training programs to enhance soft skills and managerial competencies for mid-level management. Driven by her passion for human development, she is dedicated to empowering India’s youth with the education and skills needed for the future.

Tarendra join the Strategic Support States team as a Project Manager. He has done his Graduation in chemistry from the Magadh University, Bodh Gaya and Post-Graduation in journalism from the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Bhopal. He holds a Master degree in Sociology from the IGNOU as well. He is a journalist turned media educator with more than 10 years experience in journalism and one year teaching experience as a lecturer of mass communication. Prior to CSF, Tarendra joined the Azim Premji Foundation as a fellow and learnt about the school ecosystem and planned interventions in it to improve the learning outcomes. He likes to call himself a movie buff, avid reader, passionate writer and a travele

Tushar works as a Project Lead with the Partnerships and New Initiatives team at CSF, and is based out of Lucknow. He has an experience of more than six years in the development sector, specifically in the education space and has been making efforts to make it more interdisciplinary. He is an engineer by academic qualification and has done his masters in Development Studies from Azim Premji University. He has also been a fellow with the International Innovation Corps and has worked with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Tushar has also worked with the state governments of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan on the implementation of an EdTech initiative by TISS Mumbai.

Tushar works with the State Reform Team as Consultant and is based out of Haryana. Tushar holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s in Economics (Honors), and is a Bayer Scholar with certification in Data to Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to CSF, His impactful career spans roles as a development and governance consultant for the Government of Punjab, partnerships for labor innovation research at the Good Business Lab, and monitoring and evaluation of the Central Sector Schemes for the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Tushar is also the founder of the Annihilate the Taboo Initiative. In his free time, he loves to immerse himself in dance, music, and books.

Udayan works with the State Reform Team as a Project Manager and is based out of Panchkula. He is a Gold medalist law graduate from Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur. Prior to CSF, He served as a Legal Assistant at the Law Department in Government of Chhattisgarh’s Mantralaya between 2018 and 2019 and has also been a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow under Ministry of Skill development and entrepreneurship from 2021 to 2023 at Rajnandgaon. Udayan played a pivotal role in implementing diverse short-term skilling initiatives and philanthropic projects for the District Skill Committee. As part of the fellowship, he earned a Certificate in Public Policy and Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode. Udayan finds joy in traveling, practicing meditation, and derives happiness by bringing smiles to people’s faces.

Vaibhav works as a Project Lead in the State Reform Team and is based out of Lucknow He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Leading Ashoka University’s flagship Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate program, Vaibhav has gained strong insights into the large-scale governance in school education and service delivery. Previously he has supported constituency development efforts of a Member of Parliament in Rajasthan. With a strong entrepreneurial appetite, he has been at the forefront of setting up an incubator for social enterprises.Vaibhav is a passionate reader, actively follows contemporary socio-political discourse and enjoys long distance running.

Varun Khokher works as a Project Manager in the State Reform team and is based out of Bhopal. He is a Computer Science Engineer, graduated from Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Technical University. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management Anand. Previously, he served as Executive – Corporate Social Responsibility at NTPC Ltd., where he oversaw the implementation, monitoring, documentation and reporting of CSR projects at the Farakka plant in West Bengal. His responsibilities included managing CSR projects exceeding INR 5 Crores annually, with a primary focus on education, health, livelihoods, drinking water, and sanitation initiatives. Apart from his professional pursuits, he is a cinephile who enjoys engaging in conversations about films. He is also a passionate sports enthusiast, often seen on badminton courts or TT tables during his leisure time.

Vijay works with the Finance team at CSF as an Associate and is based out of Delhi. He holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Patna University and has pursued Chartered Accountancy. Prior to CSF, Vijay has been a professional accountant and has 7 years of experience handling all aspects of accountant functions i.e bookkeeping, finalization of accounts, taxation, auditing etc. He has also worked in Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital as an accountant for 2.5 years. In his free time, Vijay enjoys singing, listening to music, eating, cooking, playing cricket, watching movies and traveling.

Vimal works as a Project Lead in the Strategic Support States Team and is based out of Guwahati, Assam. Prior to joining CSF, Vimal worked at Azim Premji Foundation, Puducherry as a Resource Person. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language & Literature from Madras Christian College, Chennai and a masters in Teaching English as Second Language (TESL). It was his interest in language pedagogy for young learners that led him to work towards primary school education. He loves to travel and explore new places and believes that the world is a better place if you keep exploring it. He also enjoys writing blogs about his travel experiences.

Vinod leads the state reform work in UP, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. His work entails developing FLN reform frameworks to drive reform in states in the context of the NIPUN Mission. Prior to CSF, He has spent over 10 years in the Indian education landscape providing founder-level leadership in projects like STIR Education and TheTeacherApp. He specializes in designing at-scale programs with state governments with a sharp teacher lens. He also spent over 8 years in investment banking and was part of Lehman Brothers and Nomura. Vinod holds a Master’s from Delhi School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Delhi University. In his free time, you can find him watching content online and reading just about anything!

Vipul Falor works with the State Reform Team as a Project Manager and is based out of Panchkula. He is a business management graduate from NMIMS, Mumbai. He has worked as a Gandhi Fellow in Maharashtra and as a Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate in Haryana. In his previous stint at CSF, he was part of the team working on NIPUN UP. He has also travelled extensively around the country. In his free time, he likes to explore new places, read, listen to podcasts, train for long distance running and often spends a significant amount of time laughing at and sharing memes.

Vishakha works as a Project Lead in the State Reform team as a Project Manager and is based out of Delhi. As part of this role, she coordinates with the on-ground FLN partner teams and drives effective implementation of the state’s FLN mission. Vishakha has close to 7 years of experience in the development sector working across various organizations like Teach for India, Stanford University, and Leadership for Equity before joining CSF. In her free time, she can be found listening to podcasts, taking walks, reading illustrated comics, or just reflecting on life.

Vishakha works as a Project Manager in the RMEAL team and is based out of Delhi. Prior to CSF, Vishakha worked at JPAL, CSBC and DAI Research & Advisory services working primarily on large scale RCT field projects in public health, gender based violence, agriculture and mental health. Vishakha holds a Masters in International and Development Economics from the Australian National University. In her free time, she tries to read, travel and paint.

Vishal works with the State FLN Projects team in Telangana that is working on improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in the state. Before transitioning to the education sector, he started his career with Tata Steel as an Operations Manager and worked there for 5 years. During this period, he also led the Strategy and Program Management vertical as Executive to General Manager, in one of their divisions. Vishal holds an undergraduate degree in Mining Engineering from NIT, Rourkela. In his spare time, Vishal enjoys travelling by road, listening to music and exploring new restaurants.

Vivek works as a Project Lead with the DPMU (UP) team and is based out of Agra. He holds a Master’s degree in Development from Azim Premji University, Bangalore, and a Bachelor’s in Information Technology from RGTU Bhopal. Prior to CSF, he has worked in Strategic Projects Management Team at Transform Rural India Foundation and led NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Program in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh as a Program Manager at Piramal Foundation. In his leisure time, Vivek is passionate about participating in community service, and utilising data analytics for educational improvement.

Eswar works as the Project Lead with the Strategic Support States Team, Telangana at CSF. He received his entire education in a residential setting, from preschool to Masters. He did his BTech from GMR Institute of Technology and then a M.A in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University. His stand for causing oneness in people drove him to work in the education sector as a teacher, teacher trainer, and with the governments . He is looking to leverage his on-ground experience at Central Square Foundation. Fun Fact: His day doesn’t pass without having an ice-cream. He is a big time chocolate fan.

Yasawini works as a Consultant in the EdTech team and is based out of Vijayawada. She holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from JNTUK University. Prior to CSF, she worked in the automobile sector and later worked with Teach for India, Xseed to explore her passion for the education sector. She effectively trained teachers in driving the implementation by supporting different stakeholders holders. She enjoys playing keyboard and is a trained classical dancer in Kuchipudi.