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Being a Social Work graduate from TISS, Mumbai I have the extensive understanding of research, project management, public policy and monitoring and evaluation. By engaging with various leading agencies like TISS, UNICEF, and NERSWN and more others I have developed capabilities to understand the structural problems on the ground and way to find its solution. |
 Contact Abhishek Kumar
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Area of Expertise: |
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Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research
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Private Sector, Corporate Social Responsibility
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Social, Gender, Education, Youth, Child
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Professional Experience: |
As an intern, I was engaged in improving the livelihood status of Santhal community by enhancing their existing agricultural practices in Kokrajhar district of Assam. This whole area had been under ethnic conflicts which occurred at regular intervals. Thus being present in most sensitive conflict zone it was very challenging to work with and within the specific community. The agency to which I was attached, named, North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN) had been trying to implement the livelihood project, but due to various conflict-related threats, it could not be succeeded to achieve its full objective.
When I joined NERSWN as an intern for the period of one month, I was given a very similar situation where NERSWN stopped looking further growth in the implementation of the project. I got this challenge as an opportunity when everyone stopped to take their steps ahead. Initially, I started talking with people of the Santhal community regarding their surplus production in recent two and half years. Their responses were very positive and were very inclined to the midline survey report of the given training in vegetable production to farmers. But the disposition of surplus agricultural produce in the markets was the subject of worry among Santhal farmers. During taking multiple rounds of the whole area I got markets were present in its own proximity but only confined to the particular ethnic group. While other ethnic community did not take any single interest in others market. These distances among markets were consequences of previously occurred ethnic conflicts in these areas. Due to this lack of market integration, demand and supply were badly affected and this was the reason of non-accessibility of markets for selling the surplus production of Santhal farmers. I thought this process of market integration could also become the prime factor to mitigate the threat of bloody ethnic conflicts. Now I had a visible solution to ensure optimisation of markets as a resource by integrating all scattered ethnic based markets together. But it could be hidden danger when I would start communicating directly to all ethnic groups to open their markets for the use of other ethnic groups. Later by taking the consent of all staffs of NERSWN we reached the decision to trigger all ethnic groups at first to participate in every fourth nightly football tournaments. These whole planning processes took whole one month and later I came back to my university. While the process of transformation towards market integration are still in the process through sports activities among all ethnic groups. Consequently, regular efforts of employees of NERSWN have been imparting some signs of their being closure and ensured the sharing of their partial market spaces for other ethnic groups. It is increasing supply and demand. Eventually, Santhal farmers who are producing surplus agricultural produce gradually getting more market opportunities to sell their produce,
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Education: |
Post Graduation
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
MA in Social Work in Dalit and Tribal Studies and Action (2015-17)
Elective- Strategic Management, Social Entrepreneurship, Laws and Democratic Rights
GPA: 6.6/10
My master's programme is the first of its kind in the world, providing me with a wide theoretical and field exposure situated within the lived and shared experiences of Dalits in South Asia and Adivasi from India and other regions of the world. It's more emphasised is its pragmatic curricular logic built on the convergence between theory and practice. In addition to training on basic core skills of social work practice in working with Individuals, Groups, Communities, and Organization, this course also enables me in possessing advanced skills for structural analysis, policy and practice, social and economic empowerment of people in situations of displacement and discrimination.
My recent record of the field work and research engagements have exposed me to take up various challenges and important works relating to welfare, development, protection and empowerment in specific conditions of displacements, issues of land and forest rights in scheduled and tribal areas; livelihood, poverty, malnutrition and migration; government’s social development policies and practice, education for Schedules Caste and Scheduled Tribe children, democratic process and local self-governance in the rural areas and villages.
Graduation
Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour
B.Sc Agriculture (2009-13)
OGPA-7.712/10
BSc in Agriculture is a four-year course. The curriculum is very broad and inter-disciplinary consisting of courses in Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Agricultural Economics, Extension education, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Soil Science, Food technology, Animal Husbandry apart from supporting courses in Basic Sciences, Humanities and Agricultural Engineering. The program also includes a compulsory 1 semester of internship (Rural Agricultural Work Experience). Most of the courses are infused with practicality with emphasis on 'hands on' experience and 'learning by doing'.
10+2
Maa Bharti Sin. Secondary School, Kota (2005-07)
Percentage-65.8%
I attended Maa Bharti Sin Sec School from 2005-07 and hence did my 10+2 in 2007.
10th
Netarhat Residential School, Netarhat (2001-05)
Percentage-82.8%
I was selected for Netarhat Residential School where I completed my elementary and secondary education with full government aid. Among almost 30,000 students from entire Bihar and Jharkhand, I secured under 100 ranks in the year 2001.
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Affiliations and Achievements: |
1. Represented my University in the International Youth Conference 2013 which was held on 12-13 January 2013 and presented the paper on “Women Empowerment”.
2. Represented the University in the International Youth Conference 2012 held on 12-13 January 2012 and presented the paper on the topic “Holistic Path of Education.
3. Published Article- Holistic Path of Education in book “SAVING HUMANITY Swami Vivekananda Perspective” having ISBN No- 978-81-923019-0-7.
4. Represented my University in All India Inter Agricultural University Sports and Game Meet-2011-12, Sponsored by ICAR.
5. Got 2nd position in elocution competition held on 17th November 2011 at Bihar Agricultural College, Sabour on the topic “Climate change and Agriculture”.
6. Represented the college in Inter college elocution competition held on 19th November 2011 at Bihar Agricultural College, Sabour and achieved the 3rd position.
7. Represented my University in Bihar Inter Agricultural University Elocution Contest at State Level which was held on 19th March 2012 on “Climate Change and Agriculture”.
8. I did anchoring during cultural fest in Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour.
9. Was in School football and hockey team in Netarhat Residential School.
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Available for: |
- Consulting assignments
- Job opportunities
- Internships / Fellowships
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