Ananga Dev Ghosh

State Manager Health Nutrition & Sanitation , Bihar

Kolkata , West Bengal

Impact-driven professional with 5+ years’ experience leading FNHW and livelihoods programs in rural Bihar. Skilled in SHG mobilization, stakeholder engagement, CSR alignment, and data-driven implementation. Proven expertise in program design, capacity building, monitoring, and scaling community-led models focused on sustainability, social inclusion, and SDG-linked outcomes.

Contact Ananga Dev Ghosh
Area of Expertise:
  • Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural, Urban
  • Fundraising, Business Development, Grants Writer
  • Health, Doctors, Nurses, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research
  • Private Sector, Corporate Social Responsibility
Professional Experience:

With 5 years of Experience As State Manager – Health, Nutrition & Sanitation (HNS) at JEEViKA (BRLPS), I lead the strategic implementation of public health initiatives across Bihar, integrating grassroots delivery with policy-level objectives. My work aligns with national programs and CSR mandates, focusing on WASH, preventive healthcare, maternal-child health, and nutrition—directly contributing to SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5 & 17.
I spearheaded the Health Help Desk initiative, facilitating real-time services to 2.94 lakh IPD and 16.96 lakh OPD patients via MIS-based tracking. I successfully integrated the Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY) with HNS, targeting 1,168 ultra-poor households with tailored health and nutrition support.
I’ve led statewide health screenings, identifying 1,060+ NCD cases, and supported 202 women under the 1,000-day nutrition model. I oversee 2,800+ women-led micro-enterprises in health and nutrition—promoting SHG-based entrepreneurship and local service delivery.
My role demands strong collaboration with World Bank, PCI, UNICEF, NRLM, and state departments, supporting CSR-aligned proposal development and monitoring. I’ve drafted state-level strategy documents, operational guidelines, IEC, success stories, and donor reports for high-level dissemination.
From policy formulation to field-level execution, I bring expertise in large-scale project management, data systems (MIS, M&E tools), and stakeholder coordination, while ensuring financial compliance and sustainable outcomes. My work reflects a deep commitment to inclusive, data-driven public health transformation.

As a Block Project Manager under the World Bank-supported BTDP, I was responsible for end-to-end management of program operations across 15 panchayats. I led a multidisciplinary team of 15 project staff and more than 200 community cadres, ensuring high-quality implementation of key interventions in livelihoods, financial inclusion, health, nutrition, and institution building.

I facilitated the successful formation and financial linkage of over 2,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs), significantly improving access to credit and livelihood opportunities for rural women. I played a key role in nurturing these SHGs into vibrant community-based organizations and supported them in starting income-generating activities. My efforts led to the formation of Producer Groups (PGs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), and I also promoted small-scale enterprises and agricultural nurseries to improve market access and income sustainability.

I successfully implemented the Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY), Bihar’s flagship poverty alleviation program, at a large scale. The program focused on ultra-poor households, and I ensured their graduation through targeted asset transfers and continuous mentoring. I also introduced the block’s first cadre-based payment process and institutionalized capacity-building training sessions for all field-level staff.

To ensure effective program monitoring, I developed and tracked KPIs for all cadres and project staff. I regularly analyzed MIS and large-scale data sets to assess program performance and outcomes. My role involved continuous engagement with line departments, financial institutions, and government stakeholders for convergence and cross-sector collaboration.

This role deepened my skills in decentralized governance, community-led development, team leadership, policy implementation, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E). It also aligned with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

As a Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer at Sundarbans Social Development Center (SSDC India), I led the MEL component of a community-based anti-human trafficking initiative funded by The Hummingbird Foundation. My work was grounded in the Theory of Change and Logical Framework Approach (LFA), ensuring all monitoring efforts were aligned with the project’s strategic objectives.

Education:

I have built a strong academic foundation in the field of social sciences and development through my formal education, complemented by hands-on field experience. I hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, which I pursued from 2018 to 2020, securing a CGPA of 6.22. This postgraduate program offered me a robust understanding of social work theories, community organization, participatory development models, and rights-based approaches. The MSW program also emphasized practical field engagement, allowing me to apply classroom learnings directly in rural and under-resourced settings. This laid the foundation for my professional work in sectors such as food, nutrition, health, WASH, and rural livelihoods.

Prior to this, I completed my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the same university, Visva-Bharati, between 2015 and 2018, with a CGPA of 5.35. The BSW program gave me my first exposure to the development sector, introducing me to fundamental concepts in sociology, public administration, psychology, and community outreach. During this time, I was involved in multiple outreach programs, rural camps, and field surveys that sharpened my grassroots understanding and developed my interpersonal and documentation skills.

To further enhance my managerial and leadership capabilities, I am currently pursuing an Executive MBA from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna, with a specialization in Human Resource Management. This program began in 2024 and is scheduled to complete in 2026. I have consistently performed well in the program, maintaining a CGPA of 8.53. This course is helping me build critical competencies in strategic management, organizational behavior, people analytics, and leadership—all of which are highly relevant to my ongoing work in leading state-level development programs, stakeholder engagement, and managing community-based teams.

This combination of social work education and management training uniquely positions me at the intersection of community development and institutional leadership. It allows me to engage both at the grassroots and policy levels—understanding community needs deeply while designing and delivering scalable, data-driven solutions that align with CSR and SDG goals.

Affiliations and Achievements:

I have successfully led the design and state-wide implementation of the Health Help Desk (HHD) program under the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS – JEEViKA), in collaboration with the Department of Health, Government of Bihar. This intervention has been rolled out across all 38 districts of Bihar, and currently, 45 Health Help Desks are operational in Sadar Hospitals and Medical Colleges, with more than 140 Swasthya Mitra didis already engaged. The program has directly supported access to services for over 2.94 lakh in-patients (IPD) and 16.96 lakh out-patients (OPD) as of the last reporting period. Beyond implementation, I also strategically converged this program with the Government of India’s flagship initiative SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana), enhancing maternal and child health service accessibility and quality through SHG platforms. This cross-departmental coordination reflects my ability to align community-based programs with larger public health schemes.

In my previous role as a Block Project Manager, I played a critical role in entrepreneurship promotion under Satat Jeevika Utpardhan Yojana (SJY), one of Bihar's flagship sustainable livelihood programs. I successfully facilitated the formation and operationalization of over 200 small-scale enterprises, empowering SHG women through credit linkages, skill training, and handholding support. Independently, I took initiative to form Producer Groups at the SHG level, creating value-chain-based models in agriculture and non-farm sectors. I not only guided the preparation of viable business plans but also got them approved at the district and state levels, ensuring access to markets and sustainability. Today, more than 10 Producer Groups are successfully operating in my block, demonstrating tangible outcomes in rural enterprise development.

One of my proudest achievements was during the COVID-19 vaccination drive in 2021, when Bihar was struggling with low coverage. Despite a high target, I mobilized my experience in grassroots engagement, building partnerships with local administration, BDO, CHC/PHC medical officers, Panchayat leaders, teachers, and SHG networks. As a result, my block became the first in the district to achieve 100% vaccination saturation, marking a key public health success.

Internships and Research Engagements:
Tata Metaliks Ltd., Kharagpur (West Bengal) – Internship in Human Resource Management, focusing on people processes in an industrial setting.

Seva Mandir, Udaipur (Rajasthan) – Internship focused on Farm Value Chain Development and strengthening rural producer networks.

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) – Research engagement on adaptation and impact of improved crop varieties.

Publication: "Understanding Contemporary Migration: Challenges, Impacts, and Resilience in the Context of Bihar and The Covid-19 Pandemic" – published by Iterative International Publisher (ISBN available on request).

Available for:

  • Job opportunities
  • Being headhunted – make me an offer

Years of Experience:

2-5 years

Highest Qualification:

Masters

Languages:

English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali

Nationality:

Indian

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