Unlike conventional research institutes, the ERU research and documentation team comprises a core team of professionals and a wider pool of independent researchers who come on board for specific assignments / projects. The team is hand picked to suit the specific requirement of every assignment. We bring in people from research institutions when required. We are networked via the Internet and are able to work with researchers across the country and in different languages. Our core panel of researchers include the following persons:
Core Team
Vimala Ramachandran has worked on education, public health and child development for over 25 years and has extensive experience in qualitative research, policy and programme development and process documentation. She was the first National Project Director of Mahila Samakhya (1988-1993), a founder Trustee of HealthWatch (1994-2007) – a network of social activists and researchers working on women’s health issues. Vimala has significant experience of grant making, programme design, appraisal and evaluation and is based in New Delhi.
Kameshwari Jandhyala has worked on women’s education, empowerment and livelihood issues for over 20 yeas. She is the first Director of Mahila Samakhya Andhra Pradesh and Consultant to the National Office of Mahila Samakhya in Department of Education, GOI. She is a keen researcher and has significant experience in qualitative research and programme development in education (women’s education), women’s studies and gender and development issues. Kameshwari is based in Hyderabad.
Nishi Mehrotra has worked on sustainable agriculture, watershed development, rural development and women’s empowerment issues. She is the first State Programme Director of Mahila Samakhya Programme in Uttar Pradesh. She has significant experience in the area of water and sanitation and is a highly skilled qualitative researcher and has extensive fieldwork experience. She is based in Lucknow and has significant ground level experience in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand. Nishi is based in Lucknow.
Shanti Menon has a C.A.S. degree [equivalent to an M.Phil] in education from Syracuse University, New York and over 20 years experience in designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation, managing research projects, developing and writing grant proposals and teaching courses in research methods. Her areas of interest include secondary and higher education, educational policy, and public health. She is particularly interested in the intersection of gender, caste and class with macro level political, social, cultural and economic forces. She is based in Kerala.
Bharat Patni, an engineer from IIT Roorkee with an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, has 32 years of domestic and international experience in the corporate sector. He then transited into the development sector and spent six years with Pratham, Mumbai providing full time support on issues related to general management, donor coordination, MIS, finance and programme planning / development. He has travelled extensively in the country in connection with Pratham interface with the government in Primary Education. He joined ERU group in 2006 and has anchored / managed multi-state research projects. He brings quantitative research skills to the ERU management team. Bharat is based in New Delhi.
Niti Saxena, has been a part of ERU team since inception and she has significant experience in quantitative as well as qualitative research. She has worked on child rights, women’s rights and education and development issues. Niti is the former Executive Director of AALI (a feminist legal advocacy and research group headquartered in Lucknow). She leads / anchors ERU’s field projects across northern India. Niti is based in Lucknow.