Members & Advisors

Founder, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development | Banaras Hindu University

Leading ecologist having unprecedented expertise in Vindhyan ecology, he founded ‘Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development’ in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He has done pioneering research on Vindhyan ecology and presently involved in various studies using remote sensing and has innumerable international publications on varied aspects of the environment, but his major research inclination can be seen towards an ecology of invasive species. This young professor from the country's topmost university, Prof. Akhilesh Raghubanshi is an inspiration to many scientists and researchers in the country. His association with the team brings not only his vast experience and knowledge but the confidence which can be seen in the whole organization.

Associate Professor, Department of Zoology | Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi

An awardee of ‘Distinguished Teacher’ by the University of Delhi, 'Shiksha Rattan', 'Meritorious Teacher Award' by Govt. of Delhi and few other international awards in education, Dr. Kumar is an entomologist with a special interest in biological control of pests using plant extracts. She is Editor of several international societies and journals, authored several books for education boards, and also working for a long time on open education resources. She also works closely with NCERT and IGNOU. To read her complete profile click here

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Assistant Professor, Zoology | Smt. C.H.M. College, University of Mumbai

Known for his outstanding knowledge of the subject and blessed with exceptional motivational skills Dr. Pandey worked in Banaras Hindu University and University of Delhi before joining his alma mater Smt. C.H.M. College, Mumbai. He is an enthusiastic and recognized teacher of Mumbai University and has numerous international publications in cell biology with special interest in animal behavior. Popular for his helping attitude and guiding nature, he quickly becomes any one's favourite. Being a native to Mirzapur, the place where Vindhyan mountain series starts, his association with Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan dates back to the very beginning.

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Expert in Ecology and Remote Sensing

Dr. Laxmi Goparaju is an expert in forestry and ecology and has worked with prestigious institutes like National Remote Sensing Agency, Department of Space, Hyderabad in projects involving multitemporal and multiresolution satellite data and related ancillary data in Remote Sensing and GIS applications. Her Ph.D. thesis 'Community Diversity Assessment in Vindhyans using remote sensing and GIS' exposed her to the environmental challenges of the region and also a reason to join the movement. She has also significant experience in EIA of Thermal Power Plants. Her role as a scientific advisor adds significant knowledge and experience to the protection and conservation of the Vindhyas.

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Mr. Firoz Ahmad

Expert in Forestry and Remote Sensing

Firoz Ahmad has completed his M.Tech( Remote Sensing) from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi after doing his M.SC( Forestry)  and B. SC ( Forestry) from Birsa Agriculture University, Ranchi. He has qualified NET in Forestry. He worked as a researcher in National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad where he was associated with various projects in forestry and wildlife, one of them being the DOS/DBT project “Biodiversity Characterization at Landscape-level using remote sensing and GIS for the state of Kerela”. He has extensively traveled in various forests of India. His interests are forest mapping, wildlife suitability, urban forestry, and watershed monitoring.

Dr. Vijai Krishna

Expert in Municipal Solid Waste Management

An expert in municipal solid waste management, Dr. Vijai Krishna is working as an Assistant Professor in Environmental Technology at Rajiv Gandhi South Campus (Mirzapur) of Banaras Hindu University. 

Ajey is Assistant Professor at O.P. Jindal Global University. He graduated from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad in 2011 and completed LL.M. in Legal Theory from New York University in 2012. He has taught at NALSAR and worked as a Research Fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy before. He is interested in issues of property rights and the environment.

Preeta Dhar is a lawyer with expertise in a variety of environmental issues. She graduated from National Law School of India University (NLSIU)-Bangalore in 2011 and then practiced corporate law for a year and then became a legislative assistant to a Member of Parliament in Bihar (LAMP fellowship). She worked with Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) for more than 3 years where she worked as a trans-boundary water expert and Project Coordinator for India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. She has also litigated actively before the National Green Tribunal during her engagement with LIFE. She has completed her LLM in Law and Development at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. She is associated with Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan as an expert advisor on environmental law and governance.

Parul Gupta is a first-generation pro-conservation lawyer dealing with environmental cases since 2009. Her earlier career started with the Supreme Court and her passion for environment conservation made her earn a good name as an NGT lawyer. She has actively worked in numerous cases for waste management, rivers/wetland conservation and various cases dealing with environmental clearance and forest clearance related to Power Projects, Hydel Projects and Minings in India. She has been also appointed as Commissioner in several cases by the NGT. This young advocate is an inspiration to many aspiring lawyers who are interested in taking up the environment as a legal tool. She is associated with Vindhya Bachao as an expert advisor and legal counsel.

Santosh Dev Giri is a Mirzapur based independent print media journalist and writer. He has been working with several mainstream national and regional newspapers since the past 19 years. He is one of the few journalists who writes regularly on issues related to wildlife, ecology and rights of nature dependent people in Mirzapur region.

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Conservationist, Activist

Debadityo is the Founder and Managing Trustee of VENHF. He has B.Sc.(Hons.) Zoology from Delhi University, M.Sc.(Tech.) Environmental Sciences from Banaras Hindu University and has undertaken specialization in Tropical Forest Restoration from Yale University. His initiatives for conservation of environment and ecology of Mirzapur began as a Masters student at BHU. He also formed the first eco-club of BHU called ‘Eco One’ and was recipient ‘Environment Equity and Justice Partnership’ fellowship, 2011. He has been a recipient of ‘Best Story Award’ by ‘Development Alternative’ under ‘The City I Want’ Campaign for the revival of the waterfalls in Mirzapur. He is Board Member of EKO-Energy network and Trustee of Uttarakhand based organization Ganga Today. and has worked with organizations like Legal Initiative for Forest & Environment, Wildlife Fund for Nature-India, Wildlife Trust of India, Earth Matters Foundation and Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust. He is also actively litigating in National Green Tribunal in matters related to environmental justice. He was awarded with 'The Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award' in the year 2019.

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Key Role: Managing Trustee

Senior Journalist, Activist

Being born and brought up in Mirzapur Shri Shiva Kumar Upadhyay knows every nerve of crime in Mirzapur. He took up journalism at the age of 14 and since then he never looked back. He has long experience as a professional journalist and seen as a role model and mentor by young journalists in Varanasi-Mirzapur region. He worked with Hindi daily ‘Aaj’ since 1978 after which he joined ‘Hindustan’ in 2001. The environment is his favorite topic and he published numerous findings against illegal stone mining. He supported Debaadityo in his work greatly when he was a student in BHU and brought many of his studies in public domain, major being the money charged illegally at Tanda fall which not only resulted into strict actions by Forest department but also amendments in rules while giving off the contracts. It is the long driven efforts of Shiva Kumar that media of Mirzapur is now well aware of environmental challenges the district is facing.

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Key Role: Trustee

Environmentalist, Communication Specialist

An environmentalist and social activist, Ajai Swamee was born in a family where serving the society comes first. He has worked tirelessly on environment sensitization among youth in BHU and Varanasi and has been on the front in several awareness campaigns. He holds a Bachelors degree in Life Sciences and a Masters in Environmental Sciences and Technology and a Masters in Mass Communication from Banaras Hindu University. He is also a good photographer and a keen conservationist who has not only surveyed environmental issues in Sonbhadra and Singrauli over a long period of time but has been very successful in understanding the social dimensions in conservation.

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Key Role: Trustee

Ecologist

With a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences (Environmental Technology) from Banaras Hindu University and a Bachelors in Zoology from Patna Science College. Sudhanshu is committed to social causes and environmental protection. He has been involved in several social outreach programs and campaigns with different organisations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. His interest in wildlife and the zeal to make some difference in the society made him becoming a part of Vindhya Bachao. He has surveyed the forests of Mirzapur, Kaimoor wildlife sanctuary and also trained staff of Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary in Camera Trap survey.

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Key Role: Programme Officer (Environment & Wildlife)

Brought up in a place surrounding reserve forest areas in Mirzapur, his childhood went into observing Sambar, Chitals, Leopards, Wolves, and Hyenas in his neighborhood. Growing older, the rare sighting of the wildlife made him passionate about conserving them. After his schooling and graduation from Allahabad University- he decided to stay in his ancestral home in Mirzapur and mobilize the villagers to conserve and protect the last remaining habitats of the wildlife. His primary interests lie in the ecology of small carnivores, especially wolves, hyenas, and dholes in the forests of Mirzapur.

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Harendra Srivastava graduated from Allahabad University in 2017 and has been working towards raising environmental awareness through documentation and writing about biodiversity. At the community level, he is active in educating people about the diversity of birds, reptiles, and indigenous plants found in the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh. He is associated with organizations like the India Biodiversity portal, I found ButterFly, Biodiversity and Research Development to name a few.

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PhD Scholar | Jawahar Lal Nehru University 

With a Masters Degree in Electronics from University of Delhi Shekhar's commitment towards social causes could be seen from his childhood. He has been involved in several social outreach programs with different organizations. Very kind at heart, Shekhar's attitude towards life's smallest problem and the way he takes initiative to solve them makes him a class apart from others. His interest in Vindhyan range and the zeal to make some difference in the society made him becoming a part of Vindhya Bachao. He is managing the organizations' public outreach in Delhi and also responsible for the effective planning and execution of campaigns. He is one of the founding members of VBA.

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Key Role: Campaigns and Outreach

Environmentalist, Educator

Speaking to him for 10 minutes, a person can know what kind of person Raghav is! He completed his Masters in Environmental Studies from TERI after finishing his Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Delhi. He started working extensively for wildlife conservation for more than 2 years during which he worked in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats and later served for few months in WTI also. But Raghav soon realized that ignorance and lack of education is the major problem of this country. It disturbed him so much he left all his research and started working voluntarily for teaching children of slums in Delhi and continued doing so over a year.  He later went on to complete Bachelors in Education from CIE-University of Delhi. At present, he is pursuing a degree in Law from the University of Delhi. A real environmentalist, educationist, and a very passionate researcher, one has many things to learn from him. He is one of the founding members of VBA.

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Key Role: Consultant, Environment Education

Environmentalist, Photographer

Shishir completed his Masters in Environment Science and Technology from Banaras Hindu University and Bachelors in Life Sciences from the University of Delhi. He was an active Eco One campaigner and known for the student's mobilization action in Banaras Hindu University against a proposed 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant which led 550 students unitedly sending a petition to the government of India in March 2014. He has been associated with several international organizations. He is a very good photographer too and one is strongly encouraged to visit his photography page on facebook 'Shishir Photography'. He is one of the founding members of VBA.

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Key Role: Youth Mobilization

Environmentalist, Activist

Former Head of Eco One-BHU, Pankaj completed M.Sc.(Tech) Environmental Science and Technology from IESD-BHU. Standing for the right cause and making sacrifices for justice is what he is known for from his past activities. A keen researcher and budding scientist, he believes research is the core of environmentalism. He is one of the founding members of VBA.

Key Role: Community Mobilization

Masters Scholar, ULB-Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

From organizing hacking workshops to creating poetry with codes, one guy knows how to slave technology for good causes. A professional computer engineer and an expert web developer, Biplob Biswas have done his B.Tech in Computer Engineering from Jamia Milia Islamia University. His being part of the team is very crucial as a troubleshooter to website errors and frequent attack by hackers. His deep knowledge of networking and web languages has benefitted the survival of this portal several times. 

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Key Role: Information Technology

Naturopathy

Holding a Bachelors in Life Sciences and Diploma in Naturopathy and Yogic Therapy from IMS-BHU, Manoj also served in Banaras Hindu University as Assistant Professor before he decided to pursue higher studies in the subject. He is now pursuing Bachelors in Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences from IMS-BHU. He has unique expertise in medicinal properties of Vindhyan flora. He is known for his helpful nature among his friends and a true philanthropist. He is one of the founding members of VBA.

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Key Role: Ayurveda & Medicinal Plants

Environmental Researcher

Avinash completed his Masters in Environmental Sciences (Environmental Technology) from
BHU after finishing his Bachelors in Science from VBSPU Jaunpur. He is an enthusiastic environmentalist with leadership qualities. He is interested in Sustainable agriculture practices, Biodiversity, and Wildlife Monitoring and Management. He has worked with Wildlife Inventory and Proposal of Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve in Mirzapur-Sukrit-Chunar landscape of Mirzapur Forest Division, U.P. Avinash has an undying passion for achieving their goals through hard work. He is excellent in field work and highly efficient. Currently, he is looking for a job.

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Key Role: Wildlife Research