Board Members
Dr. Bipin K. Jojo – Chairperson of the Trust
Dr. Bipin K. Jojo has been a faculty at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai since 1997. He has been associated with teaching at postgraduate level, research, training and with various regional and national level organisations professionally. He also supervises M.Phil/ PhD and MA thesis. He has research interests on tribal issues, good governance, resettlement and rehabilitation of internal displaced people, communities' informal care and welfare systems, voluntary organisations/NGOs/community-based organisations, participatory planning and development. He has done several research studies, the consultancy reports on the above areas and has presented many papers at National and International seminars.
Dr. Rakesh Chandra Gupta
Dr. Rakesh C. Gupta, is an expert in Respiratory medicine with 34 years of experience in Clinical, Research and Teaching. He retired as the Additional Principal and Professor and Head, Respiratory Medicine, government medical college, Ajmer. He has published over 108 academic articles. His research interest areas are Lung cancer, Bronchial Asthma, HIV related Pulmonary diseases and COPD. He was a Pneumoconiosis Board member, examining and diagnosing victims of occupational diseases in Rajasthan. He is a Fellow of the American College of Chest physicians; National College of Chest Physicians and Indian College of allergy Asthma and applied Immunology.
Mr. Rana Sengupta – Managing Trustee and CEO of the Trust
Rana Sengupta was part of the initial group that conceived MLPC. Starting his career with Oxfam as a Campaign Manager for MLPC, Rana's leadership steered the organization to become a registered entity and grow from being a campaign to an organization that empowers millions of mine workers besides working towards environmental justice and policy change. Today he is the Managing Trustee and CEO of MLPC, responsible for fund raising and overall operation of the organization. He is an advisor to the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission. He is also a member of the Working Committee in National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), constituted by the Government of India as a statutory body, to deal with the issue of child labour in mining and quarries and related matters.
Ms. Urvashi Dev Rawal
Urvashi Dev Rawal has been in the media since the last 15 years and has wide ranging experience of reporting on politics, social and development issues. She has worked with several organisations including UNI, IANS and DNA. She is currently assistant editor with Hindustan Times and is based in Jaipur. She has reported from Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan and enjoys travelling and writing on development issues. She has contributed articles on International Affairs, Gender and Media in various journals and also won a CSE Media Fellowship to report on Urban Planning and issues related to transport and water sectors in Jaipur. She has an M.Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in International Relations.
Mr. Krishnendu Mukherjee
Krishnendu Mukherjee has a LLM in Human Rights and post-graduate study in International Environmental Law from the University of London. He is a UK-qualified barrister and an Indian advocate of the Bombay High Court, who has been working as a lawyer in the field of human rights since 1996. Since 2002, he has been a member of the leading human rights chambers in the UK, Doughty Street Chambers, and has since 2007 been working in India on issues of human rights and the environment. Notable achievements in the field of human rights and environment, include: Shankar Raghunath Jog v Taulilicar "&" Sons Pvt Limited and another, PILWP 6/2011. Leading case of validity of environmental clearance under the EIA Notification 1994. Currently before the Supreme Court of India. This has resulted in 56 mines in the State of Goa being closed through an application filed in the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi. Ramchandra Vaman Naik and others v M/s Sesa Goa Limited, PILWP 4/2011, Bombay High Court. Leading case on failure on fraud in the environmental protection system. Currently before the Supreme Court of India. Compensated over 500 claims of asbestos-related illness from the Turner and Newall Trust for workers in India. On-going. In addition, he has been working on transnational asbestos-injury claims, cases in the National Green Tribunal, High Court of Bombay and Supreme Court, including environmental claims and cases involving the police.
Founding Board Members:
Mr. Ashim Roy
Ashim Roy has been the Vice President of the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) since its founding in 2006. He has over 25 years of experience in the trade union movement. As the President of the Chemical Mazdoor Panchayat he has led several union battles in Gujarat. Ashim Roy also has a long and rich association with social, political and human rights movements.
Dr. R. Sreedhar
Dr R Sreedhar heads The Environics Trust. He is a geologist by profession and one at the forefront of tackling projects that destroy the environment. He is the Chairperson of Mines Minerals and PEOPLE (mm&P).
Recognition
The founder and managing trustee of MLPC, Rana Sengupta is an Ashoka Fellow.
Association with the Government:
• Member of State Task force to Eliminate Child Labour
• Member of Committee constituted by state government to look into labour issues in the mining sector