Faculty

Dr. Chandrakant Puri is a Chair Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Contemporary Studies, University of Mumbai.

After completing his MSW (TISS) he started working with primitive tribal communities in Maharashtra in the year 1992 where he implemented various developmental projects including the Self-Help Housing project which was nominated for the World Habitat Award in 1995. The entire project completely transformed 2 tribal hamlets, forming 36 Youth and Mahila Mandals and developing local leadership through training programs thereby ensuring sustainability of development initiatives.

Dr. Puri coordinated the Baseline Socio-Economic Survey & Plain Table survey of 8000 project affected families under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project –II, which became the basis for the Resettlement & Rehabilitation Policy for Urban Poor of Government of Maharashtra, this study was sponsored by the World Bank (1995-1997).

In the year 1997, he joined SNDT University as Asstt. Director – Social Sciences but continued his work with tribal communities through his PhD work (Mumbai University -2002). He became Director of the Centre for Distance Education (2006) where he developed 13 new programmes which were mainly professional thereby raising revenue by double in the span of 2 years.

His interest of working with socially excluded communities lead him establish the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy at SNDT Women’s University where he worked as its Founder Professor cum Director (2009 to 2013). He has developed the curriculum for MA in Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy Studies and P G Diploma in NGO Management focusing on the field work intervention. He also started PhD in Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy Studies, the first of its kind in India. He continues field action and research with excluded communities such as Tribal, Dalit and Nomadic and De-notified Tribes in Maharashtra.

He is the recipient of several awards / fellowships which includes prestigious Asiatic Post Doctoral Fellowship. His work with prisoners of Ratnagiri Special Prison resulted in Mumbai University awarding him the Gold Medal in the year 1989-90. He is also the recipient of ‘Young Professional of Commonwealth of Learning Award & Internship’ by the Commonwealth of Learning, Canada for the year 1999. He is the recipient of ‘Karmaveer Puraskar’ by Confederation of Indian NGOs for his work with tribal communities.

Dr. Puri is author of 2 books and has published over 50 research articles. He has successfully guided 04 M. Phil scholars and 12 Ph.D. students are working under his guidance in the subject of Social Work, Social Exclusion and Inclusion, Contemporary Studies etc.

He has conducted 15 research projects till date and has travelled worldwide to present his research

Dr Puri is keenly interested in the folk music and has been the disciple of Padmashri Shahir Sable for over 20 years. He has his own ‘folk music troop’ and he has performed all over Maharashtra.

Cell- 9819056444 / E-mail: chandrakant.puri@gmail.com / chandrakant.puri@mu.ac.in