Dr. Sekhar Bonu worked as the Director General, Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog from April 2019 to June 2022. Before joining NITI Aayog, Dr. Bonu worked at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, Philippines from 2004 to 2019. At ADB, he worked on health, urban infrastructure development and regional cooperation, mainly in the South Asia region.
Dr. Bonu worked in the Indian Administrative Services and served as a civil servant in Rajasthan between 1987-2003, among others, as District Magistrate, Director of Primary and Secondary Education, and Chief Executive Officer of state-owned enterprises. Dr. Bonu has a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder. He has a research interest in state capacity building, service delivery, outcomes measurements, etc. and has published in peer-review journals.
Board of Advisors
Sekhar Bonu
Past with NITI Aayog, Asian Development Bank, and Indian Administrative Services
Uthara Narayanan
Founder of Buzz Women, revolutionising women leadership at grassroots
Uthara Narayanan is the co-founder and chief change-maker at Buzz Women India and Gambia. Uthara hopes to lead people to find their own voice and achieve their dreams by unleashing their potential.
At Buzz Women, she builds leadership capabilities (financial, business, personal development skills) in low-income women to take charge of their problems and combat poverty.
Apart from discovering social change she is a planned traveller, pretend optimist, determined organizer, trained singer, crafts hog, enthusiastic polyglot and amateur interior designer.
Sunil Kumar
IAS officer, retd. as Secretary to Ministry of Panchayat Raj
Sunil Kumar is an IAS officer of batch 1987 from the Uttar Pradesh cadre and most recently served as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj before retiring in 2023.
He has been instrumental in strengthening the democratic governance processes by empowering institutions, enabling better participation, transparency and accountability in the Panchayati Raj Institution system.
He has contributed to improving the use of technology in governance by improving planning for localised SDGs through Gram Panchayat Development Plans and integration of Public Finance Management Systems in Panchayats. Sunil Kumar believes in values of respect, collaboration, empathy and honesty which is reflected in the work he does.
He teaches public policy at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and supports a range of non-governmental organisations.
Alok Rajan
Currently with BMGF; Past with OPM and World Bank
Alok Rajan is a governance and economic policy professional, with more than ten years of experience in public service delivery reform, specifically in the service delivery interface between government, citizens, and businesses. In his current role at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Alok leads the work on state capacity, working on issues of public sector performance management, administrative data quality, and public financial management.
Previously, Alok worked at Oxford Policy Management for five years. Alok led OPM's Public Sector Governance team, spread across the UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, and Indonesia. Areas of work for the team included state capacity, center of government reforms, transparency and accountability, institutional reform, public sector innovation, strategic management and planning, civil service reform, capacity development, and multi-level governance. Prior to OPM, Alok worked for the World Bank Group for four years on various advisory assignments in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal; on issues pertaining to governance reform, business licensing reform, sector specific regulatory reform, regulatory enforcements and inspections, and investment policy.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Delhi University, an MBA in Finance from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, and a Master’s in Public Administration, from School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.
Dipa Sinha
Researcher and Visiting Professor APU
Dipa Sinha is a development economist and is currently Visiting Professor, Azim Premji University. She was previously teaching Economics at the School of Liberal Studies, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD). Her areas of research include public policy, food and nutrition rights, public health, and gender.
She has been involved in academic as well as policy research on these topics for the last twenty years, in different capacities.
She has worked as an independent researcher and has led a number of primary studies evaluating programs such as the Public Distribution System, child-related nutrition programs, and maternity entitlement schemes.
She worked with the Office of Commissioners to the Supreme Court (on the Right to Food). She also has been part of large multi-country research teams including the study on Food Riots and Food Rights (hosted at the Institute for Development Studies, Sussex). She was a member of the project team of the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), FAO for the report on Nutrition and Food Systems.
Dipa also contributes regularly to academic as well as popular publications.
Team Members
Avani Kapur
Founder Director
Avani Kapur is the Founder and Director of ResGov and also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. She is a public finance expert with nearly 2 decades of experience in studying India's welfare architecture including budget tracking, fund flows, data and governance systems and state capacity constraints as well as state-citizen engagements. Prior to this she was leading the Accountability Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research.
She has authored several articles, reports, and opinion pieces on state finances, India’s welfare architecture, and governance, and has conducted workshops and trainings with Indian Administrative Service officers, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies, Indian Economic Service Officers and Officers of the National Audit and Accounts Academy. In 2020, during the COVID 19 pandemic, she co-conceptualised the PULSE4Development platform seeking to bring the development community together to learn, share, and communicate better with each other. The platform hosts more than 112 organisations and over 200 individual members.
She is a Tech4Good Fellow, member of the WICCI Council of Ethics and on the editorial board of the Journal of Development Policy and Practice. Avani is an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), in the United Kingdom and Smith College Massachusetts, US.
Gaurav Bhattacharya
Operations (Lead)
Gaurav is the Operations Lead at ResGov. He brings multi-sectoral experience in developmental programs and has a decade-long experience in working with grassroots organisations, philanthropies and government. His main areas of work include program operations, building systems and creating scalable initiatives. Apart from this, more than a decade of experience working with not-for-profits and government counterparts’ sub nationally in India and South Asia. Gaurav has worked with major philanthropies, both domestic and international, in the areas of core governance, climate, renewable energy and public health. He is an alumnus of Oxford University.
Laavanya Tamang
Senior Research Associate
Laavanya is a Senior Research Associate with ResGov. Her interests lie in the space of digital governance, and she has explored questions of accountability and transparency at the intersection of tech and social security. Prior to this, she worked with LibTech India based in Jharkhand. Laavanya is also affiliated with the Right to Food and Work Campaigns in India. She holds a Bachelors in Economics from St.Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a Masters in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics.
Letitia Kharchandy
Research Associate
Letitia is a Research Associate at ResGov, specialising in public policy, governance systems, and evidence-based research. Her work centres on strengthening accountability, institutional effectiveness, and data-informed decision-making within legislative and development contexts. Previously, she served as a Legislative Research Fellow with the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship in partnership with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, where she supported legislators and government stakeholders, particularly during State Assembly and Budget processes. Combining analytical rigour with field experience across child rights, disability, juvenile justice, and rural development, she brings both systems-level insight and grounded understanding to her work. Letitia holds a Master of Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
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Nandinie Gupta
Research Associate
Nandinie Gupta is a Research Associate at ResGov. She holds a B.A. (Hons.) in Sociology from the University of Delhi and a Master's degree in Sociology from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi. She was an Urban Fellow at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), where she explored interdisciplinary approaches to urban research and practice. Prior to joining ResGov, Nandinie worked with the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the University of Oxford on the JusTIC Project as a field researcher. She also managed the Writing Urban India 3.0 Fellowship at NLSIU, supporting an interdisciplinary community of PhD scholars and practitioners. Earlier, she researched infrastructure development, public-private partnerships, urban development, informal labour and climate change impacts, with a particular interest in the intersections of governance, institutions, and equitable development.
Pousali Sarkar
Programme Manager
Pousali is a Programme Manager at ResGov. She is a Political Science graduate from the University of Delhi and a Young India Fellow. Her work lies at the intersection of political literacy, active citizenship, and strengthening access to government schemes for vulnerable communities. She has worked with Azim Premji University on projects focused on improving migrant workers' access to MGNREGA and PDS entitlements in Jharkhand. Most recently, she was part of the India School of Democracy, where she designed and delivered learning programmes on public leadership, gender, and systems thinking. Outside of work, she enjoys theatre, art, and connecting with people through literature and music.
Pritika Malhotra
Lead (Law and Policy)
Pritika Malhotra is the Lead (Law and Policy) at ResGov. She holds a Masters in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and has completed her B.A.LL.B (Hons.) from National Law University Delhi. Previously, Pritika worked with the Accountability Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research, contributing to projects relating to social accountability and competency frameworks for bureaucrats. Her professional experience also includes roles at Teach for India and leading corporate law firms where she advised government bodies and multinational corporations on commercial disputes. She is particularly interested in researching education, public finance and governance.
Sandameio Lyngdoh
Programme Associate
Sandameio Lyngdoh is a Programme Associate at ResGov working across governance, public systems, and programme implementation. His work centres on supporting government partners through programme management, stakeholder engagement, research and capacity building initiatives and promote evidence-informed decision-making. Previously, he served as the Sports Programme Liaison Officer under the Chief Minister's Youth Centres (CMYC) programme, where he coordinated state-wide programme implementation and contributed to building partnerships and operational systems for sport-for-development initiatives. Combining analytical thinking with field experience across governance, education, financial literacy and rural development, he brings a systems perspective and contextual understanding to the design and implementation of development programmes. Sandameio holds a Post Graduate Program in Development Management from the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), Noida.
Shailaja S
Senior State Associate
Shailaja S, is a Senior State Associate (Karnataka) at ResGov. She is an experienced facilitator, content developer and local government leader. She has served as an Upadhyaksha at a Panchayat in Karnataka in the past. She has trained elected women representatives, police officers and students.
Shailaja has over 24 years of work experience in a range of sectors working with local governments. Prior to joining us, she has consulted at Accountability Initiative at Centre for Policy Research, Sampoorna Swaraj Foundation, The Hunger Project and many community organisations.
Sharad Pandey
Lead (Public Finance)
Sharad Pandey is the Lead (Public Finance) at ResGov. He holds an MA in Public Policy from Jindal Global University. His research focuses on public finance, specializing in union and state budgets, taxation, and climate finance. Sharad also serves as a consultant with the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) in New Delhi.
Previously, he worked with the Accountability Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research and Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS), contributing to projects in education, health, public finance, and governance. His research interests encompass public finance, education, sustainable development, and the labour market.
Shikhar Tiwari
Consultant (Data)
Shikhar is a Data Consultant at ResGov, bringing experience across consulting, startups, andpolicy research. Prior to joining ResGov, he worked at Deloitte and later at the Council onEnergy, Environment and Water (CEEW) as a Data Science Consultant with the Clean Air team,where he co-authored a research paper and an op-ed, and presented his work at multipleconferences. His expertise spans data analysis, data visualization, geospatial analysis, andmachine learning. He views data as a means to address complex challenges such as climatechange and environmental decision-making. Shikhar holds a Bachelor’s degree in ElectricalEngineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.
Shinjini Bigharia
Research Associate
Shinjini Bigharia is a Research Associate at ResGov. Her research interests lie in public finance, digital governance, and accountability and state capacity. She has worked on AI policy research, contributing to a project with a researcher at the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), IIT Madras, on AI in Indian Parliament, and with the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), where she conducted a union budget analysis of digital policy. She has also been involved with the Politics and Disability Forum, coordinating research and convenings on disability, gender and politics. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy from the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of Mumbai.
Sidharth Santhosh
Senior Research Associate
Sidharth Santhosh is a Senior Research Associate and a founding team member at ResGov. They investigate how bureaucrats learn welfare governance, navigate working together, and manage citizen-state coalitions in India. Sidharth supports organisational strategy for fundraising and planning. They support capacity building programs for bureaucrats, NGOs and university students.
Prior to joining ResGov, they worked at Accountability Initiative at Centre for Policy Research and IIEP-UNESCO. Sidharth holds a Masters in Public Policy and Economics from Sciences Po, Paris, and a Bachelors in Economics from Christ University, Bangalore. They have served on the Youth Board at Reap Benefit and been a Young Curator and Learners Voice Fellow at the World Innovation Summit for Education (Qatar).
Swapna Ramtake
Senior State Associate and Regional Programme Coordinator
Swapna Ramtake is our Senior State Associate (Madhya Pradesh) and a founding team member at ResGov. She is a skilled master trainer, community outreach expert and field researcher who can manage large field teams. She has over 20 years of experience and has worked in 6 states.
Swapna holds a Masters of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Work from Amravati University, Maharashtra. In the past, she has worked at Accountability Initiative at Centre for Policy Research, ASER and Pratham Education Foundation.
Tajuddin Khan
Senior State Associate and Regional Content Coordinator
Tajuddin Khan is our State Associate (Rajasthan) and a founding team member at ResGov. He is skilled at facilitation, networking with different stakeholders and field research. Tajuddin is skilled at planning and executing large surveys that involve household and local government office visits. He has over 12 years of work experience and has worked in 5 states.
Tajuddin holds a Bachelor in Commerce from University of Rajasthan. In the past, he has worked at Accountability Initiative at Centre for Policy Research, SRKPS Jaipur among other NGOs.
Uday Shankar
State Associate
Uday Shankar is our State Associate (Bihar) and a founding team member at ResGov. His expertise lies in facilitating capacity building programs for a wide range of stakeholders. He also supports field research with techniques such as secondary data collection, primary surveys among others.
Uday holds a Masters in Rural Management and Bachelor of Arts in History from Magadh University, Bihar. He began his career 11 years ago as a community trainer at Agragami India. He has also worked as a master trainer at ASER and at Accountability Initiative at Centre for Policy Research.