Our Key People

Gangaram Paikra is a senior social worker, tribal leader, and development practitioner from Chhattisgarh with over 40 years of experience in the development sector. He currently serves as the Director of Chaupal Gramin Vikas Prashikshan Evam Shodh Sansthan, Ambikapur (Surguja), where he has been working for nearly two decades to support tribal and marginalized communities. Belonging to a Scheduled Tribe community, he has played an important role in strengthening the rights and development of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), especially the Pahadi Korwa community, and contributed to mobilizing communities across Surguja, Raigarh, Jashpur, and Korba districts. His work has focused on enabling communities to access forest rights, food security, livelihoods, healthcare, and employment under MGNREGA. He has also been actively involved in the Right to Food campaign and has served on several state and district-level advisory committees. In recognition of his contributions to social development, he has received several honours, including the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial Award (2014 and 2019) and the Mainpat Mahotsav Award (2021). His work continues to inspire efforts toward strengthening the rights, dignity, and self-reliance of marginalized communities.

Dr. Shilpa Khanna is a palliative care specialist committed to advancing equitable healthcare in underserved regions. Trained as an anesthetist (MBBS, MD), her work focuses on strengthening primary healthcare, pain management in low-resource settings, and promoting health equity with a gender-sensitive approach. Her journey into public health was shaped by a growing awareness of the deep socio-economic inequities that influence access to healthcare in India. Motivated to work where medical care is most scarce, she has dedicated her career to serving marginalized communities. Through service delivery, training, research, and advocacy, the organization works to make healthcare more accessible and equitable. She strongly believes in enabling community representation in decision-making spaces and working as an ally to communities rather than a saviour.

Narendra Kumar Das has been associated with Chaupal for over 20 years, beginning his journey with the organisation as a community mobiliser. Over the years, he has played a significant role in strengthening community institutions and supporting Adivasi communities in northern Chhattisgarh. Coming from the same social context as the communities Chaupal works with, Narendra has been closely involved in grassroots mobilization, community awareness, and programme implementation across several initiatives. He has worked on a range of issues including strengthening gram sabhas, improving access to government entitlements, and supporting community-led development processes. His long-standing experience, community connect, and commitment to grassroots leadership recently led to his appointment to Chaupal’s Board, reflecting the organisation’s belief in nurturing leadership from within the communities it serves.

Nirmala Karketta has over 25 years of experience in social work and grassroots community engagement. Coming from an Adivasi community, she has worked closely with local institutions and community groups to improve access to government entitlements and support marginalized households. She has played an important role in community mobilization, promoting women’s participation in local governance, and raising awareness about rights and welfare programmes. Her deep grassroots experience brings valuable community perspectives to Chaupal’s Board.

Visheshwar Singh has over 20 years of experience in social work and community-based development. Coming from the community, he has worked closely with Adivasi households to strengthen community participation and improve access to welfare programmes. His work focuses on grassroots mobilization, strengthening community institutions, and supporting local governance processes. His experience brings valuable community perspectives to Chaupal’s work.

Chandrashekhar Paikra has over 12 years of experience in social work and community development. Coming from the Adivasi community, he has worked on community mobilization and improving access to rights, entitlements, and local governance processes. His close engagement with community institutions helps ensure that Chaupal’s programmes remain rooted in local needs and priorities.

Ashotiya Bai has over 20 years of experience in grassroots social work and community leadership. Coming from the Adivasi community, she has worked on community mobilization, improving access to welfare entitlements, and strengthening participation in village-level decision-making. Her long-standing engagement with communities brings an important grassroots perspective to Chaupal’s Board.

Sumit Kalyani leads the Finance and Accounts function at Chaupal and has over 13 years of experience in financial management in the development sector. He oversees financial planning, accounting, and statutory compliance, while strengthening internal controls and financial systems within the organization. His work supports transparency, accountability, and effective resource management to advance Chaupal’s mission.