The Grand Jury for 6th eNGO Challenge Awards took place on 16th November at Sanskriti Kala Kendra, New Delhi. This year we received 439 nominations across 7 categories out of which, 159 were valid nominations. The virtual Jury members managed to filter 159 valid entries to 62 for the final evaluation by the Grand Jury. A panel of 15 Jury members looked into the filtered nominations.
The list of winners and special mentions will be unveiled on the platform of the eNGO Challenge Awards at Eros Hotel, Nehru Place, New Delhi, India, on February 1st, 2020.
Jury Moments: Click here to see jury images
MEET THE MODERATOR
Osama Manzar,
Founder & Director
Digital Empowerment Foundation
Chairman of the eNGO Challenge, mBillionth Awards, Manthan Awards and Social Media for Empowerment Awards, Osama Manzar is a convert social entrepreneur, inspiring speaker, mentor and believer. Osama founded Digital Empowerment Foundation with the objective that there should be universal digital literacy and digital access to all to overcome the information gap and parity and help build an equitable society. He is a Member, Working Group, Internet Proliferation & Governance for Ministry of Communication & IT and was a Member, Task Force on Growth of IT, ITES & Electronics HW Manufacturing Industry, Ministry of Communication & IT, India. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) of the Universal Service Obligation Fund under the Indian Department of Telecom. At the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Manzar is a member of the Screening Committee for the Community Radio Licensing. Manzar sits on the Boards of the World Summit Award, the Society for Labour & Development, Ibtada, the Association of Progressive Communication, ProtoVillage, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). A British Chevening Fellow of 2002, Manzar has authored NetCh@kra: 15 Years of Internet in India. Other titles by him include e-Content: Voices from the Ground; Internet Economy of India; India’s Best e-Contents, and Development & Digital Inclusion. He writes a weekly column in the Mint and Hindustan and has previously written columns for Gaon Connection. A physics graduate, Manzar has a post-graduate diploma in Journalism and is credited for covering at least 200 ICTD case studies in India and South Asia. Fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and Persian, Manzar tweets @osamamanzar.
MEET OUR JURORS
Meenakshi Gupta
Co-Founder- Goonj
Meenakshi Gupta, co-founder of GOONJ, started the award winning non-profit with her husband Anshu Gupta in 1999. An IIMC alumnus, she started working full-time in Goonj in 2005, ending her 15 years of corporate career and eight-year stint as News Publicity Head at BBC South Asia. With Goonj’s widespread work, Meenakshi focused on women issues, especially regarding their needs for menstrual hygiene, in far flung villages of India. The backbone of Goonj, Meenakshi works with her team to build a stronger pan-India civic engagement through communication with the masses. She terms the time spent with community members in the interior India as her biggest learning, personally and professionally. A trained Dance Movement Facilitator, she finds it most enriching and inspiring to connect with the youth and take initiatives for the country.
Vaibhav Chauhan
Founder Member- Sahapedia
Vaibhav has trained in managing and conserving heritage. A founder member of Sahapedia.org, he is its secretary and is responsible for resource development and operations. He has worked with the National Mission for Manuscripts and Sangeet Natak Akademi inpast. His passion is to leverage technology to reach travellers, students and enthusiasts. Vaibhav has launched multiple award winning programs like India Heritage Walks, Museums of India and India Heritage Walks Festival.
Dr. Amita Joseph
Director, Business & Community Foundation ( BCF )
Dr. Amita V Joseph has a long list of academic achievements. She graduated from Madras University, did her PGDM (Management), achieved a law degree (Delhi University), PGDM (Human Rights) from the Law Institute and a PhD from Australia’s Deakin University. Dr Amita also has experience in the corporate, development and legal sectors for over three decades. She has also been a lecturer with a number of universities and institutions and is associated with many non-profit organisations. Dr Amita is also the recipient of the Deakin University Silver Jubilee Award for significant contribution by an alumni and the NS Books award.
Suzanne Singh
Chairperson- Pratham Books
Chairperson of Pratham Books since 2014, Suzanne moved to the development sector after 14 years of marketing and communications experience in the corporate sector. Deeply interested in issues of equity and access to quality education, she has been involved with Pratham Books since its inception in 2004 and became the Managing Trustee of the organisation in 2010. Using technology and innovation, Suzanne has been enabling the organisation to further its mission of ‘a book in every child’s hand’. She also serves as a Trustee of Akshara Foundation.
Amitabh Singhal
Director- Telxess Consulting Services
As a Co-Founder and then President of the Internet service provider Association of India, Amitabh became one of the pioneers of Internet Industry and played a key role in freeing Internet from government monopoly. He drafted and influenced the Internet/Telecom Licensing, Policy and Regulatory measures, which became the foundation for wider proliferation of Internet in India. In 2003, he became the Founder, Board Director and CEO of National Internet Exchange of India, Internet Exchanges, .IN Domain Registry, Root Servers and more. In 2010, he became a Board Director & Secretary of US based Public Interest Registry, the Registry for. ORG, .NGO top level domain names. Amitabh runs a Consulting practice in Internet and Telecom Policy and regulatory sphere and has a Startup investment in Solar micro-grids.
Puja Marwaha
Chief Executive-Child Rights & You
Puja’s passion for children’s rights and inspired her to become a part of the social sector. She joined CRY in 1994 to set up its HR function. In 2002 she moved on to general management roles and today she is the CEO at India’s leading child rights organisation. Puja has helped build a framework for CRY that best captures the essence of justice and equity. Her work is focused on creation of an organisational
character that attempts to foster a passion for children, a high degree of individual accountability to children and a belief in everyone’s potential to bring change for children. She also serves on the board for VANI – Voluntary Action Network India – in an endeavour to strengthen public mobilisation for social causes.
Anjali Godyal
Chief Development Officer – S M Seghal Foundation
Godyal has over 13 years of experience in leading, managing and implementing grassroots projects on water management, agricultural development and good rural governance. She is responsible for developing strategies for growth and sustainability of the organisation, while ensuring that the action plan is designed and implemented in line with its values, mission and vision. She has also co-authored many papers on rural development. Godyal has also been instrumental in designing the digital literacy program for the Foundation, which has expanded to many states through partnerships. Her expertise and passion lie in building capacities on organizational leadership and people management.
Dibyendu Chaudhuri
Chief Development Officer- Pradan
Dibyendu Chaudhuri is currently working in Research and Advocacy unit of Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN). A Geologist by education, Dibyendu has spent more than 22 years in the development sector. He worked extensively in central Indian plateau and helped mobilise the marginalised people, especially women. Chaudhuri also played a key role in developing a measurement framework for PRADAN. He also established systems and processes for Management Information System including data collection through handheld digital device.
Rajesh Verma
Former Secretary- Information Technology
Rajesh Verma retired after serving the Government of Sikkim for 36 years. He was initially involved in expanding the police telecommunication network in Sikkim appropriately using solar and wind energy. Subsequently he spearheaded the implementation of various Mission Mode Projects under the National E-Governance Plan and brought about extensive automation in the State Government. He formulated the IT Mission, Right of Way and E-Waste Policies. Groundbreaking proof of concepts like the award winning Cyber village and setting up of a CAD centre at the Directorate of Handicrafts were implemented by him.
Rajesh is also passionate about trekking and has written the best-selling guide book on Sikkim. He has also authored books and his articles on travel and social issues have appeared in many publications. He is presently the Working President of National Association for the Blind, Sikkim Branch. His current area of interest is to use ICT tools for ensuring employability of the disabled.
Shirin Kujur
Assistant General Manager- CSR & Sustainability ReNew Power Limited
Shirin has been active in the area of Social Development for last 16 years and has worked extensively with national and international NGOs and corporates, where she has been responsible for identification, planning, executing and monitoring social developmental projects. At ReNew Power Limited, India’s largest renewable energy Independent Power Producer, Shirin is involved in one of its key programs which bridges energy gaps in schools of rural India using renewable energy. This is turn leads to improvement in their learning environment. Shirin has also worked with an FMCG company where she was involved in CSR projects, engaging with NGO’s and Civil Societies for fostering partnerships and support the team in developing long term road map for the company.
Partha Pratim Rudra
Agency Director- Children International
Children International is an organization which invests in the lives of children and youth and empowers them to create a lasting change in their own lives and communities. In his career 15 span exceeding three decades in the non-profit sector, Partha has worked across India on issues relating to child and youth development, gender and social equity both, at the grassroots and at senior level leadership positions. Earlier he served in CAPART, RGVN, and National Foundation for India, Reach India and Smile Foundation. He also brings along a wealth of experience working in partnership with national and international NGOs, the corporate sector and the government. Partha also has substantial expertise in education, health, livelihoods and governance. He is a lifelong Aspire India Fellow and had also been a Senior Fellow at Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and International Health Program of Packard Foundation.
Dr. Otojit Kshetrimayum
Senior faculty- VV Giri National Labour Institute
Dr. Otojit is a Sociologist and Development Professional with more than 12 years of experience in policy research, impact evaluation, and monitoring, policy and programme design in sectors such as Labour and Employment, Social Protection and Livelihood Security among many more. He is a PhD in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is currently working as Fellow (Faculty) and Coordinator of the Centre for North East India in V.V. Giri National Labour Institute under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt. of India. He has extensive experience with Central Ministries, State governments, universities, NGOs and international organisations.
Dr. Monica Banerjee
Director Programs- National Cooperative Union of India
Dr. Monica Banerjee has been working for the foundation since 20 years. Her work includes strengthening civil society and shaping philanthropy programs. Her role involves engaging with different stakeholders in philanthropy, including government, businesses and academia. Dr. Monica has a PhD in Gender and Governance from IIT Delhi and was a post PhD visiting fellow at London School of Economics in 2006. She also has several research papers to her credit.
Sandhya Kapoor
Dy. Director- National Cooperative Union of India
Worked as a computer programmer specialising in COBOL, C, C++, RDBMS for about 8 years and thereafter diversified into faculty of management at National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. NCUI, the apex organization of the Indian cooperative movement regularly conducts a training programme for cooperative leaders, employees and members on various aspects of running and managing a cooperative society. We also partner with various government and non-governmental organizations to train people to form cooperative societies thereby empowering people and enabling them to bring socio-economic changes into their own lives. I specialize in gender-related leadership issues existing in cooperative societies, communication skills, conflict management & team building. At present my job involves negotiating with various organizations, designing training programmes as per clients’ needs apart from taking lectures and managing social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube channel and Facebook of NCUI.
Arjun Phillips
Program Manager- Voluntary Action Network India (VANI)
Arjun is associated with Voluntary Action Network India (VANI) since 2014 and looks at the external environment of civil society that comes to include policy analysis of regulatory regime ,capacity building of CSOs , amplifying narrative of the sector, south-south cooperation and global development issues related to increasing the space for civil society participation in multilateral forums. In VANI, he has researched on subjects such as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the statistical impact of the voluntary sector, unpacking income tax for the voluntary organizations and identifying partnership models for promoting SDGs. He has also co-authored research articles for the premier G20 Digest on civil society interaction in policy inputting and civil society’s role in developing quality and sustainable infrastructure among others. As of now, he is undertaking a nation-wide campaign to strengthen and implement Goal 17 of SDGs by organizing Multi-Stakeholder Development Conclaves in furtherance of realizing triangular cooperation between Government, CSOs and Private Sector.