Speakers

• Dr. Balveer Arora Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism
  

  Dr. Balveer Arora

  Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism

  Dr. Balveer Arora is Professor Emeritus and Founder Chairman of the Institute of Social Sciences’ Centre for Multilevel Federalism, New Delhi. He was earlier Professor of Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University (1973–2010), and also served as Rector and Pro-Vice Chancellor of JNU (2002–2005). He is Vice President of the Institut International Transcultura, Paris.

  Professor Arora completed his Master’s and Doctorate in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris, at the University of Paris I (1972), after his Bachelor’s degree from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi (1964). He is a recipient of France’s highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and is also an Officer in the French Order of Academic Laurels.

  His current work focuses on Indian politics and international relations, particularly India–Europe relations in the contemporary world. He has written extensively on India’s federal democracy and its institutions. Dr. Arora is Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS, 2025–) and President Emeritus of the NGO Water for People India Trust.

• Dr. Niranjan Sahoo Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
  

  Dr. Niranjan Sahoo

  Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation

  Dr Niranjan Sahoo is a Senior Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a leading think tank in New Delhi. A recipient of Asia Fellow (2009) and a former Sir Ratan Tata Fellow (2010), He currently serves as South Asia Expert Advisor on Democracy and Rule of Law for the Carnegie Rising Democracies Network, Washington, D.C. and External Advisor for Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN), Seoul. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and Visiting Senior Fellow, Centre for Multilevel Federalism (CMF), New Delhi. His forthcoming book is on Funding India’s Democracy.

• Dr. Ravikant Joshi Senior Fellow (Senior Finance & Governance) CPPR, Former Chief Accounts Officer, Vadodra Municipal Corporation
  

  Dr. Ravikant Joshi

  Senior Fellow (Senior Finance & Governance) CPPR, Former Chief Accounts Officer, Vadodra Municipal Corporation

  Dr. Ravikant Joshi is an Urban Finance and Management specialist and has worked in India and abroad. He is former chief accounts officer of Vadodara Municipal Corporation with more than 35 years of experience. He was responsible for the conceptualisation, designing and implementation of Municipal Financial, Budgetary and Accounting System Reforms and their computerization in Vadodara Municipal Corporation.
  • At present since August 2019, Dr. Joshi is working as an Advisor to Urban Management Centre – Ahmedabad, also he is working as a freelance consultant.
  • 2017 to 2019 Dr. Joshi worked as a Team Leader – Technical Support Group to National Urban Livelihood Mission – Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – Government of India
  • Dr. Ravikant Joshi worked as an Advisor – Urban to CRISIL Risk and Infrastructure Solutions, Mumbai from 2002 to 2017.
  • He has worked as a short-term consultant (STC) for multilaterals like World Bank, Water & Sanitation Program, ADB, USAID, DFID, UN Habitat, CLGF and for various national/state level organisations on urban issues.
  • He conceived, designed and spearheaded implementation of Accrual Base Double Entry Accounting System in 159 municipal bodies of Gujarat.

• Dr. Tathagata Chatterji Professor, Xavier University, Bhubaneswar
  

  Dr. Tathagata Chatterji

  Professor, Xavier University, Bhubaneswar

  Dr. Tathagata Chatterji is a Professor of Urban Management and Governance at XIM University, Bhubaneswar, where he concurrently teaches at both the School of Human Settlements and the School of Governance and Public Affairs. Broadly within the area of urban governance, his research interests include urban policies and institutions; digital technology applications in urban management; climate governance and social inclusion; and urban economy and informal livelihoods. A recipient of the Gerd Albers Award (2016) from ISOCARP (International Society of City and Regional Planners), Dr. Chatterji has written extensively on urban policy and governance in an international context. Presently, he is co-editing a book, City Economies in the Global South: Growth, Inclusion, and Sustainability, to be published by Routledge. He holds a PhD in Urban Planning and Governance from the University of Queensland, Australia.

• Manisha Marulasiddappa Senior Manager - Public Finance Management, Janaagraha
  

  Manisha Marulasiddappa

  Senior Manager - Public Finance Management, Janaagraha

  Manisha Marulasiddappa is a public finance specialist with nearly a decade of experience in strengthening public financial management systems to improve service delivery, particularly at the sub-national level. She is a Senior Manager in the Public Finance practice at Janaagraha, leading municipal finance reforms and urban governance initiatives. Her work includes advising the Karnataka State Finance Commission, the XVI Union Finance Commission, and the Government of Odisha. She has also worked with Oxford Policy Management and the ODI in Myanmar and South Sudan on fiscal governance and public expenditure reforms.

• Prof. Souvanic Roy Founder Director, SEIHSM, IIEST, Shibpur
  

  Prof. Souvanic Roy

  Founder Director, SEIHSM, IIEST, Shibpur

  Dr. Souvanic Roy is Professor in the Department of Architecture and Planning and Founder Director of the School of Ecology, Infrastructure and Human Settlement Management at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur, India. He is engaged in teaching, research, and advocacy in the areas of urban and environmental planning, conservation, climate change adaptation, and socio-ecological resilience in critical ecosystems.

  He has coordinated a number of research and consultancy projects funded by national and international agencies and has published articles in books and international journals. He was Co-Investigator of the GCRF Living Deltas Research Hub led by Newcastle University, UK, supported by UKRI, and a member of the GCRF Equitable Resilience Commissioning Panel.

  He is a recipient of the Ford Asia Fellowship by the Asian Scholarship Foundation (ASF), Bangkok, and the Indo-Canadian Fellowship by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) for research excellence in socio-ecological resilience. He is a member of the Governing Council of India Habitat Forum (INHAF), Pune, and an empanelled expert for Urban Missions in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Prof. Roy is also a Co-Investigator of the international collaborative project on “Brownfield Regeneration of Jute Mills Land in Kolkata” with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT, USA.