Research Team

Post-doctoral Research Associates

Ananda G. Vadivelu (November 2006 onwards)
M.Phil in Planning and Development from IIT, Bombay

Anand’s research interests are broadly in the area of natural resource management and at CISED, is working in a project examining watershed development projects. Previously, he has worked briefly with ICRISAT, MYRADA and the Indo German Social Service Society.  Anand has submitted his Ph.D thesis in Economics to Mysore University, through the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. In future, he plans to focus on the working of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Food for Work Programme in Southern India.

T. Kannan (March 2007 onwards)
Ph.D. in Sociology from Osmania University, Hyderabad

Kannan’s primary research interest lies in the transition of marginalized communities in India to western liberal notions of rights, freedom and justice and the way this is shaping their political and legal identities. Previously a research associate at NLSIU and ISI, Bangalore, Kannan’s work at CISED focusses on the political theory and practical politics of resistance movements against economic exploitation of groundwater in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Geetanjoy Sahu (February 2008 onwards)
M.Phil in Political Science from Central University of Hyderabad

Geetanjoy’s research interests include understanding judicial behaviour with regard to resolving environmental litigation in India. His Ph.D. thesis on “Environmental Governance and Role of Judiciary in India” has been submitted to Mysore University, through the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. Geetanjoy has also worked as a Faculty Associate at the ICFAI School of Public Policy, Hyderabad. At CISED, he is working on the impact of judicial decisions on environmental issues at the implementation level.

Pradip Swarnakar (February 2008 onwards)
Masters in Sociology from Kalyani University, West Bengal

Pradip is interested in environmental sociology, particularly in issues such as environmental attitude and behaviour, risk perception and water related issues. His other interests include theories of global environmentalism, ecological modernization, climate change and human-nature conflicts. His doctoral dissertation (in Sociology, submitted at IIT Kanpur) explores environmental beliefs and practices in two districts of rural West Bengal where people are facing visible and invisible risk with respect to drinking water consumption. At CISED, he is working on ecological risk perception with reference to groundwater arsenic contamination.

Reshmidevi TV (March 2008 onwards)    
Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from IIT-Mumbai

Reshmidevi’s doctoral dissertation focussed on identification of the causes of drought management measures in the context of hydrological and socio-economic characteristics of Purulia-Bankura districts of West Bengal. At CISED she is primarily involved in the Hydrological Modeling for Ecosystems/Watershed Services Assessment in Malaprabha Basin (NIVA project).

Research Associates

Smitha G. (December 2007 onwards)
M.Tech in Urban and Regional Planning, CEPT

Smitha’s research interests include CPR conflict resolution and policy formulation for NRM. She has worked on systems’ assessment, and willingness to pay aspects in urban water supply projects; and feasibility studies for projects in logistics and private healthcare. At CISED, she is working on identifying the institutional frameworks that will facilitate payment for ecological services, under the NIVA project.

Research Assistants

Madhavi Latha G. (February 2006 onwards)
Masters in Sociology, Mysore University

Over the last ten years, Madhavi has focused on socio-economic issues through research projects at the Centre for Research in Rural and Tribal Development and the Indo-Dutch Project Management Society, in Mysore and at the Foundation for Research in Health Systems and the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), in Bangalore. Currently she is working on a watershed development study, along with a team of Field Investigators.

Iswaragouda Patil (January 2003 onwards)
Masters in Economics, Karnataka University, Dharwad

Iswar is well-versed in field-based data collection methods such as socio-economic surveys in Karnataka. He is a member of the research team investigating water availability and livelihood impacts of land cover changes in the Western Ghats.

Rajeevakumar (December 2004 onwards)
Masters in Economics, Bangalore University, M.Phil in Economics, Periyar University, Salem

Rajeev has six years experience in field-based data collection methods such as socio-economic surveys in Karnataka, data entry and data analysis. His research interests are in the areas of natural resources management.

Praveen G.S. (January 2007 onwards)
M.Tech. in Soil and Water Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad

Praveen is interested in water conservation studies. He is exploring the use of GIS and Remote Sensing in the development of agricultural production in watershed areas.

Chandrahasa (March 2007 onwards)
Masters in Economics, Bangalore University

Chandrahasa’s research interests include issues such as dryland agricultural development, watershed development and their impact on rural livelihoods. He has previously worked as a coordinator (for Karnataka) at NCAER. Chandrahasa has done socio-economic surveys in Karnataka, and is well-versed in field data collection methods such as data entry and analysis. At CISED, he is working on the payment for ecosystem services project in the Malaprabha river basin.

Praveen P. (November 2007 onwards)

B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Bangalore, M.Tech in Soil and Water Engineering, UAS, Dharwad

Praveen is a team member in the watershed research group. He has worked previously as a support engineer with Jain Irrigation Systems. Praveen’s research interests are in rainwater harvesting and natural resource management.

Veeresha A. M. (December 2007 onwards)
Masters in Sociology, Bangalore University

Veeresha has worked on a range of issues during his eight years as a researcher. This includes a phase at IIM-B, doing the comparative analysis on tanks, impact analysis on different model approaches and on socio-economic livelihood analysis, as well as looking into equity and sustainability concerns. He has also done field level project implementation under the Jalasamvardhane Yojana Sangha scheme, and policy analysis of irrigation projects at different scales, at agencies such as Sahayoga and Jalaspandhana. At CISED, he is working on watershed evaluation in the watershed research group.

Gireeshayya Udagatti (December 2007 onwards)
Masters in Agricultural Economics from University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad

Gireeshayya’s research focus has been the economic analysis of farming systems in tank commands of Northern Karnataka, in particular aspects such as the cropping pattern, costs and returns, allocative and technical efficiencies of various farming systems, impact of interventions conducted by UAS, Dharwad (through CBTMCP) and possible policy measures for reorganization of resources to enhance productivity. At CISED, he is a team member in the watershed research group.

Divya Badami Rao (February 2008 onwards)
Masters in Social Work, TATA Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Following her MSW, where she specialised in urban and rural community development, Divya worked with Kalpavriksh, Delhi, on environmental advocacy campaigns. The main focus of her work has been the implementation of the Environment Impact (EIA) Notification, 1994, and efforts to lobby for a stronger EIA Notification, 2006. At CISED, Divya is working mainly on issues related to the environmental impact of the nuclear energy sector.

Vidya A.  (May 2008 onwards)
B.E. (Civil), Masters in RS-GIS IIRS-Dehradun

Vidya is interested in remote sensing, particularly in the mathematical concepts behind image processing. At CISED, Vidya is working on research around land-use change dynamics/detection.