Name: Gautam Vohra
Education :
SSC from Doon School, Dehra Dun, 1963
‘A’ levels from Carlisle and Gregson, London,1965.
BA (History) from King’s College London University (1966 – 1969).
M.A. (Economics) and PhD from Bombay University. Doctoral thesis : The Change in the Nature of the Political Elite.
Fellowship : World Press Institute to Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA during the academic year 1972-73.
Consultancy/Research assignments for Government : National Wastelands Development Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Delhi.
Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), Ministry of Rural Development, Delhi.
Consultancy/Research assignments for private Foundations/ institutions : Aga Khan Foundation, Hinduja Foundation, ISI/UNDP, NIRID, National Institute of Bank Management(NIBM), CASP- Plan International.
Current Job : Managing Director, Kaagaz International, a publishing house into niche publications on Alternative Livestyles (the NGO sector) and the Arts (studio pottery)
Electoral office :
* President, Vasant Vihar Welfare Association (VVWA) from 2002 – 2004.
* President, VVWA, 2010-
* President, The NGO Club, The NGO Foundation, 1992-2002.
Chairman : Development Research and Action Group (DRAG) since 1988.
DRAG is registered as a Society :
* Implemented anti- poverty programmes in 25 tribal hamlets of Pen Taluka, Raigad district of Maharashtra.
* Promotes organic farming through its model field base in Manger village, Faridabad district, Haryana.
* Manages a primary school for the indigent in Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar, Delhi.
* Runs a Women’s Skill Development Center in West Delhi.
Previous job :
Assistant Editor, The Times of India from 1970-1985.
Editor, Sunday Times 1981-85
Some International assignments :
(i)Covered the Indo-Pak War (1971) and the Kampuchean struggle for Independence (1973).
(ii) Covered the U.S Presidential election (1972)
(iii) Assignments to the Gulf (Bahrain) and Saudi Arabia, 1983.
(iv) * Sent back reports from Latin America (Chile when Allende was in power)
* The Far East (Japan, the Phillipines)
* Egypt
*Israel
During my stint in the newspaper wrote about a couple of hundred articles of which 50 percent was published in the editorial page of The Times of India.
Grants :
* Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) grant for the study of the New Political Elite (MLAs)
* University Grants Commission (UGC) grant for the study of the New Political Elite (MPs).
* Dorabji Tata Trust grant for the study of the New Political Elite (Grassroot leadership).
Books published :
* Women in Bihar (Vikas Publishers, New Delhi,1988)
* Altering Structures (Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay, 1990).
* Development With A Bang (Uppal Publishers, New Delhi, 1992)
* The New Political Elite- MLAs (Daya Publishers, Delhi, 1992)
* The Tribal Experience (Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 1994)
* The New Political Elite-MPs (Kaveri Books Delhi, 1994
* The Central Himalayas (Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 1995)
* Tribals, Development and Environment (Har-Anand Publications, 1996)
* The New Political Elite- Grassroots Leadership (Indian Publishers & Distributors, 2001)
* The New Political Leadership : From Panchayat to Parliament (Indian Publishers & Distributors, 2004)
*Diary of An Organic Farmer (Har-Anand Publications, 2011)
Environment Campaigner : Been a member of a number of Ministry of Environment committees including the National Environment Awareness Campaign Empowered Committee and the Environment Impact Assessment of River Valley and Hydro-Electric Projects during which effort was made to focus on peoples’ rights and promote peoples’ participation.
Participated in several environment campaigns including :
* Narmada Bachao Andolan
* Save Yamuna Campaign (as member of Paani Morcha toured the sources of the Ganga and Yamuna
* Save Delhi’s Ridge
* Climate Change Campaign : The trees grown in the DRAG farm serve as a carbon sink
* Promoting water harvesting in Manger and Vasant Vihar.
Magazines edited/published:
1. Afrasian, London University (SOAS), 1968
2. Development Alternatives newsletter, 1994-1996
3. People’s Action for CAPART, Min. of Rural Development, 1996-98
4. Moving Technology for CAPART, Min. of Rural Development, 1996-98
5. The NGO Club newsletter, 1999-2000
6. Vasant Vihar Welfare Association newsletter, 2002-2004
7. The Pottery Newsletter, 2008-2009
8. Action Now. From 2010 to date
9. A host of DRAG booklets/pamphlets ( 1988-2011)
