The governance and vision of Samaj Pragati Sahayog rests with a dedicated core team that emerged from the drought-parched tribal hinterlands of Dewas district in the early 1990s. Each founding member brings decades of field experience, academic rigour, and an unwavering commitment to the dignity of the most marginalised communities. Together, they operate through deep dialogue and collective responsibility.
Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, SPS has worked relentlessly for over three decades across 600+ villages in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — always guided by community-led institutions rather than paternalistic charity.
An internationally acclaimed biologist, Dr. Debashis Banerji is a gold medallist from Allahabad University. He guides our Agriculture programme. Dr. Banerjee is among the select few scientists in India whose original research has been published in the journal Nature.
Dr. Mridula Banerji is the President of Samaj Pragati Sahayog and is also a gold medallist from Allahabad University. With a PhD in Psychology, Dr. Mridula Banerji guides the administrative processes of the organisation. She continuously urges Samaj Pragati Sahayog to work on the fundamental rights of children.
Nivedita Banerji is a post-graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University and leads our Women's Empowerment programme. Her design artistry is clearly visible in everything from Kachwa fabrics to all our training books. The innovative architecture of the Baba Amte Centre is also her creative expression.
Jyotsna Jain has a post-graduate degree in Geography from the Delhi School of Economics. She leads the organisation's Right to Food programme, working to ensure entitlements reach the most marginalised communities across SPS's areas of operation
A graduate of St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Dr. Mihir Shah is the Secretary of Samaj Pragati Sahayog. The college honoured him with the K.C. Naga Economics Award in 1976. He went on to be a merit student in post-graduate Economics at the Delhi School of Economics. Dr. Mihir Shah served as an advisor to the Commissioner of the Supreme Court in the Right to Food case, and was a member of 3 working groups constituted for the 11th Five-Year Plan.
From Delhi University, Rang Rao provides ground-level leadership for the organisation. His living connection with rural communities constantly guides the organisation in new directions and gives substance to all our efforts. Rang Rao is the Director of SPS's Watershed and Microfinance programmes.
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P. S. Vijay Shankar is the Treasurer of the organisation. He holds an M.Phil in Economics from the Centre for Development Studies, Kerala. His aim is to take academic learning out of research labs and connect it with ground realities so that research can stand up to the test of actual implementation.
Pramathesh Ambasta completed his post-graduate education from St. Stephen's College, Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He subsequently worked with the International Labour Organisation. He leads the organisation's training and advocacy programmes through the Baba Amte Centre for People's Empowerment, and is the Publication Director of the organisation.
Pinky Brahma Choudhury and Shobhit Jain are graduates of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. In addition to maintaining video records of all our work, they produce training films used by trainers at the Baba Amte Centre for People's Empowerment. These films also play a vital role in building widespread awareness from village to village.
