President

Shikha Jain’s vast experience in cultural heritage of India ranges from steering conservation projects for various state governments to preparing conservation plans funded by international organisations such as the Getty Foundation, World Monuments Fund and advising ASI on World Heritage. Representing India as a Cultural Heritage expert, she steered matters as Member Secretary, Advisory Committee on World Heritage to the Ministry of Culture during India’s term in the World Heritage Committee from 2011-2015.

Education – She is Visiting Faculty for Urban Conservation in the Urban Planning Department of SPA, New Delhi. A panel member of PRASADA, Society of South Asian Studies, UK, she is also the Chief Editor of DRONAH’s refereed Journal ‘Context: Built, Living and Natural’.

Career Background – Shikha Jain is currently steering the Ajmer HRIDAY Project for the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) with DRONAH as a City Anchor for Ajmer-Pushkar. She received National level HUDCO awards for 2 urban conservation projects from Jaipur in 2013 that have also been recognised under Urban Green Growth Best Practices http://www.niua.org/projects/urban-green-growth-strategies-indian-cities. In 2015, the National Institute of Urban Affairs, MoUD documented her work on Heritage Management Plan of Jaipur as Best Practice http://citynet-ap.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/GP-IN4-HERITAGE.pdf

Career Background – She is the State Convener of INTACH Haryana Chapter and member of National Committees under the Ministry of Culture. She is also the Coordinator for National Scientific Committee ICOFORT, ICOMOS India and Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator for ICOFORT International. She was a consultant to UNESCO, New Delhi for the UNESCO-MoUD Cultural Heritage Toolkit under MoUD’s Urban Renewal Mission.

Cheena Kanwal leads the Environmental Conservation activities and projects of the organisation. She is based at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (Western Himalaya State) and is a freelance consultant for projects on energy conservation and sustainability. Her extraprofessional interest is focused on development communication and media strategies for development programmes. She has worked as a volunteer with BBC Radio Leicester and with theatre groups in Delhi, Shimla and abroad. Her varied interests have prompted her to associate with a number of development organisations and State government departments on projects of governance, planning, energy, transport and tourism.

Education – Master of Science in Climate Change and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K., 2002, Bachelor of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 1991.

Career Background – She has been associated with International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) on their worldwide programme called ‘Cities for Climate Protection’ CCP partnered with the Municipal Corporation, Shimla. She was actively involved in the deliberations held by the Department of Town and Country Planning to review the ‘Simla Development Plan 2021’ providing special inputs consisting of guidelines and recommendations for energy conservation building codes for incorporation into the Development Plan 2021, She has been trained in cost and energy efficient building technology at the Laurie Baker Building Centre, New Delhi and in Environment Education at Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad.

Vice President, Madhya Pradesh

Dr. Ajay Khare is a conservation architect and Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal (Established by MHRD, Govt. of India). He has a number of successful conservation projects in Rajasthan to his credit. He has been actively involved in organising conferences on Heritage, has given special lectures and Radio talks on conservation. He has written several articles on conservation in national and international journals. He is the author of ‘Temple Architecture of Eastern India’ (Shubhi, 2005).

Education – Ph.D.Architecture, PRASADA, De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K., MA in Conservation Studies, University of York, U.K. 1995, Master of Architecture. (Architectural Conservation), Urban Design, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. 1992.

Career Background – Besides his current position Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal (Established by MHRD, Govt. of India), he has served as a Reader in Heritage Management at Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management. He has been the Director of KHAM, an Architectural and Conservation consultancy firm started by him at Jaipur. He worked as a Conservation Consultant for Jaisalmer Administration in Rajasthan.

Vice President, West Bengal

Suchandra Bardhan is an architect with specialization in Landscape Architecture. She has won several awards and honors during her academic career. With a strong academic bent of mind, she has undertaken some major research works on heritage, environment and regional landscapes. With active participation in National and International Conferences, she also has a substantial number of journal and proceeding publications to her credit.

Education – PhD (Engineering) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 2008. M. Landscape Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 1995. B. Architecture, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 1991. Certificates in Remote Sensing and GIS Applications & Urban Rain water Harvesting.

Career Background – She is currently serving Department of Architecture, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, as a faculty member. She is also associated with prominent academic organizations as an External Expert-cum-Resource person and an active member of several Professional Institutes and Learned Societies.

She has a versatile experience working on prestigious landscape projects across the country for both public/corporate bodies and individuals. She has also worked on significant Landscape Rejuvenation projects as well as several Community Outreach Programs on behalf of the University. She has been one of the best poster awardees in the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference 2009. She has served as a Jury on invitation for several events on Interior design, Horticultural exhibitions, educational courses and festive lighting during the last few years.

Secretary & Treasurer

Rakesh Jain is an innovative architect who has employed his theoretical knowledge to create educational Institutions, residences and offices.

Education – Bachelor of Architecture School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. 1991.

Career Background – Rakesh Jain has been a practising architect since 1991. His expertise includes Design, Execution and Project Management. His experience encompasses architectural design and execution of several engineering colleges and schools. He has also successfully designed and executed several interiors. He has handled a number of projects for multinational clientele such as Citibank and Reebok. He established Directions in 1996, a comprehensive multidisciplinary professional practice that operates with an underlying objective to provide an integrated design based approach for all Architectural, Interior and Landscape. His specialty is in farmhouses, factories, institutions, interiors, residences, and resorts. His role in projects is to design, execute and coordinate architectural and interior issues.

Professional Registration /Memberships: Council of Architecture, India Indian Institute of Architects, Northern Chapter.

General Secretary

Rachna Khare is full-time Professor in Architecture Department at School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal. Prior to this she was a Senior Research Fellow with Jamsetji Tata Universal Design Research Chair at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and taught at Birla Institute of Technology. Rachna is a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship and was affiliated with Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA during her PhD.

Her research interests in the field of ‘Universal Design’ and ‘Designing for Special Needs’ have earned her grants and awards nationally and internationally. Her research papers appeared in the publications like Taylor and Francis, Sage, HFES, EDRA, RESNA and Archnet MIT. She has organized many national and international workshops and competitions on ‘Universal Design’ and remained jury member of Berkeley Prize Essay Competition, endorsed by UC Berkeley, USA.

Rachna works closely with Government of India and United Nations; she represented and collaborated with UN/UNESCAP/UNESCO on several occasions. She is one of the authors of Universal Design India Principles developed at NID in 2011. She has received many awards for her work. She is recently recognized as ‘Inspired Teacher’ by Hon’ble President of India as well as stayed Scholar-in-Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In her position, Rachna also co-ordinates Centre for Human Centric Research (CHCR) at SPA Bhopal.

Vice President, Rajasthan

Dr. Mukesh Kalla is young entrepreneur with the best qualification in medicine. He specializes in Gastroenterology and Therapeutic Endoscopy. His clinical work experience is more than two decades. Dr. Kalla started his carrier as consultant Gastroenterology and looking to earnest need of society he made his super-specialty Gastroenterology setup in year 2000. 

His hard work, result oriented approach to treatment in GI problems along with latest technology which he brought from Mumbai revolutionized the concept of treatment in Gastroenterology. He is the founder of SR Kalla Memorial Gastro & General Hospital, Jaipur ,a 150 bedded multi-specialty hospital geared & prepared for any kind of surgical and medical problems 24×7 hrs. He is also an executive member of JMA & Indian society of Gastroenterology.

Dr Kalla is actively involved in research work and he is a certified principle investigator for various Phase II/III/IV trials. Dr. Kalla also has to his credit multiple national and international publications. On social forum he is actively involved in charity work through SR Kalla Memorial Charitable Trust.