General manager
Ranajit Bhattacharyya
General Manager & Communications Head
Ranajit Bhattacharyya
General Manager & Communications Head
Communications Unit
Ranajit Bhattacharyya has been with Pratham since 2003. He has been associated with ASER since its beginning in 2005. He was part of the team that launched ASER in West Bengal and the North-East. Subsequently, Ranajit was instrumental in starting the Pratham chapter of West Bengal in 2007, with the launch of Read India, Pratham’s flagship programme, with the district administration in Sandeshkhali Block of North 24 Parganas, which was subsequently adopted by the district administration to cover the whole district. He currently works as the General Manager and Head of Communications Unit of ASER Centre and has been involved with several research projects of ASER Centre as well. Post C19 he spends more time in West Bengal supporting the Pratham team, in a mentor’s role. Till recently he was the Hub Manager of PAL Network South Asia. PAL Network is an association of organisations that conduct Citizen Led Assessment (CLA) across 3 continents, and is head quartered in Nairobi, Kenya. He has special interest in Sports and Water & Sanitation and contributes intermittently about these issues, in the digital media.
Shweta Bhutada
Senior Project Lead
Shweta Bhutada
Senior Project Lead
Shweta graduated with a degree in journalism from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and then studied International Development at Sciences Po. After a brief stint in journalism, her enthusiasm to understand the world first-hand brought her to ASER Centre, where she is now working as the Senior Project Lead. In her free time she loves binging on music and exploring cities.
Survey unit
Akansha Bandooni
Research Associate
Akansha Bandooni
Research Associate
Survey Unit
Akansha is a psychology post-graduate. Prior to ASER, she worked with the premier think tank NITI Aayog for almost 2 years in the Communication and Social Media Cell. Her keen interest in the research and developmental sector encouraged her to join ASER. Apart from that, she loves gardening and feeding stray cats and dogs.
Bhalchandra Shahare
Zonal Manager
Jahanvi Choudhary
Research Associate
Jahanvi Choudhary
Research Associate
Survey Unit
Jahanvi is a Statistics graduate from University of Delhi. Prior to the ASER centre, she has worked as a Teach For India fellow in Delhi where she taught English and Mathematics to Grade 3 students for two years. She truly believes in bringing excellence in the system, where the needs of its individuals are met. Exploring places, cooking meals and reading books are some of the things that keep her rejuvenated.
Nataraja J
Zonal Manager
Nataraja J
Zonal Manager
Survey Unit
Mr. Nataraja J holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and has completed a certificate programme for Survey and Research Coordinators. He joined ASER Centre in 2010, before joining ASER Centre, for nearly 5 years he headed different projects as a Project Manager in Pratham Mysore. He likes to listen to music, ride the bike, travel, meet different people, and know their cultures.
Prabhsimran Singh
Zonal Manager
Prabhsimran Singh
Zonal Manager
Survey Unit
Prabhsimran Singh has been with ASER Centre since 2013, during this time he has built strong partnerships with the state government as well as a number of public and private institutes. In Punjab, he manages and conducts research and evaluation studies as well as capacity building workshops. Prior to his current position, Prabhsimran worked at Dell International as a Senior Technical Executive. A postgraduate in business management, Prabhsimran holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign trade. Trading stocks is one of his hobbies.
Ramkrishan Choudhary
Zonal Manager
Ramkrishan Choudhary
Zonal Manager
Survey Unit
Ramkrishan Choudhary leads the ASER team in Rajasthan. His primary focus is on planning, budgeting and monitoring the ASER survey, and mentoring the team of ASER Associates in the state. He maintains an ASER network in the field, especially with government officials and partner organisations and provides field support in disseminating ASER report key findings with partner institutions and government officers. He started his career with GVNML Jaipur, and has been working in the Non-profit sector for the last 14 years. He likes to go trekking and traveling across rural India. He has an M.A. in Sociology and a certificate course in Adult Learning and Training Management.
Shradha Nediyedath
Research Associate
Shradha Nediyedath
Research Associate
Survey Unit
Shradha holds an Integrated Master’s Degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. Her passion for social development motivated her to work on projects associated with Inclusive Education, Indian Knowledge Systems, and Adolescent Mental Health. At ASER, she cherishes the opportunity to engage with various stakeholders related to school education and understand inequalities in learning experiences. In her free time, she enjoys binge-reading fiction and scribbling in her journal.
Shristi Sarawgi
Research Associate
Shristi Sarawgi
Research Associate
Survey Unit
Shristi is an Economics graduate from Indraprastha College for Women. Her love for meeting new people and travelling to new places is her reason behind joining ASER centre. Her goal is to bring change through policy in the field of women empowerment and education.
Shwetraj Kaushik
Research Associate
Shwetraj Kaushik
Research Associate
Survey Unit
Shwetraj graduated with a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and has worked on topics such as Digital Governance, AI in Mental Health, and Social and Emotional Learning. His interest in interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and zeal for exploring rural India brought him to ASER’s Survey Unit. In his free time, he loves going on runs and long walks and often explores the world through cinema, books, and maps.
Sunil Kumar
Zonal Manager
Sunil Kumar
Zonal Manager
Survey Unit
Sunil has been working with Pratham and ASER for the last 14 years. He has a Master’s in Social Work and he has also done B.PED. He loves traveling and has travelled to many places because of ASER. He enjoys going to different places and meeting new people. ASER has given him the opportunity to realise his dream of working in the education sector.
Trishna Lekharu
Zonal Manager
Trishna Lekharu
Zonal Manager
Survey Unit
Trishna Lekharu has been working with ASER for the last 12 years. After graduation, she has completed several certificate courses like early childhood development, sustainable development, survey and research coordination, adult learning, etc. She likes traveling, meeting new people, and exploring places.
Urvija Rishi
Senior Research Associate
Urvija Rishi
Senior Research Associate
Survey Unit
Urvija recently completed her Master’s in Applied Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She has previously worked with Pratham Skilling and is particularly interested in research and policy at the intersection of gender, education and labor force development. In her free time, Urvija loves to find opportunities to travel, try new cuisines, read, as well as explore art and music.
Research and statistics unit
Avishi Srivastava
Research Associate
Avishi Srivastava
Research Associate
Research and Statistics Unit
Avishi has an MSc in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester and a BSc in Economics and Finance from Ashoka University. She is passionate about quantitative research and aims to work comprehensively on social development projects surrounding labor markets, gender, and education. She also finds coffee, dogs, and stereotypical pop music fascinating.
Deepak Kumar
Unit Head
Deepak Kumar
Unit Head
Research and Statistics Unit
He holds a Ph.D. in Economics with a specialization in education from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is an applied micro-economist, focusing on policy questions related to education and health. Dr Kumar was previously associated with the REAL Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK. His research interest in children’s education and learning led him to join ASER Centre with a strong desire to actively engage in grassroots research. Dr Kumar is also an avid mountain lover and enjoys cycling and trekking in his free time.
Karishma Vats
Senior Research Associate
Karishma Vats
Senior Research Associate
Research and Statistics Unit
Karishma is a Public Health Professional and most of her work has revolved around the underplaying factors for poor development of children and women. In the past decade, she has been part of a few research studies around nutrition and health for children, adolescents and women. Her engagement with the Research Unit has broadened the horizon for to work on other relevant themes. She likes spending time alone with books and music, but being a mother of two, allows less time for that. Apart from it, she enjoys travelling, making friends, talking to people, trying out different cuisines and being around nature.
Madhumati Manjunath
Senior Research Associate
Madhumati Manjunath
Senior Research Associate
Research Unit
Madhumati Manjunath is a Senior Research Associate at ASER Centre. Her main interests include educational assessment and measurement. Her day-to-day work involves developing tools and analyzing data from educational assessments. She completed her MA in Education from Azim Premji University in 2021. In her spare time, she likes reading, watching movies, and doing DIY craft projects.
Rohit Walthare
Senior Research Associate
Rohit Walthare
Senior Research Associate
Research and Statistics Unit
Rohit holds a master’s degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University, specializing in development economics. Rohit’s passion for research in rural and underserved communities drives his efforts to tackle development challenges at the grassroots level, with a particular focus on education and inclusive growth. At ASER, he contributes to research aimed at enhancing educational outcomes and promoting sustainable development in India’s underserved regions. Previously, he collaborated with state and central agencies and research partners from the University of Chicago and Northwestern to conduct impact evaluations of state-run projects targeting underserved communities, using data to inform policy decisions. Outside of work, he enjoys good coffee, working out, cooking, hiking, and playing billiards.
Assessment unit
Anil Kamath
Co-Lead – Languages and Literacy
Anil Kamath
Co-Lead – Languages and Literacy
Assessment Unit
Anil Kamath is working as Senior Research Associate with Assessment Unit of ASER Centre. He has been working in the socio-development sector from last 16 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Social Work. He is a certified professional by national and international universities/organizations in the field of “Learning and Large scale Assessment, Measurement and Survey design, Language learning and development in the early childhood, Multilingual Practices, Data literacy and Research”. Currently, he is managing the language assessments for national and international assessments, as well as heading some major internal and external evaluation projects. His hobbies and interests include studying philosophy (metaphysics and epistemology), learning different languages, traveling and photography.
Ankita Patwal
Research Associate
Ankita Patwal
Research Associate
Assessment Unit
Ankita is Mathematics graduate from University of Delhi and holds a Masters in Sociology from IGNOU. During college days, she was involved in National Service Scheme doing field surveys and educating people in villages. Her aspiration for civil services, sparked a passion for the social sector in her, particularly in education. She has gained invaluable teaching experience as a part-time educator in NGOs across Delhi, focusing on empowering underprivileged children through education. She is also a freelance Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Mathematics. Beyond her professional interests, she finds joy in yoga, mountain hiking, traveling with friends, and watch good movie/series.
Anwesha Mahapatra
Language Assessment Associate
Anwesha Mahapatra
Language Assessment Associate
Assessment Unit
Anwesha has completed her Masters in Linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi in 2020. Her research interests are L2 Assessment, Multilingualism and Language Policy. She has previously worked on research projects regarding Social Cognition, Experimental Pragmatics and Impact Assessment. She is currently working as a Language Assessment Associate at ASER. Beyond work, she likes to tend to her garden and read fiction.
Nisha Mondal
Research Associate
Nisha Mondal
Research Associate
Assessment Unit
Nisha is a postgraduate in Economics, having earned her bachelor’s degree from Delhi University and her master’s from the Madras School of Economics. She prepared for the Civil Services Exam, which ignited a special interest in the social sector, particularly in education and women’s sector. Her desire is to gain firsthand experience in the field and contribute to impactful interventions. Besides, Nisha is an animal lover who always tries to connect with animals in her free time. She also loves to sing!
Shruti Gupta
Research Associate
Shruti Gupta
Research Associate
Assessment Unit
Shruti Gupta has completed her Master’s in Early Childhood Care and Education from Ambedkar University, Delhi in 2023. Prior to Aser Centre, she worked as a teacher at Prakriti School, where she taught pre-primary children for a year. During this time, she developed effective teaching strategies and built strong relationships with both children and their parents. Her passion for early childhood education drives her to continuously improve and adapt her methods to best support young learners in their crucial developmental years. In her free time, she enjoys shopping and watching movies and series.
Sudipto Kar
Unit Head
Sudipto Kar
Unit Head
Assessment Unit
Sudipto Kar is a Senior Researcher and an experienced Assessment Specialist with more than 8 years of experience in the field of education measurements. He holds a degree in Computer Application from Delhi University. While his journey began with overseeing Math assessments in the Unit, he currently oversees both National and International Assessment programs with a focus on digital learning, adaptive testing designs, and impact evaluations. In his free time, Sudipto enjoys exploring new places, reconnecting with old friends, and indulging in local cuisine.
Surabhi Ghosh
Senior Assessment Associate
Surabhi Ghosh
Senior Assessment Associate
Assessment Unit
Surabhi is a post graduate in Biomedical Science from the University of Delhi. She has a keen interest in educational research. Prior to ASER, she worked in science education at NCERT. She is currently developing assessments for maths and science. Surabhi enjoys traveling to new places, learning about the lifestyle of locals and trying new cuisines. She loves singing and interacting with people.
Vikram Prateek Guria
Unit Head
Vikram Prateek Guria
Unit Head
Assessment Unit
Vikram leads the Assessment Unit at ASER Centre. He studied engineering and started as a software engineer. Gradually he moved into EdTech sector and later focusing on educational measurement for more than a decade. His interest areas are game based assessments and ethnomathematics. Apart from work areas, he explores world music and cinema. Currently, he is learning football tactical analysis and hopes to sometime meet José Mourinho.
Design unit
Aamir Khan
Senior Graphic Designer
Aamir Khan
Senior Graphic Designer
Design Unit
Graphic Designer at ASER Centre, Aamir Khan graduated with BA. Programme from Delhi University, he also has a Diploma in fashion design from JD Institute of FT. He has been working at ASER for eight years. Aamir takes keen interest in fashion and the arts, and in his spare time he designs and sews miniature outfits for dolls.
Imtiyaz Ahmed
Graphic Designer
Imtiyaz Ahmed
Graphic Designer
Material Design
Graphic Designer of ASER Centre, Md. Imtiyaz Ahmad has been working in the Design Unit at ASER Centre for thirteen years. He holds a Bachelors in Sociology from L.N.M University Darbhanga. He is passionate about Cricket, Football and Hockey and enjoys reading novels in his spare time.
Saleem Miyan
System Administrator
Saleem Miyan
System Administrator
Data Entry Coordinator And Material Production
Saleem Miyan is a System Administrator and Graphics Designer and has been working with Pratham for over 22 years. At ASER, he has also been actively involved in survey management, developing survey tools, data entry management and report publishing. Saleem is a graduate from Delhi University. He likes playing cricket and takes a keen interest in politics.
Communications unit
Akanksha Bisht
Content & Research Associate
Akanksha Bisht
Content & Research Associate
Content & Research
Akanksha has studied from Indraprastha College for Women and Ambedkar University Delhi. She is an aspiring development professional interested in the field of education and gender. She is also a freelance writer and editor. In her free time, she enjoys books, crafts, visual arts, and crochet.
Ranajit Bhattacharyya
General Manager & Communications Head
Ranajit Bhattacharyya
General Manager & Communications Head
Communications Unit
Ranajit Bhattacharyya has been with Pratham since 2003. He has been associated with ASER since its beginning in 2005. He was part of the team that launched ASER in West Bengal and the North-East. Subsequently, Ranajit was instrumental in starting the Pratham chapter of West Bengal in 2007, with the launch of Read India, Pratham’s flagship programme, with the district administration in Sandeshkhali Block of North 24 Parganas, which was subsequently adopted by the district administration to cover the whole district. He currently works as the General Manager and Head of Communications Unit of ASER Centre and has been involved with several research projects of ASER Centre as well. Post C19 he spends more time in West Bengal supporting the Pratham team, in a mentor’s role. Till recently he was the Hub Manager of PAL Network South Asia. PAL Network is an association of organisations that conduct Citizen Led Assessment (CLA) across 3 continents, and is head quartered in Nairobi, Kenya. He has special interest in Sports and Water & Sanitation and contributes intermittently about these issues, in the digital media.
Utkarsha Ahirwar
Communications Associate
Utkarsha Ahirwar
Communications Associate
Communications Unit
Utkarsha holds a Master’s in Media and Communication Studies from Christ University, Bangalore, and a Bachelor’s in Journalism from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi. Her passion for the development sector was ignited during her college years. Outside work, you’ll find her exploring new destinations, experimenting in the kitchen, or indulging in good food.
Human resources and administration unit
Nandita Banerjee
HR & Capacity Building Head
Nandita Banerjee
HR & Capacity Building Head
Human Resources & Capacity Building Unit
Nandita has been working in the non-profit sector for more than 20 years and joined ASER Centre in 2011. She has been the head of HR and the Capacity Building Unit since 2013. In her current role she manages the HR and training of ASER team members, along with managing talent acquisition, performance appraisals, employee engagement and welfare practices. She also trains members on understanding and using data, including sessions on Basic Descriptive Statistics and MS Excel. She is a part-time faculty at the Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP). She has an MBA, a Masters in Economics and a Diploma in Training and Development. In her free time, she likes to go trekking, read, travel, and play with her dogs. She practices sustainable living and regularly volunteers with NGOs working with children and for animal welfare.
