Our People · Vidyodaya

Founders

Rama Sastry & B. Ramdas

Educationists

Rama Sastry and B. Ramdas, educationists, began the Vidyodaya Adivasi School, which evolved into VBVT in response to the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam’s vision for culturally rooted education.

Mari Marcel Thekaekara & Stan Thekaekara

Social change agents · founders of ACCORD

Mari Marcel Thekaekara and Stan Thekaekara, social change agents and founders of ACCORD, have worked with Adivasi communities since the 1980s to advance rights, livelihoods, and self-governance.

Dr. Shylaja Devi Menon & Dr. Nandakumar

Doctors · co-founders of ASHWINI

Dr. Shylaja Devi Menon and Dr. Nandakumar, doctors trained in India and the US, co-founded ASHWINI and the Gudalur Adivasi Hospital, pioneering a model of community-run healthcare.

Board of Trustees

N. Kumaran

Managing Trustee

A senior community leader with over 35 years mobilising Adivasi communities.

P. Shanthi

Chief Functionary, VBVT

From the Adivasi community, with over two decades in contextual, community-based education.

Rama Sastry

Co-founder, Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust

Co-founder of Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust and the Vidyodaya Adivasi School.

Suresh Lakshmanan

Trustee · Mental Health Coordinator

From the Adivasi Paniya community. After a Masters in Social Work from Loyola College, he worked with the Nilgiri Tribal Welfare Society supporting children’s education and access to welfare services, and now coordinates mental-health support at Ashwini Hospital.

Seetha Prakash

Healthcare professional

Trained as a nurse from the community, with 30+ years making healthcare accessible.

K. Bindhu

Health animator

From the Adivasi community; trained as a nurse, with 28 years as an area health animator.

Dr. Nandakumar Menon

Medical doctor

Co-founded ASHWINI and the Gudalur Adivasi Hospital.

Coordination Team

Shanthi

Chief Functionary

Suja

Principal, the School

Swathi

Teacher Education

Karalan

Community Education

Vidhya

Hostel

Sreeja

Finance

Bhuvaneswari

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

Vinoth

Executive Secretary

Ranjani

Academics

Vishnu

Infrastructure

Monish

Compliance

Advisors & Associates

Advisors

Padma M. Sarangapani

Professor of Education, TISS

Chairperson of the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Sonajharia Minz

Professor, JNU

The first Adivasi woman to co-chair at UNESCO; professor of Computer Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Krishna

Architect · co-founder of Thulir

Worked in Gudalur combining architecture, construction and education.

Justice Chitra Venkataraman

Retired Judge, Madras High Court

Serves as an Independent Director on corporate boards.

M. K. Kabir

Senior Advocate, Madras High Court

Experienced in constitutional and civil litigation.

Associates

Mythili Ramchand

Professor, NIAS Bengaluru

Expertise in teacher education and inclusive STEM.

Jacob John

Founder, Aline Partners

Previously led the Impact function at the Azim Premji Foundation.

Subhash Gautam

Director, TREC

A Vidyodaya School alumnus; co-founder of Rocklands Coffee Company.

Vishesh Unni

Chartered Accountant

Partner at A Raghunathan & Co LLP, supporting institutional governance.

Tharak Krishnamurthy

A technology and customer leader who supports Vidyodaya with strategy, systems and outreach.

And many more

A 45-member team

Behind these names is a 45-member team, rooted in the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam and supported by a network of friends built over three decades.

Join them as a volunteer

Alumni leading the way

From the village school to universities and back again, our alumni are teachers, doctors, nurses, architects and researchers. Many return to serve the very communities they grew up in.