News

Volume 6 Issue 6 - September 01, 2009

B.N. Yugandhar to head N.C.P.E.D.P's Core Group on Rural Development

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: B.N. Yugandhar, former member Planning Commission and retired I.A.S. officer is going to head N.C.P.E.D.P.’s Core Group on Rural Development. Yugandhar has been an active supporter of disability issues.

Yugandhar has served as the Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie; Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment and Secretary to Prime Minister besides many other key positions. During his stint in the Planning Commission, he was instrumental in getting an entire chapter on disability issues included in the Plan. He also played a pivotal role in getting disability included in N.R.E.G.A.

His area of expertise include poverty alleviation; rural development; safety net programmes; agrarian relations; capacity building in public administration: public policy planning; public management; decentralized planning and administration; local governance; social mobilization and community based rehabilitation of disabled persons.

Members of the Core Group are yet to be decided. It may be mentioned that N.C.P.E.D.P. has launched a three year project - “Mainstreaming of Disability in the National Agenda - Policy to Practice” in partnership with the British High Commission to focus on 5 key issues - health, employment, accessibility, communication, information technology and rural development. Of these, Core Groups on access, communication, information technology and health have already been formed and are actively running their respective campaigns towards policy interventions.