OUR PEOPLE
Sh. Jawahar Lal Kaul
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Jawaharlal Kaul (Padma Shri, 2016)
Born in 1937 in Skardu, Jammu & Kashmir, Jawaharlal Kaul experienced the turmoil of partition and the invasion of Kashmir at a young age. Forced to flee to Srinagar at age ten, he grew up amidst hardship, which shaped his worldview. Initially drawn to leftist politics, he later moved to Delhi to pursue journalism, joining Dinmaan of The Times of India group. His reporting focused on issues like environmental degradation, disasters, and social challenges, reflecting his own experiences of struggle. Kaul has been closely associated with the Centre for Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir Studies and was honored with the Padma Shri in 2016.
Prof. Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri
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Prof. Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri
Dr. Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri is an educator, journalist, and social worker with degrees from prestigious institutions like Panjab University. He has served as principal, director, and professor at various educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Alongside teaching, he practiced law and played active roles in organizations like the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. A vocal critic of the Emergency, he was imprisoned for his opposition. Agnihotri is currently a national leader of Sikh and Tibet support organizations, author of fifteen books, a traveler, and former Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh.
Prof. Kashi Nath Pandita
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Prof. Sh. K. N. Pandita
Kashinath Pandita graduated from a Missionary College in his hometown of Baramulla, Kashmir. After obtaining a Master’s Degree in History from the Punjab University, he studied at the University of Tehran, Iran and obtained PhD in Iranian and Central Asian Studies. He served at the University of Kashmir at the Centre for Central Asian Studies and rose to become its director.
Dr Pandita has traveled widely in Central Asia particularly the Republic of Tajikistan. He has been made an Honorary Member of the Payvand the Tajik State Cultural Organization. Dr Pandita has about ten books to his credit including a travelogue of Tajikistan titled My Tajik Friends which has been translated into Russian by the Tajik Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Pandita is a human rights activist and has attended many sessions of the UNHRC and also made more than two dozen interventions. He is the President of the Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum which has been granted the ECOSOC special status. He is a freelance journalist and has written copiously on the Central Asian region.
Dr Pandita was awarded the President’s Certificate of Merit in 1994; Soviet Land Nehru Award 1986, Sa’adi Award 2015 by the Iranian Embassy in India and Padma Shri in 2017.
Prof. K.L Bhatia
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Professor Dr. K. L. Bhatia
Professor Dr. K.L. Bhatia (25 January 1945), Β.Α. (Hons.) (J&K); LL.M., Ph.D. (Pune), is a senior Professor of Law. He is former Head and Dean, Faculty of Law and founder Director, The Law School, University of Jammu, Director, Amity Law School, and Dean and Professor Emeritus, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. He has travelled in India and abroad in pursuit of academics. He has about four decades of teaching and research experience. He has authored and edited fifteen books including a book of poetry in both Hindi and English, and about hundred research papers published in leading legal journals of repute in India and abroad. His three books are in press. His areas of interests are Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Human Rights, Legal Language and Legal Writing, Legal Methods, Legal Reasoning and Tools of Legal Research Methodology. He has delivered extension lectures on Legal Research Methodology and Legal Writing as a Visiting Professor at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi; International Taxation Law and Tax Negotiation Treaties, and International Trade and Economic Law as a Visiting Professor in Africa. He is a man of three “Ls”, viz., Law, Literature and Life. He is recipient of ICSSR, UGC, J&K State, UN and ILO Human Rights fellowships. He is a DAAD and Max-Planck Fellow and Alumni
Er. Daya Sagar
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Baljit Kapoor is a seasoned media and communication expert with over two decades of experience in journalism, public affairs, and media education. He has worked with leading news organizations, contributing to editorial planning, reporting, and content strategy across various platforms. His professional journey reflects a commitment to ethical journalism and impactful storytelling.
He had a long stint with the Times of India, and served it in variety of positions. He handled several internships in select European and American newspapers and attended International Newspaper conferences. He was Director, The Times of India, Delhi, when he left it in November 1989, to join Observer Group of Newspapers, as its Sr. Vice President.
Justice (Retd.) G. D Sharma
Patrons
Sh. Daya Sagar
Daya Sagar Engineer by profession (Postgraduate Degree 1971), Daya Sagar (born 6-11-1945) is a Senior freelancer scribe. Affairs concerning Indian state of J&K have always remained in his immediate focus. Closely associated with senior bureaucrats, social activists, academicians and political leaders, he writes extensively on education, economy, health, human rights, international relations and social issues. He has to his credit nearly 1000 published articles and 7 books. He has remained associated with several leading socio-cultural voluntary organisations.
He has distinction of having promoted (in 1990s) the idea of Social Audit through Group Research and Audit on Social Programmes. He is working for the welfare of the Physically challenged, underprivileged and ‘unheard’ people and for development of ‘Humanitarian Coefficient’.
Published Books: J&K
Affairs: Mishandled-Misquoted-Miscarried Jammu and Kashmir State: 1947 Accession: Events Thereafter Article 370-Law and Politics A Look Through the Mist: PDP Self-Rule. History of Delimitation in J&K Real Face of Article-370 of Constitution of India. Jammu & Kashmir-A Victim.
Sh. Ashutosh Bhatnagar
Director, Senior Journalist
Sh. Anil K. Goel
Trustee and Treasurer
Ranjan Chauhan
Secretary
Adv.Sanjay Kumar Tyagi
Advocate on record,
Supreme court of India
Dr. Shiv Poojan Prasad Pathak
Associate Professor
Dr. Ajay Kumar
Asst. Professor
Prof. T Tirupati Rao
Chancellor Manipur University,
& The ICFAI University, Tripura Former Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University
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Dr. Tankeshwar Kumar
Vice Chancellor, Haryana Central University
Prof. Tankeshwar Kumar Professor Tankeshwar Kumar is Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana. Earlier, he has been Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar for about five years and nine months.
Dr. N P Dixit
Former Vice Chancellor
Prof. N. P. Dixit Prof. N. P. Dixit obtained his M.Sc. in Physics in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1981 from Sagar University. He began his academic career in 1971 as a Lecturer in Physics at a Government College and retired in 2010 as the Principal of a Postgraduate College. Subsequently, he served as the Founder Vice-Chancellor of Durg University from 2015 to 2018. Since 2013, Prof. Dixit has been associated with the Jammu Kashmir Study Centre and is presently serving as the State President of the organization.
Capt. Alok Bansal
Executive Vice President of India Foundation, Secretary General of Asian Eurasian Human Rights Forum (AEHRF)
Capt. Alok Bansal is the Executive Vice President of India Foundation & the Secretary General of Asian Eurasian Human Rights Forum (AEHRF). A seasoned strategic affairs analyst, he has previously served as the Executive Director of the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) and has held research positions at leading Indian think tanks including the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). He has authored/ edited 10 books. His work focuses on maritime security, South Asian geopolitics, and internal dynamics of Pakistan. A former naval officer, he served in the Indian Navy for 32 years and commanded two warships. A PhD in international Affairs, he has been a visiting Professor at Jamia Millia Islamia.
Dewang J Aacharya
Dewang J Aacharya is a Management consultant, thought leader, author and TV panellist. He is founder member of Innovative Thought Forum, Active with Jammu Kashmir Study Centre as member of central committee and Sahitya Sadhana Trust as Hon. Secretary. He has also served as Joint Secretary, HSSF - Gujarat chapter as Secretary Bharatiya Vichar Manch and Shahid Katha, Gujarat as Core Committee member.
Prof. Virender Koundal
Prof. Virender Koundal Is Professor of Economics, University of Jammu
Dr. Prashant
Asst. Professor
Dr Prashant Kumar Department of History, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, Delhi