Atal Achievement Award, 2022 to Mohanlal Panda: From Atalji’s Raj-dharma to JMN’s Swa-dharma
“It’s time we break down social equilibrium and reinforce reform. Any individual, any group or any network anywhere can transform a situation. We have to see that more people make an effort to create more wealth at the bottom of the pyramid. Let there be innovation and competition under an umbrella of democratic capitalism. The more the number of social entrepreneurs, the more the country becomes self-reliant and self-sufficient.”, says Dr Mohanlal Panda who received the award at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi for outstanding contribution in Development Consultancy & Social Entrepreneurship on 21 December 2022, presented Topgallant Media. It was a memorable gift on the birthday of Dr. Panda.
Dr Mohanlal Panda, based in Delhi holds a Ph.D. degree from JNU and works as a development consultant and an independent project evaluator. He is also the Director, Centre for Livelihood and Social Entrepreneurship, an independent unit of Jan Mitra Nyas. The centre is creating livelihood opportunities for the most marginalised communities of the society. It is also linking the volunteers of the trust with the available business opportunities. He also owns a consulting company named AAM Consultancy Pvt Ltd.
His father, Sri Girish Chandra Panda is a widely respected civil lawyer and a renowned politician. He popularised and strengthened the Congress party at the grassroot level through organization building in the earlier known Phulbani District and gave a breakthrough to the party by winning 3 out of 4 assembly seats in 1974. His Grandfather, a politician and businessman, resigned from the Advisory Council of the King of Boudh and founded Praja Mandal Samiti.
Mr. Girish Chandra Panda with smt. Indira Gandhi former Prime Minister of India
Dr. Mohanlal Panda with his father
Mohanlal Panda, was born in Boudh, Odisha. He completed his schooling in Boudh and moved to Sambalpur where he completed his Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and Psychology), 1987 from Gangadhar Meher College, now an Autonomous University, Sambalpur, Odisha. He did his Post graduation from Sambalpur University, Burla, in Political Science. He was awarded the Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi in 1999.
He worked on various projects of democratic governance, human rights and skill development during his job tenure with PHD Rural Development Foundation, Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, South Asia Office and Jan Mitra Nyas. As an evaluation and monitoring consultant he has evaluated projects funded by UN agencies like UNDEF, UNWOMEN and other International Agencies.