SK

Sampath Kumar

STATE GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA, SHILLONG, RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI, Osmania University, GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH, HYDERABAD

ORCID iD 0000-0002-3416-9483
Follow

About

I am an Indian Administrative Officer, a systems thinker dedicated to driving large-scale impact projects. Over two decades, I have delved into diverse sectors like public health, natural resource management, poverty reduction, rural development, climate action, and gender empowerment across Assam, Meghalaya, and Uttar Pradesh. Key highlights of my impact and career include:

Policy Making: I use public policy as a tool to address complex 21st-century challenges. I played a pivotal role in crafting innovative policies in Meghalaya, including behavior-led and gender-focused health policies, mental health and social care policies, and integrated water policies for conservation.

State Capacity Modeling: I believe in the potential of a robust public sector and champions' investments to enhance government capabilities. I conceptualized the State Capability Enhancement Project, fostering an adaptive development approach within the Meghalaya government. I am now materializing a "Government Innovation Lab" to incubate capacity and governance innovations and a novel Government Performance Act to grade development performance. I also aided in crafting novel procurement policies to attract top talent as workforce and improve the public sector's productivity.

Public Health Innovations: I shifted Meghalaya's public health agenda from curative to preventive, focusing on social determinants of health and demand-side interventions. I initiated India's first Early Child Development Mission and established 6634 Village Health Councils in Meghalaya. Under my supervision, Meghalaya recorded significant improvements in health indicators, including a 70% increase in institutional deliveries.

Gender Equity: I promoted gender equity by reserving 50% of seats for women in Village Employment Councils (VECs) in Meghalaya. The state saw a substantial increase in the number of women functionaries, paving the way for women-led design interventions and economic feminization.

Climate Change: I created the Climate Corp, training 13,190 Village Community Facilitators (VCFs) in Meghalaya to manage natural resources. Kumar conceptualized India's First Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme to finance nature conservation.

Poverty Reduction: As a founding member, I played a key role in the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, impacting over 60 million women and economically empowering 20 million.

The principles of equity have been central to all my work, driving a regenerative, diverse, and just model of development.

Employment

  • STATE GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA, SHILLONG Development Commissioner & Principal Secretary
    2014 - Present
  • RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI CEO
    2007 - 2014
  • STATE GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA, SHILLONG Deputy Commissioner & District Magistrate
    2005 - 2007
  • GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH, HYDERABAD Project Director and Joint Collector
    2002 - 2005

Education

  • Osmania University Bachelor of Engineering (B.E)
    1990 - 1993

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (19)