EC Members and Key Management Staff involved in day-to-day program management
Balaji Sampath, Secretary & CEO
B. Tech in Electronics from IIT Madras. PhD in Electronics from Univ. of Maryland, College Park. As a graduate student, mobilized 500 volunteers and started 25 chapters of Association for India’s Development in the USA. Returned to India and started working fulltime on social issues in 1997. Founded AID INDIA. Worked with Center for Ecology and Rural Development and the People’s Science Movement on health and education programs. National Organizer of the People’s Health Assembly Campaign in 2000. Received several awards for AID INDIA’s work in reading and science education - Ashoka Fellowship, Lemelson Innovator’s Award, Rotary Distinguished Service Award. Demonstrate weekly science program for children on TV since Aug 2006. Author of several books and videos on education, science popularization and health.
Because his parents were often transferred to different locations for their government jobs, as a child Balaji was exposed to a number of schools across the country. In all these schools, one thing remained constant: his problem understanding scientific subjects because of ineffective teaching. Balaji’s family encouraged him to question the situation, and very early in life he devised his own system of analysis and arriving at solutions.
India’s problems, especially the riots of 1992, affected Balaji deeply, making him realize that he wanted to work for the public good. He became convinced that there cannot be any movement without volunteers. While a student at the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, he started volunteering in a small nearby village, coaching children in various subjects, especially mathematics and science. The village volunteer group he created in order to help him with his work was motivated enough to raise the money to start proper tutoring centers.Higher studies took Balaji to the United States, where he started organizing fellow students and friends to raise funds for citizen sector organizations in India - knowing that such fundraising would help him start his community work once he returned to India. An initial group of 400 swelled to 1,000 and then more, evolving into chapters of AID-India across the world, which support more than 200 projects.
Balaji returned to India after a doctorate in electronics and communication engineering from the University of Maryland and lived in villages to learn how best he could help upgrade the education system and create a level playing field for rural children. During his time understanding field level work Balaji worked with Center for Ecology and Rural Development and the People’s Science Movement on various health and education programs. He was also a National Organizer of the People’s Health Assembly Campaign in 2000.
Balaji is the recipient several awards in work to improve reading and science education - Ashoka Fellowship, Lemelson Innovator’s Award, Rotary Distinguished Service Award. He also demonstrates a popular weekly science program for children on TV. In addition, he is also an author of several books and videos on education, science popularization and health. |
