Location: Kerala
Dr. Latha Nair.
Management Professional.
MA & MPhil in Public Administration
MBA & PhD in Business Management.
Chief Executive of Industrial Operations Research Group ( Empanelled Management consultants, Ministry of MSME, Govt of India)
30 years experience as HOD & Director of MBA under Madras University & MS University.
Author of 20 Books and 100 plus Business Articles.
Interested Areas:
1. Holistic approach in Management.
2. Connecting concepts of Bharatheeya Ithihasangal with management thoughts.
3. Karma yoga & Excellence in Work:
Location: Kerala
DR. K. BALACHANDRA KURUP
Dr. Balan is a Governance, Social development and Institutional expert with more than four
decades of working experience in Policy, Governance, Social development in Water resources,
WASH, Solid waste management, Infrastructure, rural/urban development sector (35 years in
South Asia and 15 years in Middle East and North Africa Region). He was with the
International Civil Service Commission and held several senior management positions with
UN and Bilateral agencies. During this period, he was closely associated with the
responsibility of review, sector assessment, capacity development, and preparation of
feasibility study reports and so on. He was also a member of the Development of Policy
framework and guidelines for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLV/M) for Rural areas of
India, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Govt. of India supported by Asian
Development Bank.
He started the UN career in June 1979 attached to the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Planning, Juba, Southern Sudan and later on moved to the UNICEF as Project Officer (Social
Statistics and Monitoring). He left Sudan in 1987 and moved to India for completing his PhD
in Social Sciences. The Thesis was on Socio-cultural determinants of Child survival in South
India.
He was instrumental in starting the first integrated Water and sanitation program in India in
1988 supported by the Royal Netherlands and Denmark Government. This was the first time
the water users’ association was developed in the water and irrigation sector for planning,
implementation, monitoring of the effective use and maintenance of water distribution
system in the country, The experience of this project has been published viz, he community
managed sanitation program in Kerala: Learning from Experience, Technical paper series
together with International Water and Sanitation Centre ((RO), The Hague, The Netherlands
1996.
In 1997 he joined the UNDP/World Bank, Regional Water and Sanitation Group, South Asia as the Rural Specialist and later on worked as the Team Leader, World Bank supported rural
water and sanitation project in Karnataka for the period 1998 to 2000,
In 2002 he was assigned as the Chief of Planning Coordination section with the United Nations Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq. In 2008 he was assigned to work as
the Sector Strategy and Coordination Advisor in Sudan for UNICEF and UNDP.
He was Team leader and member of several
planning, evaluation and capacity assessment
missions at national and international level supported by United Nations, World Bank, ADB,
Bilateral agencies, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. He was the National
Steering Committee and Regional Committee member of Council for Advancement of
People's Action for Rural Technology (CAPART) on rural development, Government of India.
He was also the Program Director and Member Secretary of International Institute of Waste
Management (IIWM), Bhopal (from 2012 to 2016) and former Vice President of National
Solid Waste Association of India (NSWAl). He is the President of Global Society for Health
Promotion and Education and Chairman of the Editorial Board, Journal of Health Promotion and Education. He worked as Social Development and Gender Specialist with the ADB
supported Integrated Sustainable Water Resources Investment Program, Government of
Karnataka and Tami Nadu states of India
He was also involved with UNICEF Sudan for carrying out the Institutional capacity assessment of WASH sector in Sudan on behalf of Government of Sudan and UNICEF from
August 2021 to February 2020.
His work experience has spanned India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Iraq, Jordan, Nepal and Netherlands. He has written and published 10 books and more than 100 technical
papers and published in International and national journals. He has been instrumental in
organizing more than 20 international conferences and seminars an multi-sectoral program, approaches and strategies,
Location: Kerala
*AK Manoharan*
*Business Entrepreneur | Education Administrator | Retired Indian Navy Chief Artificer | Community service*
Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, India
*Personal Background*
- Son of the late *AK Appu Master*, a respected educationalist and former MLA from Balussery constituency, hailing from *Kakkur*, Kozhikode district.
*Professional Journey*
- *Indian Navy Service (1972–1987)*
Joined the Indian Navy in 1972.
Served with dedication for 15 years.
Retired as *Chief Artificer* (senior technical specialist in engineering and maintenance).
- *Entrepreneurship in Mumbai (Post-1987)*
Relocated to Mumbai after naval retirement and entered business.
Specialized in installation of *telecom equipment*, *computer networks*, and structured *cabling* — contributing to India's early IT and communications infrastructure boom in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
- *Return to Kerala & Founding of Compuland (1996–Present)*
Returned to Calicut (Kozhikode) in 1996.
Founded *COMPULAND*, specializing in:
- Computer hardware and accessories
- Networking solutions and infrastructure
- Network cabling and IT peripherals
The firm continues to thrive, operating from Mavoor Road, Kozhikode
with a solid reputation for reliable IT services spanning nearly three decades.
- *Education Management (Current Role)*
Managing two respected educational institutions, upholding the family legacy in learning and community development:
- *KPC Higher Secondary School*, Pattanur (originally founded by AK Appu Master).
- *KNUP School*, Mattannur.
Overseeing administration, operations, and quality enhancement for student welfare and education in the region.
- *Community & Organizational Involvement (Current)*
Vice President of the *organising committee* of *N4Y FOUNDATION*, Kerala & Lakhdeeves chapter.
Contributing to youth-focused initiatives, community building, nation-building efforts, and possibly empowerment programs (aligned with similar youth/national development organizations in Kerala and island regions).
*Key Strengths & Contributions*
- Naval discipline and technical expertise transitioned successfully into entrepreneurship in the evolving IT sector.
- Long-term commitment to business sustainability and local economic impact through COMPULAND.
- Dedication to education administration, continuing a generational legacy.
- Active civic engagement through N4Y FOUNDATION, focusing on youth leadership, cultural preservation, and regional development across Kerala and Lakshadweep.