Executive Committees

Professor R P Dwivedi have done his post-graduation in social work in 1980 from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi and learnt the basic lessons of social work under the doyen of Indian Social Work, Prof. Raja Ram Shastri. The Department of Social work of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth is the first social work institution of Independent India based on ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. He started his learning through jobs in voluntary organizations, later on completed his Ph.D on Voluntary Organization in Uttar Pradesh. He began his teaching career in social work as social work educator with the first Department of Social Work of left out north India at University of Kurukshetra, Haryana.

This was the first department of Social Work in this entire region consisting of Haryana, Punjab, Himanchal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Prof. Dwivedi served this Department and region from 1984-1987. In 1987, he came back to his alma mater to serve the Faculty of Social Work where he served as core faculty member till 1995. Recognizing his work on Mahatma Gandhi, he was appointed the Director of Gandhi Adhayanpeeth – an Institute of for teaching and research on Gandhian Studies with Indian social work tradition under the Faculty of Social Work. Based on the ideals of Gandhian philosophy, he has been initiated as well as involved in a number of Social Welfare, Social Reform and social action projects/ movements particularly in Varanasi and areas of adjoining districts and the whole country in general. He have established the Varanasi Child Line and directed this effort for 20 years till his retirement in 2020. During 35 long years of his services as a student of Social Work and Gandhian Studies, he published four books, numerous articles, edited a journal, guided research students PhDs and MPhil. Along with some likeminded friends, he revived the Indian Society of Gandhian Studies in 1996 and organized two national conference of the society to bring Gandhian Scholars on one platform. In 2007, He organized a national convention of Azadi Bachao Andolan which brought 6000 tribal farmers and adivasis, created a human chain against MNCs against exploitation of masses. He proudly shares that Gandhian Social action came in lime light when they have recorded as world’s biggest Human Chain against Coca-Cola Company’s exploitation of the ground water resources and affecting health of millions of people. He was a part of one of the largest service organization of Jai Gurdev followers and the organization is serving millions of people not only spiritually but in times of emergency such as flood, drought, disaster, fire, crop failure, communal tension. He is proud of his social work training which gave him value base and skills to serve the marginalized people across the country.

Recently, he has been chosen by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, both in their respective committees for implementing programmes of 150 years of Gandhiji’s Birth Anniversary across the state. In a nut shell, he has been a social work educator, researcher and Gandhian activist.