About Us

We aspire to be a network dedicated to maintaining the 'Jugalbandi' of people and nature in the central Indian landscape by linking knowledge with action

Jugalbandi Exploring the duality and the dance of people’s livelihoods and ecological integrity in Central India

Our network was formed as an outcome of the Kanha-Pench Landscape Symposium (KPLS) held in February 2014, out of the desire to establish a more direct method for communicating news and resources relevant to management and conservation in the Central Indian Landscape.

Engage + Explore
To Be Effective

Lean into the complexity and diversity of central India
Build from the bottom up
Engage with all actors in this working landscape
Conduct applicable scientific research
Chart our course with measured next steps
Iterative processes to include crowd-sources priorities

WHO WE ARE

Ruth DeFries

Founder Director

Dr Ruth DeFries is a professor of ecology and sustainable development at Columbia University in New York and co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School. Her research aims to contribute to realistic pathways for people and nature to thrive. She has been connected to the Central Indian landscape for more than fifteen years. She has received many honors for her scientific research and is also an author committed to communicating the nuances and complexities of sustainable development to popular audiences. She founded and continues to direct the Network for Conserving Central India. Read more about Prof DeFries here.

Amrita Neelakantan

Executive Director

Dr. Amrita Neelakantan is a conservation scientist focused on human-nature interactions and connectivity conservation. Her doctoral research around Kanha National Park highlighted the importance of stable incomes in achieving food security and sustainable forest use for resettled and non-resettled communities. A founding member and active participant in leading coalitions, she drives efforts in connectivity conservation and biocultural conservation. Dr. Neelakantan's previous work spans global biodiversity hotspots, including fieldwork in Ecuador, Kenya, and Madagascar.

Mansi Monga

Coordinator

Mansi began her career in conservation with environment education initiatives. With an MSc in Environment and International Development and 7 years of experience working in different areas of conservation, nationally and Asia-wide, she brings a developmental lens into conservation efforts, further enhancing the vision of 'Jugalbandi' at the Network for Conserving Central India (NCCI). As NCCI's coordinator and grants administrator, she coordinates the Symposium, the Last Mile Effectiveness Program and administers the Small Grants among other things.

Yaashree Himatsingka

Communications Officer

Yaashree is an environmental writer and photographer from Mumbai. She recently graduated from Princeton University, where she majored in History with Certificates in Environmental Studies and South Asian Studies. She wrote her senior thesis on the fraught history of the mahua tree, which holds immense spiritual and ecological significance in Central India. She manages NCCI’s public presence through newsletters and media outreach, supporting flagship programs like the Central Indian Landscape Symposium (CILS6) and agrobiodiversity roundtables.

ALUMNI

Satvik Parashar

Research Analyst and DBF Grants Administrator

Satvik is a spatial analyst with an educational background in computer science and sustainable development practices. He was a Research Analyst and Small Grants Administrator at the NCCI.

Funding for NCCI is provided by the DeFries Bajpai Foundation

Funding for the NCCI is provided by the DeFries Bajpai Foundation, whose mission is to support scientists working towards sustainable solutions, particularly in India. The source of funds for the DeFries Bajpai Foundation is a no-strings-attached award from the MacArthur Foundation to Ruth DeFries.

ABOUT US

Engage + Explore To Be Effective