NITI Aayog former special secretary Dr K. Rajeswara Rao joins Sampark Foundation as President

New Delhi, November 22, 2022: Former special secretary of national think tank NITI Aayog Dr K. Rajeswara Rao has joined leading NGO Sampark Foundation as its President. 

In this new role, Dr Rao will be working closely with Sampark Foundation’s Founders, Anupama and Vineet Nayar, to further the mission of the Foundation-to deliver large-scale improvement of learning outcomes in 2 crore government school children across the country.

Dr K. Rajeswara Rao is a 1988 batch IAS Officer of the Tripura Cadre and last served as Special Secretary, NITI Aayog in charge of Managing Urbanization and Urban Planning Reforms, Health and Sanitation, Skill Development, Labour & Employment, UTs etc.

During the long span of 34 years of administrative experience, he served a total of six ministries for about 16 years. He was also chief of the National Urban Health Mission and prepared groundwork/guidelines for the launch of PM Jan Arogya Yojana in 2014 and 2016, and also conceptualised and implemented world’s largest urban reform project i.e., APUSP.

Speaking on Dr Rao’s appointment, Sampark Foundation Founder-Chairman Vineet Nayar said, “Dr K. Rajeswara Rao is one of the most accomplished change-maker I have met, with vast experience in transforming education outcomes at grassroots levels. He will work with our high-performance Sampark team to touch the lives of over two crore children in 2 Lac government schools across ten states and ensure no child is left behind.  With him joining our mission, I am sure we will be able to impact the lives of these children in more meaningful ways by increasing their learning and earning levels in the coming years. .”

Talking about starting his journey with Sampark Foundation, Dr. Rao said, “I am thrilled to join Sampark Foundation and become part of its unique work of transforming primary education in the country. The Sampark team has an excellent track record of impacting learning outcomes at scale and the ground level through their unmatched understanding of the primary education canvas in the country, their undying drive and path-breaking frugal innovations.

“I am eagerly looking forward to working with the founders – Anupama and Vineet, as well as the team to make a difference in the lives of school children and make them ready for the future with a better and happier life. Primary education is the foundation on which a progressive society stands. I am keen to work hard and make a difference in tackling learning challenges by leveraging the innovative Sampark platforms,” added Dr Rao.

Dr Rao has rich experience not just in development administration but also in organisational and human resource development, community development, and empowerment of self-help groups, among others.

Dr Rao has a PhD in social sciences, an MPhil in national security, a master's in sociology, a bachelor's in basic sciences and a PG diploma in journalism.    

Sampark Foundation was founded by Anupama and Vineet Nayar, Former Vice Chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies and author of Harvard Business Press bestseller “Employees First, Customer Second”, with a committed investment of INR 700 Cr. Currently, the Sampark Smart Shala program is impacting over one crore children through its implementation in 1 lac primary government schools in 8 states (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra).