December 2008

Saurabh Kumar, India (YLP ’06); Secretary, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power

An Electrical Engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Saurabh briefly joined the Telecom sector in 1989. In 1992, he got selected in the Indian Revenue Service as Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax and, after training in the National Academy of Direct Taxes Nagpur, he was posted in New Delhi. From 1992 until 2002, Saurabh worked as Deputy Commissioner in various sensitive intelligence assignments. In the year 1996-97, he was appointed as first officer of the tax department in India to levy tax on national political parties. He also worked in the enforcement wing of the Revenue Department and conducted search and seizure operations against tax evaders. As part of this job, he conducted one of the biggest anti-tax evasion search operation covering 30 cities and over 15 premises on a large industrial group of India which remains one of the most successful operations in the Department.

…Read an interview with Saurabh Kumar

November 2008

Ganesh Prasad Pandeya, Nepal (PP ’02); Undersecretary, Ministry of Local Development

Ganesh Prasad Pandeya is Under Secretary at the Ministry of Local Development, Nepal. He is heading the District Development Committee in Dhading, the district just west of Kathmandu. Building on more than twenty years of varied administrative and management experience at all levels in the public sector and non-profit organizations, he is currently responsible for formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the district level development plans and programs. Among others, he aims to develop strategic partnerships with key stakeholders and develop strong working relationships in policy dialogue to ensure that priority issues and concerns are taken into account in the key policy areas. His portfolio also includes the development of strategic frameworks and road-maps at the local level – in particular the conflict prone areas – so as to promote and protect the rights of minorities, indigenous and vulnerable groups. Prior to coming to Japan, Ganesh obtained as many as three bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, all from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, in the fields of Arts, Law, Education, Public Administration and Political Science respectively. He completed his Master in Public Policy at GRIPS in 2002.

…Read an interview with Ganesh Prasad Pandeya

October 2008

Tashi Wangmo, Bhutan (PP ’03); Member, National Council of Bhutan

Tashi Wangmo is a member of the National Council of Bhutan. She has been appointed by His Majesty the King as one of the five special eminent members. Together with 20 representatives from the dzongkhags (prefectures/provinces) that were elected in Bhutan’s recently held first ever elections, they form the Upper House of the Bhutanese parliament. Prior to joining the National Council, Tashi was Head of Policy & Planning Division at the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources in the Royal Government of Bhutan. She was responsible for developing and coordinating implementation of policies and programmes concerning employment, labour administration, and vocational skills development. She previously worked as a Planning Officer at the National Technical Training Authority, which was responsible for overseeing all activities of vocational education and training in the country. Tashi started her career as an assistant engineer at the Civil Aviation Division, Ministry of Information and Communications in 1999. She obtained a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wollongong, Australia, in 1997, and she completed her Masters Degree in Public Policy at GRIPS in 2003.

…Read an interview with Tashi Wangmo