Sh Anurag Kundu
Email: cp[dot]dcpcr[at]gmail[dot]com, anurag[dot]kundu[at]gov[dot]in
Mr. Anurag Kundu has been the Chairperson of Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), Government of NCT of Delhi, a position equivalent to Joint Secretary, Government of India, since July 2020. As Chairperson, he is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the rights of the children, commission research studies, inquire into specific complaints/violations of the rights, and advise the Government on policy matters on the issue of early childhood care and development, school education, protection of children from physical, mental/sexual violence, child labour, early marriage, substance abuse, and trafficking.
Mr. Kundu has wide experience of working on children’s issues with a particular focus on education issues and has been advising the Government of NCT of Delhi since 2015. Mr. Kundu has been a key member of the team that conceptualized and implemented the nationally and internationally acclaimed education reforms of the Government of NCT of Delhi. He has chaired and been part of several key committees such as framing the Government of Delhi’s policy on the question of “No-Detention Policy” under Right to Education Act, committee on strategic issues related to lockdown during Covid-19 pandemic, implementation plan of New Education Policy in the state of Delhi, Right to Education State Advisory Council amongst others.
Prior to joining DCPCR as Chairperson, Mr. Kundu served as Member, DCPCR where he headed the education division. He was responsible for monitoring the implementation of Right to Education Act across 5,500 government, municipal and private schools.He has authored two studies, one detailing the status of implementation of the Right to Education Act provision that reserves 25% seats in private schools for children belonging to disadvantaged groups and the other that assessed the extent and effectiveness of mainstreaming out of school children in Delhi.
In 2016, Mr. Kundu filed and won Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Delhi High Court for robust implementation of the Right to Education Act [EWS/DG Quota] in private schools regulated by Delhi’s three Municipal Corporations setting precedents for similar litigations in different states.
Previously, Mr. Kundu has completed his two years fellowship with Teach For India prior to joining them as Consultant. Thereafter, he worked with Indus Action for the implementation of Right to Education Act.
Mr. Kundu is a Computer Science Engineer by degree. He has been conferred Distinguished Alumni Public Service Award (Age Under 40) by Alumni Association, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra (2019).
ARTICLES:
- Governments must act to protect children who have lost parents to Covid (Indian Express, May 2021)
- How to bridge the gap between student enrolment, attendance (Hindustan Times, October 2020)
- Alleviating Poverty Through Learning(The Wire, March 2020)
- 3-Part Series: Articles & Commentary On New Education Policy Series (FirstPost, June 2019)
- Do You Think Arjun and Eklavya Can Be In Same Classroom?(NDTV, August 2015)