Sanjay Kumar (born 15 January 1976) is an Indian social/political activist. He is currently the deputy director of Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan, an organization in
New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
that has worked for the rights of homeless people since 2000.
Kumar has been working in the fields of
social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
,
social policy
Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize social policy and public policy to be two separate, competing approaches for the same public interest (similar to MD a ...
and research since 2000. His main focus typically lies on the issues of
urban poverty,
homelessness
Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
, underage employment, street dwelling children,
old age pension
A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a "defined benefit plan", wher ...
,
right to education
The right to education has been recognized as a human rights, human right in a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a right to free education, free, pr ...
,
right to food
The right to food, and its variations, is a human right protecting the right of people to feed themselves in dignity, implying that sufficient food is available, that people have the means to access it, and that it adequately meets the individua ...
and
citizenship
Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state.
Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationalit ...
rights. Kumar is responsible for managing and implementing a campaign in Delhi with hundreds of volunteers to ensure access to shelters, health-care, skill development, and justice for marginalized people. He has been consistently organizing mass events/rallies, conducting census/surveys, documenting and researching interventions, establishing networks and advocacy groups with government departments, other NGOs, and movements. Kumar has been fighting against
social inequality
Social inequality occurs when resources within a society are distributed unevenly, often as a result of inequitable allocation practices that create distinct unequal patterns based on socially defined categories of people. Differences in acce ...
,
discrimination
Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sex ...
and sensitizing civil society for the realization of the larger goal of poor people within India.
Kumar is also associated as a research scholar on the issue of homelessness with the Department of Social Work,
University of Delhi
The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...
.
Education
He is currently in the pursuit of a PhD in Homelessness from the University of Delhi. He has achieved a MSW (Master of Social Work), UGC, NET, a diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, a diploma in Rural Development, BA (Honours) and MA in History.
Publications and documentations
*Treatment of Homeless people with severe Mental Illness: Making a Difference
*"Begharo Ki Karah" case studies of homeless people
*"Meri Kahani Meri Jubani" The Testimonies of homeless people caught Under Bombay Prevention Of Beggary Act: published in "People Without A Nation" "Towards Reclaiming Our Humanity" - Published by his own NGO Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan
Awards and fellowship
Sanjay Kumar has received a scholarship for an emerging social entrepreneur from Leader Quest organization situated in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, UK (2007–08). He was also presented with a "True Legend Award" in 2016 by
CNBC-TV 18. He has been a member in the Chief Electoral officer, GNCT of Delhi for Homeless people. Additionally, he also holds an award for an actively monitored and guided Night Shelter Volunteer's program (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) presented to him in 2015. Kumar was also awarded by UBM India Ltd. for the "Giving Back" NGO in 2013 at
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, India.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Sanjay
1976 births
Living people
Delhi politicians
Indian human rights activists